Hotelier Magazine 3rd issue - English

The Magazine for Hotel and Hospitality Executives

HOTELIER
MAGAZINE
Issue 3 • December 2019

FAMOUS PEOPLE
WHO GOT
THEIR START IN
HOSPITALITY

STANISAV ANETA
STOJCIC KOROBKINA

HYATT PLACE - YEREVAN K-A.WORLD

INNA VOSKAN
KHOSTIKYAN KOKANYAN

REPUBLICA HOTEL YEREVAN MARRIOTT TSAGHKADZOR

CHRISTIAN
BARBIER

IBIS CAMBRIDGE CENTRAL STATION

WWW.HOTELIERMAGAZINE.NET

FEATURES

04 SUSANNA SAFARYAN
Tourism Committee, The Ministry of
Economy of RA

06 ANETA KOROBKINA
Business Trainer on Customer Relation

and Leadership | k-a.world

10 STANISAV STOJCIC
Hyatt Place Yerevan

14 VOSKAN KOKANYAN
Marriott Tsaghkadzor


16 SATE AVETISYAN
Check Inn Dilijan

18 EMMA KHASHMANYAN
Courtyard by Marriott St. Petersburg

West/Pushkin Hotel

20 ANDREY KORYSTOV
Les Clefs D’or - Russia

22 VAHAGN HARUTYUNYAN
Best Western Plus Paradise Hotel Dilijan

24 HAYK VEISHTORT
Seasons Restaurant - Yerevan


26 INNA KHOSTIKYAN
Republica Hotel Yerevan

30 CHRISTIAN BARBIER
Ibis Cambridge Central Station

ENTERTAINMENT

12 Famous People
From Hospitality to Superstar

28 Hotelity Show
International Exhibition on Hotel and
Hospitality

32 Hotelier Magazine
Presentation of the 2nd issue

BUSINESS

8 ITEQ
ASSA ABLOY - Global Key Solutions

17 PAYX
Receive Payments From All Over The
World

2 • HOTELIER • wwww.hoteliermagazine.net •

HOTELIER MAGAZINE

As any hotelier knows, metrics are an important tool to
measure success. Sure, the hotel industry is all about people,
whether we’re talking about hotel guests or the associates
who serve them. But at the end of the day, the numbers matter
because usually, they don’t lie — in fact, they often tell the
real story. That is why when hoteliers get together, apart from
catching up on recent news in the industry, they tend to ask
each other a litany of questions including ‘How’s occupancy?’
‘How good is your average daily rate?’ and more importantly
‘What’s your RevPAR?’ To measure the overall health of the
industry, they might also talk about who is buying what and
the total investment value of the industry.
United by our passion for the hospitality sector, in the
magazine our experts share their experience and insight in
order to help hospitality businesses increase profitability,
improve brand loyalty, and outperform their peers.
As hoteliers, managers and hospitality industry representatives,
you can benefit from the accumulated years of experience of
experts in the sector generally, and in various niche aspects.

You’re welcome to contact our advisors for constructive
advice and opinions, whether for long term projects or
individual issues that face your business.

www.HOTELIER.am
www.HotelierMagazine.net

[email protected]
[email protected]
+374 93 223400
+374 91 180018

HOTELIER • wwww.hoteliermagazine.net • 3

SUSANNA
SAFARYAN

CHAIRPERSON OF

THE TOURISM COMMITTEE,
THE MINISTRY OF ECONOMY OF RA

The hotel industry is an essential
contributor to the growth of the
tourism sector.

Over the past few years, a new tendency has
emerged within the hotel industry of Armenia - to
build hotels in a certain style. Hotels in Armenia,
as in the rest of the world, not only provide
accommodation but also carry a specific mission, distinguishing themselves by their
appearance, style, interior, internal atmosphere, emphasizing their uniqueness and
competitive advantages.
Recently, hotels in Armenia have been aspiring to present national elements, such
as culture, architectural solutions, traditional approaches and much more. It is worth
mentioning that many hotels or guesthouses use a distinctive feature, typical for a
certain location that increases the reputation of a tourism region and promotes local
tourism offerings. In the hospitality field of Armenia, there is a noticeable growth of
international hotel chains; today their number in Armenia exceeds 15. Moreover, it
is important to note that the B&B hotel industry is actively developing in regions.
This significantly contributes to the growth in tourist flows and revenues of the local
population in regions.

