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When quality meets excellence: 'Le Boutique Hotel Moxa'

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In a dynamic business sector such as hospitality, Gratiela Badicu, General Manager, Le Boutique Hotel Moxa, has her work cut out, as she aims to strike the right balance between running the hotel and staying in contact with guests. In an interview with Business Arena, she emphasizes that her task has been made considerably easier thanks to her dedicated team's efforts, which have helped the hotel secure a high occupancy rate.
What does a regular day looks like for you at the hotel?
I always keep in touch with our top priority: our guests. But, at the same time, I am in charge with the daily running of the hotel, which involves working closely with the staff and making sure that all tasks are done to the highest standard.
 
What drives you? What is the main purpose for which you do what you do?
I love the hotel business and my desire is to be successful, I always want to reach my goals and make guests happy. I want us to be different than other hotels, and offer guests a different experience.
I love my job and, for me, working in the hotel business is a passion. I am a person with a positive energy and I like to share it with my staff.  In my opinion, a good manager makes the job fun, exciting and full of opportunity for all involved.
In hospitality, you meet new people and face new exciting situations on a daily basis. You can be sure there is always something to be learned and challenges to be dealt with.

What are the most challenging aspects in your job?
Definitely, the most challenging aspect is balancing the time between management-related tasks, employees and guests.

What are your strengths as a General Manager?
I believe I am a trustworthy woman, very enthusiastic, and hardworking. I like my job, but I also know that learning is never-ending, and I always listen to advice from other people. But, most importantly, I love people and I believe in them. I try to be a good “coach”; I know that in the hotel business one cannot achieve anything without one’s employees, and I’m thankful to have a wonderful team.

What do you like most about the hospitality business in general?
Meeting a lot of great people and interacting with them. I have the opportunity of meeting many of them and learning from them. It helps balancing out the hard work that I have to put into running the hotel.

As a hotel guest, what are you interested in?
I am always curios to discover special local products in the mini-bar. I am a chocolate addict, it’s a terrible thing, but I love it! I usually drink water, but, as an exception, some evenings I may enjoy a glass of good wine to accompany a nice dinner and a good movie.

What are your mandatory travel items? 
My phone, an extra battery and my laptop! There should always be a balance though, so I also carry a very comfortable pair of shoes, and a small baby doll that my daughter always slips into my luggage.

What is special about working in a boutique hotel?
Working in a boutique hotel implies taking care of those guests who enjoy being pampered and looked after. You meet special people, who are usually “connoisseurs” and experienced travelers. I wanted to be a part of the “best”.

What are the most challenging issues you are facing in your current job?
We live in such a fast-moving world and Bucharest is already a competitive city.
We need to adapt to the new traveler profile, which points to a more independent, knowledgeable, mobile and experienced individual. We need to be present in as many as possible sales channels, and come up with different and innovative ideas.
Sometimes, we have difficulties in finding the right candidates for our vacant positions.

What is the best compliment you have ever received?
It’s a difficult question. When our guests are happy and they compliment the courtesy of any of my colleagues or the entire team; when we achieve our goals and the team receives recognition, it is certainly a time to be proud; and of course when young people consider me as their mentor. To me, these are the best compliments.

How hard is to anticipate the business nowadays?
Compared to the past, when everybody would make their plans several weeks in advance, now the booking window is shorter than it used to be.
Today, it went down to five to 10 days – both for leisure and business travelers; we see customers that are actively looking for the most attractive offer. We feel proud that we run a high occupancy rate.

How can you persuade a client to choose a boutique hotel?
With boutique hotels, people expect a different product and a more personalized service. Apart from a wonderful location and specially designed rooms, we also benefit from a professional, considerate and dedicated staff. Our team is profoundly committed to personalizing their service for every client. Service should always be exemplary when running boutique hotels.
In addition to the online reviews we count on “word-of-mouth” recommendations, which still represent the most powerful promotional tool.
I strongly believe in personally interacting with guests on a daily basis. How else can someone feel the pulse of the hotel? Continuously interacting with the guests is the best way to stay informed about their overall experience.

Nowadays, many say the GMs are more focused on the financial and business side. It is applicable within the hospitality sector?
To be successful in our industry, you have to choose the proper balance. You may understand all the financials in the world, but if you don’t have contact with your guests, it is simply not enough. It is my job to be focused on both aspects.
In 2015, we ranked 11th among travelers’ preferred hotels in Bucharest on TripAdvisor; automatically this landmark of the travel industry granted us the “Travelers’ Choice® Winner” status.
In addition, Le Boutique Hotel Moxa received a nomination as one of the 10 finalists of the prestigious annual competition Top Hotel Awards Romania, on the “Hotel of the Year in Romania, 4 stars, non-affiliated to an international hotel chain” category.
The financial aspects need to be continuously in focus in order to have the guarantee of a quality product and great services.


The interview is also available in our print edition.

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