Saybrook Point 'All in on Connecticut'

“Our number one market is Connecticut. We’re all in on Connecticut,” Saybrook Point Resort and Marina managing partner Stephen Tagliatela told the CBIA BizCast. The BizCast sat down with Taglietala and general manager Chris Bird at the resort overlooking the mouth of the Connecticut River. “We’re part of the community. We’re all open doors,” Tagliatela said. Those doors have been open since 1980 when Tagliatela’s family bought the former Terra Mar property, once a popular destination for Frank Sinatra and other members of the Rat Pack. Since then, the resort has grown to include not only the marina and guest rooms, but also restaurants, a full service spa, pools, and gymnasiums that are open to the community. “I think what makes it so special is the history, and 100% is the team,” said Bird, who joined the resort in 2022. “We hear it constantly, how genuine the team is. And you know, it’s one thing to have and talk about being a family property or family business, and it’s another that that is your value—run it like a business and have those family values.” Bird and Tagliatela said the team is indispensable to the resort’s success. “What’s really important for us is we have to take care of our customers,” Tagliatela said. “But in order for us to take care of our customers, we have to take care of our employees.” Bird said that when they look to bring on new employees, they “hire for personality and train for skill.” “We are very good about finding people who are gracious, are upfront, are very guest forward.” The company also partners with organizations like Lumibility, which helps people with differing abilities transition into the workforce. They’ve also worked with reentry programs, helping train formerly incarcerated individuals with skills to enter the workforce. “We just feel so strongly that we have to be the flagship, the steward of this area,” Bird said. “And so whenever it comes time for somebody who we can partner with we can help—we’re quick to do it.” Another of the family and business values is to ensure that they help preserve the local environment. “We want to be good stewards of this environment, because it’s so special,” said Tagliatela. The property was the state’s first certified clean marina, green hotel, and Energy Star hotel. “We have this outstanding natural resource here that is so beautiful and has remained beautiful over the course of time,” Tagliatela said. Tagliatela and Bird also stressed the importance of being part of the broader tourism community. Tagliatela started the Connecticut Tourism Coalition seven years ago. The organization brings partners together from around the state to advocate for the industry and the importance of tourism marketing. “It’s not just in my mind that you’re marketing a guest room,” he said. “You’re marketing a future resident. “Because so many people that come and visit us here, they move into our own neighborhoods. “We really try to bring home the revenue, demonstrate that the revenue is so much greater when they just put a little bit of advertising into the program.” Looking ahead, Bird and Tagliatela said they have some exciting initiatives on the horizon including personalized butler service. “We’re seeing more and more of the luxury guests wanting more luxury experiences, more curated experiences, and so we’re really excited to launch that next year,” Bird said. “When you have a team that knows that they can consistently do everything and to make it world class, they make it world class.” Related Links: Saybrook Point Resort and Marina Website: https://www.saybrook.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/saybrook-point-inn-&-spa/ Stephen Tagliatela LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-tagliatela-ab7056b9/ Chris Bird LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-bird-5764a815/ CBIA Website: https://www.cbia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/