{"id":85453,"date":"2019-05-02T08:39:54","date_gmt":"2019-05-02T06:39:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.voyages-d-affaires.com\/?p=85453"},"modified":"2019-05-09T17:04:53","modified_gmt":"2019-05-09T15:04:53","slug":"interview-cernejeski-pullman-abidjan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.voyages-d-affaires.com\/en\/interview-cernejeski-pullman-abidjan","title":{"rendered":"Interview with : Fran\u00e7ois Cernejeski, General Manager of Pullman Abidjan"},"content":{"rendered":"

What remains of the former Pullman Abidjan after this extensive renovation?<\/h3>\n

Fran\u00e7ois Cernejeski -<\/strong> La renovation of the Pullman Abidjan hotel<\/a><\/strong> began in July 2016. Initially, the project mainly concerned the rooms. The hotel was closed from 14 March 2017, before reopening at the end of 2018. To tell the truth, there's not much left of the old Pullman! It's more like a new hotel<\/strong><\/a>particularly in its configuration. In the luxury hotel business, everything quickly becomes obsolete, even after fifteen years, in terms of design, comfort, technology...<\/p>\n

So what are the main new features?<\/h3>\n

F. C. -<\/strong> We went from 208 to 265 rooms<\/strong>The entrance lacked light, so we installed the staircase on the outside of the hotel and raised the height of the building to give a view of the lagoon, which provides good lighting. We've added an extra bar in the dining room, a show cooking area in the kitchen, as well as a spa<\/strong>with a fitness centre. This is one of the services expected in a 5-star establishment like the Pullman Abidjan. We're also opening up the lagoon side of the hotel. Tomorrow, with the development of Cocody Bay, guests will be able to move between the two entrances.<\/p>\n

a form of relaxed five-star<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As well as the infrastructure, how has the hotel's positioning changed?<\/h3>\n

F. C. -<\/strong> We don't just want to accommodate travellers. Many hotels around the world want to be places where people live. Here, this is a reality, and it corresponds to a real need in Abidjan<\/strong>It's a city that needs great places for people to hang out. That's why we've launched Thursday night afterworks, the 'Gondwana Club' comedy club and Sunday brunch. Pullman Abidjan has become a place for meetings, business, seminars and, of course, hospitality<\/strong>. That's how we wanted to position the Pullman Abidjan, which embodies a form of \"five-star uninhibited\".<\/p>\n

The hotel now seems to have a special place for art...<\/h3>\n

Fran\u00e7ois Cernejeski - <\/strong>Yes, we've set up the reception in a slightly more intimate area, with an 'arty' zone that changes with the seasons. We organised a \"art night<\/strong> At the beginning of April, at the same time as the official inauguration of the hotel, we want to exhibit artists, but not in the traditional way. This is part of the art & play\" trend<\/strong> the Pullman brand: we approach art in a different way, by popularising it and making it accessible to everyone. In particular, we are working with the Eureka Gallery<\/strong>It's a group that discovers talent and works to showcase artists.<\/p>\n

What is the ratio between local and foreign customers at Pullman Abidjan?<\/h3>\n

F. C. -\u00a0<\/strong>Today, events and catering are very successful. The majority of customers (60%) are local, not staying at the hotel. This is a very surprising ratio when you look at what happens in other hotels, where the number of overnight guests is usually 80% or even 90%.<\/p>\n

The Plateau has the image of a purely business district, deserted when the offices close: how can a hotel change things?<\/h3>\n

F. C. -\u00a0<\/strong>First of all, you need good relations with the city and the institutions. You also need to have the will and the drive. You have to go out and find these potential customers who are in the offices, and get them to come to you. explain that there's something going on in the Plateau<\/strong>. The area is not residential at all, it's all business, so people tend to leave once their working day is done. But there is the possibility of capture these customers<\/strong>You just have to have the will to get involved. It takes time and energy, and you have to talk about it and spread the word about the concepts we're developing...<\/p>\n

Are you planning any other developments?<\/h3>\n

F. C. -\u00a0<\/strong>We want to bring to life the lagoon side of the hotel, which won't just be a reception area: there will be a barber shop, a syrup and coffee bar... We're working on this, which will be completed by the end of April. We're also going to develop the sports section and add other events to liven up the hotel. The idea is for the people of Abidjan to find themselves in the Pullman, in a lively establishment where there's always something going on.<\/p>\n

The vast majority of trips to Abidjan are made on business: do you think that demand for leisure activities will increase in the near future?<\/h3>\n

Fran\u00e7ois Cernejeski -\u00a0<\/strong>I have a lot of faith in the number of airlines flying into Abidjan airport, to keep ticket prices down. There are also visa and vaccination constraints. The destination is only six hours from Paris, but there are other destinations that are closer and less expensive: it would therefore be positive if the visa problem could be lifted.<\/p>\n

There are a growing number of hotel projects in Abidjan, particularly in the Plateau district. How do you view this new competition?<\/h3>\n

F. C. -\u00a0<\/strong>Abidjan used to be a big city, now it's a hub. Tomorrow, it will truly be a city that counts as a destination, in other words, a city that makes a difference because there are things to do, business, and it's pleasant to stay there. There's this mix of colours, nationalities and ethnicities that you don't find everywhere: you no longer know where people come from. And if Abidjan is to become a major destination, we need these hotels. The hotel offer cannot be reduced to 700 or 800 rooms: we need a whole range of infrastructures and services to attract investors and make the difference with other destinations such as Casablanca, Nairobi, Dakar...<\/p>\n

How do you see Abidjan's future?<\/h3>\n

F. C. -\u00a0<\/strong>I've been living in Abidjan for ten years, I've seen the city grow and it's still growing: there's the tramway<\/strong>the Cocody Bay<\/strong>... Some will say that the city has changed for the worse, because they compare it to a bygone era, thirty years ago. I don't share that nostalgia. There is a principle of evolution. For example, imagining a tramway in a city like Abidjan is extraordinary, given all the traffic constraints. A tram also contributes to greater safety, it sets a timetable, which is important for Africa, and it takes the dust off traffic routes. It's one of those innovations that changes behaviour in a positive way.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Pullman Abidjan hotel celebrated its inauguration, following a total renovation. Fran\u00e7ois Cernejeski, General Manager of Pullman Abidjan, explains the positioning of the Accor group's five-star hotel, and its strategy for business travellers and local customers.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":86107,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[57,143],"tags":[1011,1451,1501],"type-darticle":[51],"n_magazine":[],"class_list":["post-85453","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hotellerie","category-interviews","tag-afrique","tag-accor","tag-hotellerie-haut-de-gamme","type-darticle-interview","vapo-free"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nInterview : Fran\u00e7ois Cernejeski, Directeur g\u00e9n\u00e9ral de l'h\u00f4tel Pullman Abidjan<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Le Pullman Abidjan vient de c\u00e9l\u00e9brer son inauguration, apr\u00e8s une r\u00e9novation totale qui le positionne sur le devant la sc\u00e8ne h\u00f4teli\u00e8re locale. 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