On the threshold of opening of new Meriton Conference and Spa Hotel in the center of Tallinn, we have met with Mr. Vitali Makejev - sales director of Meriton Hotels to have a talk about this event and to learn firsthand, what occurs on the market of services for MICE tourism in whole.

Let's talk about your new Meriton Conference and Spa Hotel. What sort of a hotel is it?

Meriton Conference and Spa Hotel is a new modern hotel, which is situated near Old Town in the center of Tallinn. The hotel will occupy a niche of four-stars hotels. Celebratory opening of hotel is planned on April 28th, 2009. Today it is one of the most interesting and multifunctional hotel projects of Tallinn. Hotel offers its visitors 301 comfortable apartment, 2 restaurants («Mary» - bistro of Estonian cooking, «Wok and Grill» - Asian restaurant) and 2 bars («Buddha», «Piano»). There are 8 conference halls for carrying out of business events. They have different area and are accordingly counted on different groups - from 20-30 persons up to 400. Besides, our hotel will include SPA direction unlike many other hotels focused on business tourism. There will be a health club, pools, complex of saunas, 21 rooms for cosmetic procedures, gym and beauty salon with hairdresser's services. We have solved the problem of parking, inherent in many hotel complexes. There are 150 parking places in hotel complex.

Name of hotel «Conference and Spa Hotel» testifies that organization of conferences and other business events will be one of its basic specializations. Why this direction has been chosen at creation of concept of hotel?

Several years ago the sphere of MICE tourism has started its actively development in Estonia. In this connection, demand for offers regarding the organization and carrying out of business events has visibly increased. That is why management of Meriton Hotels has chosen this segment for development of its business. While creating the concept of hotel, we were guided by desire to offer maximum of services for potential clients. Conference-service is among such services and it is greatly called-for today.

What are the opportunities for business tourism there in the hotel?

Meriton Conference and SPA Hotel offers everything, that is necessary for business tourism: comfortable location in city centre, own parking, modern well equipped conference halls which will suit for carrying out of diverse events: from negotiations, trainings and seminars up to business conferences of the international level. We can offer the opportunity to organize large international conference - with use of a conference hall on 400 person and residing (301 apartments in Meriton Conference and SPA Hotel and 164 apartments in Meriton Grand Hotel Tallinn). To hold large-scale events it is possible to use services of Meriton Grand Hotel Tallinn 4* which work together with Meriton Conference and SPA Hotel. We also offer free wireless Internet connection. Restaurants and bars of hotel will assist to organize coffee-breaks and business-lunches during holding of events. Conference halls rent includes additional equipment necessary for carrying out of events: projectors, video, TV, screen, flip chart, writing materials. SPA Center and sports hall presence is another great plus that will help participants to relax a little after events.

What are usually business tourists guided by when choosing a hotel? What are the additional services called-for by business tourists?

Convenient location is very important when choosing a hotel. Place of carrying out of events also play the important role. Therefore, it is big plus if the place of residing and carrying out of event coincide. Clients also pay attention to infrastructure of hotel and cost of residing. There are some additional advantages, for example presence of sports hall, or opportunity to use computer in apartments and business center.

Please describe the situation in the MICE industry in Tallinn in whole.

Hotels’ interest towards MICE industry has strongly increased and much is done for development of business tourism in Estonia. Estonian Conference Bureau plays great role in this process as its main purpose consists in popularization of Estonia as center of MICE tourism. Recently Tallinn has won some big tenders. I would like to mark out one of them. It is the right to carry out the conference of guides in 2011. Problem of transport communication is the most actual one in development of MICE tourism in whole. Sometimes it is much more expensive to visit Tallinn, than any other large city in Western or Eastern Europe, because of limitation with transport.

Are services for business tourism called-for during the global economic crisis? Do you feel recession of demand in this segment?

Services for business tourism will be always called-for even during the time of unfavorable economic climate. Choosing places for conferencing companies often prefer more economic variants, nevertheless, do not refuse idea of carrying out of business events. There is a tendency of reduction of clients’ budgets, but not of reduction of quantity of events in this segment of market, which always considered to be the most problem-free. Crisis has strongly affected the public sector, in which budgets on carrying out of business events have been reduced most of all.

Have you somehow changed the price policy of your hotels in connection with an economic crisis?

Today the hotel sector in Tallinn adheres to flexible policy in pricing and our hotels is not the exception. As a rule, we offer big spectrum of services to our client at price built into their budget. Sometimes hotels make concessions and sacrifice their interests in order not to lose clients.

Do you plan to open another hotel?

Meriton Hotels continues its development in Tallinn and on the agenda there is opening of one more hotel in Old Town, on Pikk St, in immediate proximity to the heart of Old Town and its Town hall. The hotel will be opened in December 2009, and will be named Meriton Old Town Garden Hotel. It will include 50 comfortable apartments. The hotel will occupy the niche of "four-stars plus" hotels as there is a certain deficiency of such hotels in Tallinn. The hotel will be counted on tourists and corporate visitors who appreciate comfort and convenient arrangement.

Vitali, thank you for your attention and time you spent on us. See you on celebration in honour of opening of Meriton Conference and Spa Hotel.