ADVERTORIAL
ROMAN KRABEL
DARE TO BE DIFFERENT
Roman Krabel, General Manager of the 4 * Accra City Hotel( formerly Novotel), winner of“ 4 Star Hotel of the Year 2016” in the Greater Accra Region from the Ghana Tourism Authority, talks about all things in hospitality, sharing his experience and knowledge with us.
Roman Krabel origin from Germany started his career in culinary arts; he was a Chef for many years. In 2000, he made career switch to Sales & Marketing, Human Resources and Food & Beverage Management and eventually, this led him to become a successful GM. His culinary art and F & B background gave him self-discipline and the mentality for attention to details.
You must feel passionate about living in Ghana to stay for over 5 years?
Something must be right! I think there are several things; the dynamic of the hospitality industry here is great. There’ s a real passion here for the industry as well, the constant reinventing of yourself and reinvestment in the property etc. Ghanaians are unique as well; you’ ll see for yourself, they are very friendly, flexible, great for hospitality industry, you see smiles everywhere. All the great Ghanaian food which you can experience at my restaurant in Accra City Hotel too. I think the multicultural nature as well, all the different people coming to visit Ghana, etc. You can go to the North of Ghana for fantastic trekking. You can go to the South for beautiful beaches. And Accra is fantastic, you have everything in Accra and it’ s really a hub too.
What made you apply for this job?
I was contacted by one Shareholder for this role, and as I knew of the hotel and its reputation, I was instantly interested. When I came to the hotel for my interview, it was clear that Accra City Hotel( formerly Novotel) has a good philosophy and work culture. As a General Manager, I knew that my beliefs would fit in with the rebranding from the branded Novotel to independent Accra City Hotel and I could make a positive difference to our guests, staff and overall business.
Are there benefits to being independent?
It’ s much tougher. Some of us are big enough to have affiliations with groups or brands. But for those who cannot, it’ s much harder. In many cases, the brand does not pay off because you would be working for them rather than working for yourself. Depending on the market and location, some products do as well as independents and some do not. It requires hard work.
You have worked for several companies; what is unique about Accra City Hotel?
Accra City Hotel is different as it is a privately owned and run company. Rather than having to deal with all the layers of bureaucracy often needed in International companies, you have a direct relationship with the owners, which makes decision making faster and our work more efficient. Things happen quickly and that gives fabulous opportunities to impact business. However, you are also left to run your hotel as business; they empower and trust their General Manger which, as hotelier, is what you want.
Do you have exciting plans for the hotel?
Yes, we are planning a major renovation and extension of the property, actually. The hotel is made of two different wings. The South wing is the original hotel which includes all Guestrooms. In the modern wing of the hotel we have the sloping front with a deluxe restaurant and modern Conference and Banquet rooms.
We will hopefully complete that next year. The hotel is actually 29 years old and was the first 4-star hotel in the late 80s which has developed a lot since. Now with new hotels coming, it’ s important to update and build upon what we have.
28 Business Times Africa | 2017