GOSTELOW REPORT—“The return on investment in our hotel dog is priceless as he is the source of much joy for associates and guests alike,” says Robert Dawson, area vice president Pacific Hyatt Hotels and Resorts and general manager of the Park Hyatt Melbourne, Australia.
Since Mr. Walker arrived at the 240-room hotel in July 2017, customer satisfaction has definitely gone up, said Dawson. “We have received many positive comments in person and through guest surveys. Some guests even phone ahead to make sure he will be in the hotel during their visits. He opens up genuine unscripted conversations,” he continued.
Dawson, an exercise enthusiast who often cycles the 40-minute commute to work and then uses the hotel’s 24/7 gym before showering, had been looking for a canine ambassador for some months. Big dogs and puppies were unsuitable, and eventually he settled on a golden Labrador who, having been through full guide-dog training, was suitably calm and even-tempered.
Mr. Walker, as he was quickly named, has a personalized bed outside the hotel’s main door. His presence relaxes arriving guests who might be stressed after a long flight – nonstops from Los Angeles to Melbourne are just under 16 hours. At all times, there are guests who enjoy taking Mr. Walker, or vice versa, for local walks: The hotel, which is celebrating its 20th birthday this very month, is next to Fitzroy Gardens and Treasury Gardens at the upper end of town.
In addition to the dog’s effect on hotel guests, and locals calling in to eat, drink or merely meet, many of the hotel’s 310 associates call by to see him on their way to or from shift. “Mr. Walker’s duties also include occasional visits to back-of-house departments, and he always has to be present at new hires’ inductions,” explained the GM.
Looking at the P&L of the dog’s presence, his costs are merely food, for his strictly controlled diet – Labradors are susceptible to weight gain – and insurance. There are no lodging expenses as every evening he goes home with the hotel’s canine-loving Director of Operations Leigh Shepheard, who drives him back again the following morning.
In fact, Mr. Walker actually makes money. He has inspired writer Jess Black and artist Sara Acton to produce a series of charming books, “The Tales of Mr. Walker – a Hotel Dog with a Nose for Adventure.” The books sell like proverbial hot cakes, and all royalties go to Guide Dogs Victoria.
In his role as RVP Pacific, Dawson heads an expanding portfolio. In Melbourne alone he also has a Grand Hyatt and a Hyatt Place, and within a couple of years these will be joined by a Hyatt Centric and two more Hyatt Place properties. Already, too, he has Park Hyatts elsewhere in Australia, in the capital, Canberra, and in Sydney, and a long-awaited Park Hyatt opens in Auckland, New Zealand, in the last quarter of 2019. Hyatt exited what had been Hyatt Regency Auckland in 2011 (that 1968-vintage property is now a Pullman): The forthcoming 190-key Park Hyatt Auckland is owned by the Fu Wah Group, who also own Park Hyatt Melbourne.
“Will we have a hotel dog in Auckland, or in any other of our hotels? Maybe, but there will only be one Walker,” said Dawson. “Basically he brings a human face to the guest experience at Park Hyatt Melbourne.”