In parallel with the growth of the tourism recently, responds to decentralized
sector in Yerevan, the hotel industry (regional) tourism policies, Yerevan
is undergoing interesting changes still maintains a leading position and
as well. Hotels are being built both in brand-new hotels continue to grow in
the capital and the regional tourism the capital, including the international
destinations. Though hotel construction, hotel chains. It is noteworthy that

4 • HOTELIER • wwww.hoteliermagazine.net •

more than a third of hotels in Armenia is positive image of the region. Nowadays,
located in the capital. Especially in the midst there is a growing number of hotels that
of the high season, the hotels are often differ in their accommodation capacities,
overcrowded. varied services, architectural solutions, as
well as the level of comfort and choice
Today, the recently built hotels, in particular, of location. Given the increase of annual
are mostly guided by international tourism tourist visits to Armenia and the necessity
tendencies and standards, offering various to direct these flows to regions, today, the
event venues, including large conference construction of new local hotels is still
halls, that are of high demand by the business of great importance. The success of the
sector and contribute to the development of regional hotel industry hinges on offering
MICE tourism in Armenia. The availability, authentic travel experiences through
quantity, and high occupancy rate of gastro, eco, agro and eno-tourism.
hotels play a decisive role in the economic
development of regions. By offering unique
hospitality experiences, hotels create a

Source: Statistical Committee of Armenia
Companies providing hotel services: statistics

Number of hotel properties Unit of 2016 2017 total 2018
measurement 652
total From total From From
unit which which which
Yerevan
Yerevan Yerevan
390
549 302 556 320

Number of rooms unit 8928 3906 9521 4132 10274 4343

Including: unit 8523 3783 8987 4009 9809 4238

Guest rooms unit 208 89 205 89 259 109
From which unit 842 352 831 345 974 389
unit 1764 806 1758 779 1755 843
Presidential unit 5709 2536 6193 2796 6821 2897
unit 405 123 534 123 465 105
Suite
person 3635 2592 4093 2920 4748 3302
Junior Suite

Simple
Rooms for other tasks (not for
guests)
The mid-year list of the number of
hotel workers

Income, total Million AMD 22960.9 18577.1 28427.1 228225.3 34497.5 27879.9

HOTELIER • wwww.hoteliermagazine.net • 5

ANETA KOROBKINA
Service strategy designer, International business trainer and speaker on customer service and leadership
www. k-a.world

