rules and standards (if it is a branded hotel), if it is not, you set out your own procedures and rules. They
need to pay attention to how they choose their suppliers and be very meticulous about everything, even
the smallest detail because if you compromise quality and as a result, the customer isn’t satisfied and
their impression of your hotel isn’t good, they are not going to come back. So, I can say that the suppliers
directly impact the hotel’s guest satisfaction. And last but not least, be dedicated to your work and be
aware of everything going on in each area/department of your hotel, you don’t have to show that you
know everything, but it is good to be aware of it. And one bonus advice, try to always learn something
new, I constantly learn, I also learn from other hotel’s experiences as well, because we meet occasionally
with other general managers of hotels in Armenia and share experiences.
You have experience working in several countries. Could you tell us what is unique about working in
Marriott in Armenia?
n Armenia the people are different than in other countries, I worked in. They are very warm, and they
have hospitality in their blood, they like to talk to other people. The people made me feel home right
away, despite the fact that my friends who learned I was coming to work in Armenia would exclaim,
“Where are you going? It’s the end of the world’.
I actually knew a lot about Armenia before even coming here, because I am also orthodox and I knew
Armenia was the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as their official religion. So, I always
wanted to come here for a vacation, but I never really had the time. So, I got very excited when I learned I
am coming here to work.
Another unique thing is the Marriott property itself it is landmark itself, everybody knows it, it is in a very
central position, all the diaspora knows about this property, and this keeps our customers loyal. When you
think of a hotel in Yerevan, you think at Armenia Marriott Hotel.
Please tell us when and how your journey in hospitality began.
t started in June 2000, in JW Marriott in Bucharest, Romania (I am Romanian), I started as an assistant of
the director of finance after other 6 years experience in other two companies, as I was graduating from
university with a major in Finance, bookkeeping, so this is my main field. I worked for almost 16 years in
finance. In 2006 I moved to Marriott Warsaw, and it is the biggest Marriott property in Europe with 523
rooms. I was Assistant Director of Finance for only one year, then I came back to Bucharest to take the
position of Director of Finance, and for almost 9 years I stayed in that position. The latest 4 years of my
career in Finance I was again in Warsaw Marriott, and that hotel is kind of a “ramp”, so who starts working
there, they usually continue working as a General Manager, because you learn a lot working in that hotel.
In 2016 February I started my first position as a General Manager in Courtyard by Marriott in Budapest,
it’s an upscale Courtyard, not a standard one. I stayed only one year and four months there and was later
asked to move to my current position in Armenia. And I’ve been here since
July 2017.
Please tell us what it is like to be a female general manager in
such a heavily male-dominated sphere.
t is actually very good being a female General Manager,
and Marriott, in general, is trying to empower and
promote women, as they are more attentive to
details, they are watching differently than men,
and they keep better relationships with guests/
customer. But in general, it is a bit different,
and especially in branded hotels, there are
very few female general managers there.
I myself try to always support not only
women, but also man, and wherever
I work, I try to push my staff to get
higher positions, to inspire them.
And I think when the general
manager is a woman it always
inspires others in the company to
raise their ambitions. Becoming
a general manager was always
my desire, I had the option of
choosing to go work for the
Marriott headquarters Finance
department, but I decided to
follow my dream of becoming a
General Manager.
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