Bahrain Confidential interviews Pasquale Baiguera, General Manager of Movenpick Hotel.
Tell us something personal – how would you describe yourself in one word?
Passionate.
If you can change one thing about hospitality in general, what would it be?
Focusing more on guests’ satisfaction and personal touch by emphasizing on the traditional face to face interaction while containing the digital correspondence. I believe personal experience, touch and word of mouth are still more effective than interacting with guests through social media and other online channels. I would say rather stay basic and provide unique and personal experiences when guests are staying with us at the hotel.
Can you shed light on your vision for the hotel this 2020?
To complete the entire hotel renovation soon and host a grand opening ceremony announcing our completion and promoting our new state-of-art facilities. We want to provide a unique experience by ensuring that we deliver consistent quality and high level of service to our hotel guests at every point. Last but not least, reposition the hotel as one of the brand new leading hotels in the Kingdom.
What have been the biggest challenges and successes of the past year?
Our biggest challenge was definitely to run the hotel’s operations while going through a major renovation. This meant we had to find the best possible solutions to minimize guest’s disturbance, but also keeping the staff on board and motivated under challenging circumstances.
The biggest success is that the hotel is still well recognized as one of the best hotels in the Kingdom. Meanwhile, we have been recognized with various International awards such as the SKYTRAX AWARD for the ‘Best Airport Hotel in the Middle East’ for the 5th consecutive year, ‘Best Staycation Hotel in Bahrain’ by BBC Good Food Awards, ‘Best Friday Brunch’ in town by Fact dining awards and the ‘Best Luxury Airport Hotel in Middle East’ by World Luxury Hotel Awards.
Is there a particular saying or motto that guides you?
“Go the extra mile, it’s never too crowded.” It means knowing what you want and being willing to do more than what is expected or what you promise to do, going the extra mile. Putting in the extra effort however, is an option that few people choose, but it gives you an advantage and makes you keep pushing for the best possible achievement.