TURE looks like
A public space at
Casa Bonay , Barcelona opportunities evolved for young people ?
IM-S : In Spain , I think more brands want to hire young people who aren ’ t stuck in a rut . There are so many really nice brands growing in the cities , and they provide a lot of opportunities . Fifteen years ago in Barcelona , there were not a lot of brands that I would be inspired to work for . H : What are your priorities as a leader ? IM-S : For me the most important thing is to always know that we are positioning ourselves to grow . But we don ’ t want to grow just to grow and have points on the map . My main need is to keep us committed to Casa Bonay , making changes to make sure it is always evolving . We also don ’ t want to forget our commitment to excellence and service . You can always buy the design , but we don ’ t want to forget that in the end we have people coming in and they don ’ t just want a nice hotel and restaurant , they want someone to treat them really well .
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER TO SOMEONE ENTERING THE INDUSTRY NOW ? FOLLOW YOUR PASSION , AND DO THINGS WITH LOVE . DON ’ T DO SOMETHING YOU DON ’ T REALLY WANT TO DO . FOLLOW YOUR INTUITION AND TALENT AND WORK VERY HARD .
H : What keeps you up at night ?
IM-S : There ’ s a lot of work that goes into the restaurant side ... Especially because of turnover . Many employees are just looking for a temporary position .
H : What are some things you try to do every day , and why ?
IM-S : Yoga , because it gives me a lot of balance . I try to get away from the hotel for at least one or two hours — even if I have a lot of work to do , I stop . That gives me perspective . Weekly , I try to work with the managers , and at least once a month with everyone else . I think it ’ s important to hear all the concerns , achievements and thoughts , from the bottom to the top .
H : What do you think we ’ ll see in the boutique segment over the next year ?
IM-S : I expect to see a lot of new , small , very high-end hotels . Maybe as small as five rooms , with very personal spaces , possibly even in former homes . H : What ’ s in your future ? IM-S : We are working on developing a small group of properties — we are looking at Madrid , elsewhere in Spain , Portugal and Italy . They will be similar but not copies of Barcelona because they will share the personality of the city . But they will probably be a little more high-end .
May 2019 hotelsmag . com 19