Castle hotels such as La Contessa in Silvásvárad offer unique business and gastronomic opportunities. They provide the perfect backdrop for weddings, conferences and other events, but the changing consumption and travel habits of recent years have not left them untouched. They have had to rethink their marketing strategy and the target group they want to focus on.
The picturesque castle hotel is celebrating its 15th birthday and has recently undergone a number of improvements, which have left it in its original splendour but with state-of-the-art facilities. It is one of the largest of its kind, with 80 rooms accommodating between 160 and 170 people.
„Our 8-hectare park is like an island of peace. We want our guests to really get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and slow down. That's why we strive to train our permanent staff to provide impeccable service, even though the labour shortages is a constant headache for us too.” - says Csaba Üveges, director of La Contessa.
Active instead of passive relaxation
Their guests are split 30-70% in favour of the Hungarians, but their composition has been visibly changing in recent years. „Whereas a few years ago we had a lot of retired guests on weekdays, this group is disappearing, for obvious economic reasons. Foreign guests come from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland. I would like to open up to the German and Scandinavian regions, because most of them prefer active holidays, which we offer plenty of opportunities for.” The area is ideal for cycling and horse riding. In September, the 40th FEI World Four-in-Hand Championships will be held here, and in October the town will host the National Showjumping Championships. The area also has a wealth of better and better hiking spots and lookout points.
Changing travel patterns
As many have reported, the post-Covid period has significantly changed travel patterns, which are still in place today. „Before the epidemic, couples and families booked accommodation 4-5 months before the planned date. The period around the red-letter holidays was even earlier. In contrast, what we're seeing now is much more impulsive travel planning, with people thinking just a couple of weeks ahead - couples at least.”
The number of overnight stays is also decreasing, with the previous 2 one-week holidays being replaced by multiple stays of a few days. Since last year, the possibility to buy food with the Nice Card has been extended, the previous leisure spending has also dropped dramatically, as shopping is understandably taking precedence over leisure in the current inflationary climate. All this is made more difficult if the location is not near a spa or lake area, so the marketing and sales departments have a big lesson to learn. La Contessa's management has decided that instead of drastically reducing prices, they see the opportunity to compete with the competition by raising the quality of services.
Greater emphasis on events
As couples and families tend to book on weekends and the retired crowd is disappearing, there is a push to increase the number of corporate events and team-building activities to fill the weekdays. And to support this, they have a very high quality spa. Amongst other things, a bowling alley, darts, pool table and squash room have been replaced in the castle. They are also an attractive destination for larger family events and weddings. Depending on the form of the service, they can cater for up to 150 people, and for conferences, they can accommodate up to 200 people.
Traditional flavours are the main focus, but international dishes are also in the repertoire
The Erzsébet Restaurant, located in the castle and open all year round, also operates as an a la carte restaurant, but still offers half board, with dishes prepared by chef Csaba Bartusek. Thanks to this, they have several variations of the Silvásvárad trout, but also an exciting game dishes there is no shortage of. The raw materials for these are supplied by our company without exception. „We always make fish, Wild and vegetarian dishes. We also place great emphasis on catering for guests with various food intolerances. find the right food for them. We have our own pastry chef who is amazing cakes, cakes and creams for the buffet table. ”For the summer weekends, we are preparing the theme nights, which will be hosted on the cosy terrace and will focus on the barbecue dishes.
Overall, the industry is constantly changing, so it is essential that participants in the segment are able to react quickly on different trends.
Address: 3348 Szilvásvárad, Park utca 6.
