Spotlight On: Joel Fuller, General Manager, Sheraton Raleigh Hotel
August 2023 — In an interview with Invest:, Joel Fuller, general manager at the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel, discussed the hotel’s growth in occupancy and rate, the current state of the industry in the Triangle region, strategies to recruit talent and visitor’s expectations in the post-pandemic era. Fuller emphasized the importance of key partnerships to drive business in the city.
What milestones has the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel achieved in the past year?
We are experiencing continued growth in both occupancy and rate, which are the key metrics we use to measure our success. We are pleased with the results so far this year. I wouldn’t say it’s extremely robust, but there is certainly improvement. More people are traveling, both in the leisure and business segments. Business travel is on the rise and surpassing last year’s numbers, however at a slower pace than other segments. From our perspective, there’s no sign of things slowing down anytime soon. We believe this positive pace will carry us through the balance of the year and continue into next year.
The number of hotels under development in the Raleigh Durham area are at a healthy pace and there is reason to believe this growth will continue in the next handful of years. Investors perceive this market as one with continued growth potential and significant opportunities for success.
What strategies are you employing to recruit talent?
Our biggest challenge remains the human capital aspect of our business. Specifically, the number of open positions we have and the difficulty in finding qualified candidates to fill these positions. We expect attracting and hiring associates to remain a top priority moving forward, given the low unemployment rates and the number of open positions in the hospitality segment.
To combat this challenge, we are exploring attractive benefits for our employees and ensuring that our salaries remain competitive within the hospitality segment. Our goal is to be well-prepared for future growth, as expansion requires an increase in our workforce.
We are actively reaching out to technical colleges and local universities to help fill these jobs. Our goal is to identify individuals who have an interest in pursuing a career in the Hospitality Industry. Additionally, we have begun collaborating more with J-1 students who come from other countries and work with us under a visa- work program.
How would you describe the current needs and expectations of visitors?
During the peak of COVID, the majority of our customers were understanding of the necessary cutbacks in services and staffing levels, as well as the closure of certain outlets. However, from the customer perspective today, they expect hotel services to be fully restored and operational.
I believe our customer base has moved beyond the challenges faced during the primary phase of COVID and they are relieved to see us on the other side of that difficult period. Nevertheless, it’s essential to ensure that our services are now complete and continue to be enhanced. Our goal is to return to, or even exceed, the level of service we provided before the pandemic era.
Which travel segments are experiencing the most growth?
Leisure travel has outpaced the demand we expected followed by those traveling for meetings and special events.
As for leisure travelers, they are certainly ready to travel. We’re seeing a definite continuation and uptick in business on the leisure side. Most of these guests attend festivals, concerts or weddings.
Business travel is starting to come back as well, although maybe not as fast as those two segments. However, businesses are starting to realize that it’s time to travel and see their customers face to face, rather than relying solely on virtual interactions. So, we are indeed witnessing an increase in business travel, which is a really, really good thing. We need all segments to work well for our industry to thrive.
What are some key partnerships and organizations you work closely with to drive business?
We work very closely, not only with other hotels but also with the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau. They are a key component in bringing new business to the city and we have a strong partnership with them, as well as the Raleigh Convention Center. Due to our location, a significant portion of our business relies on the Convention Center’s success. We count on it to thrive and generate additional business, which, in turn, helps us fill our hotel rooms. Unifying as one voice and supporting each other is critical in driving business.
What is your outlook for the tourism and hospitality industry in Raleigh for the near future?
The outlook remains strong as measured by future group pace. We don’t see any significant obstacles that could impede our continued growth. Guests and customers are still eager and ready to travel. We’ve noticed the younger generations, like millennials oftentimes combining business with pleasure, which we appreciate.
All indicators point towards a strong couple of years for the hospitality segment. There still seems to be pent-up demand as guests want to make up for lost travel time during the pandemic. This pent-up demand is only going to help bolster our industry.
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