'Philippine economy is on positive track'

MANILA, Philippines - The newly installed general manager of Marriott Hotel Manila Scott Sibley is no stranger to the Philippines.

If he seems very comfortable around Filipinos and acts like one already, it’s because he’s been working with Filipinos and actually “works for one everyday.”

“I’m married to a Filipina who is from Makati. We have two kids aged 14 and 3,” Sibley told The Star in an interview.

If he knows Filipinos like the palm of his hand, it’s because he worked with them at the Guam Marriott Resort and Spa where 96 percent of the staff were Pinoys.

Sibley also led the opening of the Cebu Marriott Hotel some 15 years ago.

So call it fate or chance or whatever, he knew he had to be in the Philippines.

“I just thought the Philippines was going to be my next spot. I’m really excited to be here. I love the Philippines and I’ve found love here—from the people to the culture to the feel of a beautiful tropical country, I love it here,” Sibley enthuses.

“I am deeply honored to be working with Filipinos where the best of the industry can be found. Marriott Manila has taken leadership in the market by storm and we aim to be at the same spot for the many years to come. We have the best teams, the friendliest people in the industry,” says Sibley.

Unknown to many, Marriott is now one of the leading hotels in Manila with a high occupancy and guest satisfaction rate, says Sibley.

He plans to further grow the Marriott brand by adding more rooms.

“We are planning to add 196 rooms and open a convention center, which can sit 2,000 people, across the street in the next two to three years,” he says.

Marriott Hotel Manila staff

Marriott’s phenomenal success can be attributed to a lot of factors but for Sibley, the Marriott Rewards program top the list.

“The Marriott rewards system has the strongest rewards program in the world, stronger than the American express or other airlines’ rewards system. A lot of our customers, about 75 percent of them are members of our Marriott rewards/loyalty program,” says Sibley.

Of course, it helps that Marriott is near Resorts World and the casinos, he says.

He sees himself staying in Marriott Manila for a long period of time.

“I’m really happy to be here, both at the hotel and the Philippines in general. After working, I want to retire here in the country. My vision for Marriott Manila is to finish its expansion and to be the number one hotel in the city,” he says. 

Sibley also says he believes the Philippine economy is on a positive track.

“I think the next decade is going to be the decade of the Philippines. Thailand had their decade, China had their decade and the other countries have their decade. But I think the next 10 years is going to be the decade of the Filipinos,” he says.

 Born and raised in the US, Sibley graduated Hotel Apprenticeship at The Culinary Garden & Inn and took up a special course in accounting in 2009 at Universal Class Accounting 101.

 His passion and flair in the kitchen gave Sibley the opportunity to work in Marriott. For 14 years, he was the hotel operations manager and executive chef before the opportunity came in to become a general manager at the Renaissance Dubai Hotel, his first property to hold the highest position. After more than two years, he was assigned at Toronto Marriott Downtown Eaton Center where he received his first most coveted Mustang award.

Meanwhile, Marriott’s Marketing Director Cristy Silvestre Carreon says even they are amazed with the phenomenal growth of Marriott.

“We are continuously growing and leading in the market. In  2011, we reached 83 percent room occupancy and pushing the rate further. We attribute our success to our team’s dedication and hardwork,” says Carreon. 

She notes that the Marriott team recently won the prestigious Sales and Marketing Leadership Special Achievement Award of the Year.

 “We attribute the award to our unique sales staff deployment, effectively tapping e-commerce channels and social media while amassing corporate and MICE accounts. To date, we’re leading in terms of market share for 15 straight months. We are also most proud of our Director of Revenue Strategy Kate Ona for holding the Revenue Management Leadership Award for two years,” Carreon says. 

 Another thing that makes Marriott special, Carreon stresses, is their Genuine Care Basics culture, which is “basically fundamental in order to inspire associates’ performance with an experience that is reflective of guests’ priorities such as excellence, optimism, and professionalism.”

“The Genuine Care Basic aims to assist every associate in consistently delivering service beyond guests’ expectations. We also take special attention to training, open communication, respect for associates and celebrating successes which makes Marriott one of the best names to have in resume,” Carreon says.