serving people. But you don’t
have to be embarrassed because
you are serving someone, you
need to understand that you
are providing service, which is a
different approach and different
mentality. I can see some
differences comparing Armenia
and Italy in that sense. Waiter
understands that he or she is
not just serving, but they are
providing professional service.
Speaking about
professionalism and different
approaches, what do you
think about professional
education in this industry in
our country.
aking
to
account
the
problems
mentioned
above I think It should be very
interesting to have a hospitality
school in Armenia. For example,
if we discuss the case of
Switzerland (the country where I
was born) they have mountains,
beautiful nature, agriculture,
banks but very little tourism
(compared to other industries).
But they have the best tourism
and
hospitality
education
in the world, they have the
best private schools for our
industry. In those schools they
provide education for general
managers, financial managers,
revenue managers, restaurant
managers,
housekeeping
managers, chefs. They are to
pay for that, and when they
finish school, they already
have work. Young Armenians
should understand and give
importance
to
professional
education. They have a lot of
opportunities and chances to
build their career in your country.
What do you think about new
opening hotels in the country
and their management and
pricing strategies?
erevan is a very beautiful
and welcoming city, and I
am very happy with the new
opening hotels, but in the same
time, I am worried that new
hotels are making damping,
not all I mean. Damping is
very dangerous and could be
damage the market, it needs a
long time and it will be very hard
to recover that. I am not scared
about the opening of new
5-star hotels, I am glad about it.
T
Y
Normally, they should sell higher
than me 4-star hotel (smiling).
My position in the market could
be a little bit less comparing
5-star hotel. I took many
challenges in my life. I had some
losses and wins of course. Here I
have a very beautiful 4-star hotel
and very motivated, professional
staff. I feel very confident that
we will make a difference not
with our walls but with our staff
and service that we can offer.
Tell us a little bit more about
one day at work as a general
manager.
s a general manager, I can
come even at 10:00 am. But I
am I usually arrive around 08:30,
I am not here just to sit at my
office and check numbers from
the previous day. I go up to the
breakfast room. I am checking if
everything is fine and I am having
a walk in the hotel to ensure
that everyone is doing their
job at the right time. It doesn’t
mean that I am some kind of
policeman or I am checking on
someone. The message is that
I am here and I give example
to everyone by doing that.
Can you share your work
experience?
y previous work was a big
hotel with 140 rooms and
spacious meeting rooms, we
had 1500 sqm ballroom, it was
situated close to Bologna. It was
old, like many Italian hotels. I
understood that this 1500 sqm
ballroom, can and must be our
advantage. In the case of that
hotel, if meeting rooms work,
all the services will work as well.
Also, I worked in one of the most
beautiful cities in the world, in
Florence for 3 years and Toscana
as well. And I had a different
kind of experience. I managed a
business hotel, a thermal hotel
with a big spa that operates
mainly for the leisure segment.
I have started my career in this
field in 1993 with a very important
chain: Accor. I worked for many
years in this chain and it is a very
important background. I grew
up as a professional with Novotel.
I worked for Novotel Bologna
for several years starting from
the reception. I had a very good
General Manager Mr. Paolo Rier,
He was the General Manager
A
M
of Novotel Hotels in Italy at that
time. He gave me the opportunity
to grow up until Front Office
Manager. I decided to leave
the Accor chain and continue
my
experience
by
myself.