Old-fashioned values are at the core of Andy Dolce's hotel and resort empire, with 23 properties and counting.Amore surrounded Andy Dolce growing up in a tight-knit Italian family in Bronx, NY. So did many of his relatives, all living in adjoining dwellings built by his grandfather, who immigrated to the United States at 18.
"We all grew up as one big familycousins, aunts, uncles, my grandparents. I learned a lot about old-fashioned family values growing up in this environmentvalues I brought to the company I founded. It's all about respect and treating people fairly," says Dolce, founder and chairman of Dolce Hotels and Resorts. The company manages 23 hotels, resorts, and conference centers in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
He started working with his grandfather, Vincent, in construction at the age of 10. His grandfather instilled in him not only a stringent work ethic, but people skills as well. Dolce was drawn to the charisma of his grandfather, who grew up in the Palace at Caserta in the Naples area of Italy where his mother was a cook for King Victor Emmanuel II. The children of the palace staff were educated with the royal children, learning sculpture and other fine arts.
"I often joke I was inspired by my great grandma's hospitality service to King Emmanuel in Italy," Dolce chuckles. The art of hospitality has been passed down through the Dolce generations as Andy's three sons, Danny, Paul, and Chris are now part of the business. Married for 51 years to wife Camille, the elder Dolce also has two daughters and 11 grandchildren.
Dolce's first foray into the industry was working as a meeting planner for American Management Association (AMA), where he was responsible for 600 meetings a year. "We had them in hotels, under the worst conditions for lighting, tables, chairs, banquet dining, and noise. They weren't distraction-free environments. After having my first meeting at the Harrison Conference Center in Glen Cove, Long Island, a light turned on inside of me. I thought this was a great concept."
After three years with the AMA, he joined Harrison as an executive vice president and helped introduce the complete meeting package (CMP) concept that has revolutionized the conference center industry. He went to Houston to develop The Houstonian as the chief operations and development officer and with the help of some Texan entrepreneurs, was inspired to start his own company. And, as the old cliche goes, "The rest is history."
He founded Dolce International in 1981 and the Lakeway Inn in Austin, TX, now called Lakeway Resort & Spa, became the first property under Dolce's management. Ground was broken on his next property, Dolce Hamilton Park, in 1987 and opened two years later, becoming the company's flagship.
"We built this property using the brain power of 25 meeting planners from New York City and New Jersey. We focused on their input of what they would like to have in a specialized executive conference center. I believe in listening to your customers to understand what their needs are," explains Dolce.
Leading With ConfidenceAs they made small talk during a tour of his Basking Ridge property, Dolce told a newly hired marketing executive that she has the chance to make a difference. It is that confidence in his 4,000 employees based around the world that has helped him build a successful company.
The company credo was developed during a management adventure learning expedition. "A facilitator came in and worked with us and the company credo, TASTE, was born," explains Dolce. TASTE stands for truthful communication, accountability, support, trust, and execution.
"We continually reinforce this although it's not always a perfect situation. People don't always walk the walk. We will coach them, but the world isn't perfect and not everyone drinks the Kool-Aid all the time. Our job as management is to make sure it gets reinforced and they know how important it is to the company."
He attributes his success as a leader to the three years he spent in the U.S. Marine Corps, earning the rank of Captain. "You know what they say, 'once a Marine, always a Marine,'" he says. "I learned leadership skills in basic training that have followed me my whole life."
Successful leaders are visible, he says. "They don't rule from a throne four levels above everyone. They are also good listeners, have empathy, are capable of making hard decisions, and have created a vision that can move an organization in the right direction."
The most delicate balance is being involved but also pulling back to let people do their jobs. Three to four times a year, Dolce employees come together for various teambuilding exercises, stressing the need to be accountable.
2008 was a year of change for the company. Dolce International changed its name to Dolce Hotels and Resorts to more accurately reflect the breadth and caliber of service and amenities offered to its guests. The company has expanded from its pure conference center roots in a broad re-branding effort. Through focus groups, a business tool he is an advocate of, he learned that meeting planners felt the term "conference center" was confusing. They thought the properties were all about meeting space and didn't realize they have more than one option for dining, flat-screen TVs, pillow-top mattresses, and luxury bed linens and pillows. With the re-branding, the company hopes to gain broader appeal to three market segments: meetings, leisure, and transient business.
"We also looked at the fact that conference centers only enjoy a 10 to 11 percent share of the meeting industry market. Approximately 90 percent go to hotels and resorts. We've been fighting for that 90 percent the last 20 years. We figured it is best to join them, to change our image and call ourselves hotels and resorts. Our tagline is, 'meet with inspiration.' Meetings are still our core business. Eighty percent of our $350 million revenue is meetings related." The goal is a 70/30 percent mix with a higher level of occupancy.
In 2008, Dolce also handed over the position of president and CEO to industry veteran Steven Rudnitsky. Dolce, still teeming with energy and enthusiasm at age 73, remains involved as chairman of the board. "Believe me, I haven't stopped at all. I haven't left to go fishing," he says with a laugh.
With these changes the company is committed to doubling in size over the next five years. Dolce has 17 North American properties, manages properties near Brussels, Paris, Barcelona, and Frankfurt, and broke ground in September on a $70-million conference hotel and resort in Munich. It is looking to expand into Milan, Berlin, Vienna, Prague, and Warsaw but will keep a cautious eye on the economy.
"No matter what, successful companies realize that meetings are an integral part of the way they do business and they can't stop meeting. Most have come to the realization they are better off having meetings off site at more regional locations. We're ideally positioned for this as we are focused on meetings and we're a great value," says Dolce.
Dolce is concerned about the current state of the industry. "There is a structural adjustment being made that is more than just the recession. I hope that when it is all said and done, free enterprise will continue and we will not end up in a government-controlled, government-sponsored, government-financed situation."
An entrepreneur for the past 28 years, Dole is proud to wear that title. "Being an entrepreneur means taking risks, pioneering new areas, being involved in the details, and putting your own capital on the line."
He feels meetings can use an injection of entrepreneurial spirit. "There is room in the meetings industry for innovation. The way meetings are held, the facilities they are conducted in are going to have to change as the generations change. Our biggest challenge in building properties is to make sure we build in flexibility so that we can adapt to the changing nature of our markets."
How does Dolce define success: "If you have contributed to making someone's life better, the world we live in will be better, and then you've been successful. It's not about money. If you do make money, you have a responsibility to give to others to help them have a better life. As far as the company, our measurement of success is not being a Four Seasons, or a Hilton, or a Marriott, but just being who we are and making sure we do a really terrific job at it."
Originally published May 1, 2009For more ideas, tips, and tools for better meetings and events,
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