Mayela Garcia, General Manager, Hotel Indigo Pittsburgh East Liberty
In an interview with Invest:, Mayela Garcia, general manager of Hotel Indigo Pittsburgh East Liberty, said that the hotel’s focus on community partnerships and renovation is reshaping its role in the local market. “This needed change is going to attract more guests and bring in more business,” Garcia said.
What changes have most impacted Hotel Indigo Pittsburgh over the past year, and in what ways?
I would say that the biggest thing that we’ve focused on over the past year was preparing for the U.S. Open, which brought in 100,000 people to the area. We’re not typically used to events on that scale.
I stepped into my role at the beginning of the year, and we focused on hiring and training. We wanted to make sure that we’re bringing in the right local talent and setting up a strategy for maximizing our revenue for the year.
What adjustments made have been most significant during this phase?
One of the things we’ve really been focusing on is working with the East Liberty Chamber of Commerce. With the Hotel Indigo brand, it is all about fitting into the neighborhood as well as bringing people in. Partnering with local vendors complements our brand and does the job for us. People already know they want to stay at an IHG hotel, but it’s my job to make sure they feel like they’re experiencing East Liberty. Over the last six months, we’ve been exploring different local vendors. There’s a company down the street that does local pierogies, rugs, and we get them from there to have a local touch to our menu. It’s our way of supporting small businesses while giving guests a true taste of the neighborhood.
How might this change affect guest experience and your positioning in the Pittsburgh market?
This needed change is going to attract more guests and bring in more business. We’ve been doing a lot more in-person marketing. The management team has been promoting the hotel through flyers and signs to highlight what guests can look forward to at the hotel.
We’re also reaching out to nearby hotels and reminding them that we are always there for them. If there’s any business they can’t take, send them over to our soon-to-be renovated hotel. Building those relationships between hotels really helps us.
For guests, it’s so important that they know when you come back next time, it’s going to be a completely different stay. Right now, we’re focused on the Kelly Strayhorn Theater and event space we have right here, but within the next year, it’s going to be different.
What makes Pittsburgh a great place to live and do business?
Coming from Dallas, which is so large, you feel like you fit in here. Even for people visiting for a short time, there’s something to do every day. I’ve never been to a city where there’s so much interaction and a drive to build, while still giving you that feeling of being at home.
Seeing how much has changed in the last five years, you can expect more in the next five. If I look around and see two new buildings have popped up along a street, I can tell you that the street is going to be packed in five years. The same thing goes for East Liberty. This is going to be a community hub where companies are choosing to be. I already know it’s going to be a booming city.
What are your key goals and priorities for Hotel Indigo Pittsburgh for the next two to three years?
One of our key priorities is finishing the renovation without negatively affecting the guest experience, while continuing to maximize revenue and reminding people that we’re open and ready to welcome them. Also, in preparation for the renovation, we’re keeping major upcoming events in mind, like the NFL Draft — similar to how we did for the U.S. Open. We were one of the first hotels to open our rates for booking, even a year in advance.
It’s also important to keep our community presence. If anyone has family coming to town, they should know Hotel Indigo is the place to stay. That’s why continuing our relationship with the East Liberty Chamber of Commerce is very important to me and making sure that we are building with the community and keeping our neighborhood story alive.