Everybody in the hospi- the world. There is great potential chatbots in communication with
tality industry knows about cus- for any kind of tourism here and guests). Then I will continue with
tomer service and how impor- with the development of tour- the use of virtual reality, especially
tant it is for the company. What ism comes the need for accom- when it comes to the process
is your definition of customer modation. However, there is no of booking. Instead of looking at
service? What are the main clear strategy or plan. I person- photos on your computer, you
“ingredients” of service excel- ally see little bit chaotic move- can actually experience the hotel
lence for hotels? ments, hotels build without anal- and understand if this is the place
ysis and further understanding where you want to spend your
It is very interesting how every- what we will do with them, I see vacation. Just imagine the dif-
body knows it is very impor- single hotels and regions working ference where we are now and
tant and yet not much is done separately on attracting guests where we were about 10 years ago
to truly say we are guest-orient- instead of all of them working when most of us were still going
ed or as the trends are saying together. In my opinion, in this to a travel agency to choose a
human-oriented. For me cus- part of the world, only Georgia hotel for vacation.
tomer service = profits. But if you has actually started slowly to use And I guess the last trend I would
ask me how I define it, I would its potential. like to mention is Bleisure. I
say, “Outstanding customer ser- Talking about the trends, I would believe hotels’ job will be to pro-
vice is a mix of great processes say that one of the first ones is the vide great service if they want to
and amazing people, which gives true local experience. This also is a keep their guest 1-2 days extra
the desired result (profit).” What threat to hotels because many with fast communication, excel-
does this mean? Many times, I tourists use Airbnb. One reason
get requests for employee train- for this might be because it is BLEISURE - COMBINING
ing and when we do a full-service more affordable but also because BUSINESS TRAVEL WITH
analysis we find out, the problem it gives you an opportunity to LEISURE ACTIVITIES...
is not the people but the process- experience an authentic way of
es and procedures which prevent life in the location you are visiting. lent access to information. What
employees from being guest- Hotels need to be really creative is “Bleisure”? Combining business
oriented and providing excellent to catch up with this trend. The travel with leisure activities. This is
service. Many times, hotels con- other day I had a friend traveling very popular among the millen-
centrate on making money today from Moscow to St. Petersburg nial generation. Something I am
rather than looking into the far for a weekend and she booked an trying out as well. Mobile apps
future and make decisions based apartment with her family for an are of huge help when it comes
on where they want to be in 5-10- actually much higher price than to this. In general, I am a very
20 years from now. Let me give a hotel. When I asked: “Why?” optimistic person and look posi-
you one very simple example to She responded: “We wanted to tively on the changes in the world.
get a better idea. If you argue now feel living in an apartment in the However, the hospitality industry
with your guest about 15$ park- city center and experience the is a very traditional industry and
ing, which comes from misunder- life of the locals.” I am not a huge I have seen only a few positive
standing each other, you will lose fan of Airbnb, but I tried it when changes so far in our region. Most
that guest and probably many traveling to Vienna once and, to of the changes and trends I have
more. So today you are happy you be honest, that was a great local seen are in the chain hotels.
earned 15$ but think how much experience. One of the questions we
you will lose in the future. Then I must mention personaliza- ask hospitality executives is what
If you design your service strategy tion as a major trend for hotels. the skills are they are looking for
to work in the long term, you will The rise of big data gives a huge in the person when deciding to
truly see the results. As they say: opportunity to work with the include them in their teams. The
“Rome was not built in a day.” preferences of guests. I believe, question we want to ask you
So, I always say, to be unique and nowadays guests more than ever is “the other side of the coin”:
have outstanding service, which want to be treated as individuals, What are the main skills that
will bring revenue in the long rather than just another check-in managers should have to keep
term, you need to work on service number. This will definitely have their team motivated, happy and
strategy aligning processes and an effect on the guest’s loyalty; disciplined?
people with your vision. thinking: “I can get over the local
What is your opinion on experience since at this hotel they This can be a really long answer.
the development of the industry know me, they treat me great Growing professionally, I have
in recent years? How would you and they appreciate me.” come to the conclusion that the
describe the market in Russia Technology as a trend, in gen- qualities of the executives are
and CIS countries? What are eral, is something I believe we can much more important than the
the main trends and topics that write a whole book about. Here I
need more attention nowadays, would mention Smart Hotels (use
and what are the positive chang- of internet-enabled devices). You
es that you see already happen- can pretty much do everything
ing? on your mobile phone. Then the
use of artificial intelligence (use of
Ibelieve Russia and CIS countries
are still undiscovered pearls of

6 • HOTELIER • wwww.hoteliermagazine.net •

Photo: Moscow Marriott Hotel Novy Arbat want to be is not clearly commu- want trainings for their staff?
nicated to the team members.
qualities of employees. In my So, the team feels lost and does Yes, that’s true. There are 10
experience, I can say that even not work at the highest perfor- countries on my list for now.
if you take a non-experienced mance level. Therefore, learn to be Mostly hotels but also a lot of
line employee and you put them a great, transparent communica- other industries that believe they
under the wing of a great execu- tor. Don’t forget that words have can improve service in their com-
tive, these employees will make the power to motivate people and panies, such as banks, retail, and
miracles happen. make them do the unthinkable. pharmaceutical companies.
I would say the first and the most Thirdly, I would mention empa- The most popular topic is develop-
important quality is “leading by thy and empowerment. The time ing leadership skills, followed by
example” or “walking the talk.” of the dictatorial style of leader- service excellence, where we work
Here passion, honesty, and integ- ship is long time over. Developing on conflict prevention, empathy,
rity play a huge role. closer connections with your love for yourself and others, etc.
As a leader, most of your job is to employees, understanding their There are also requests for sales
inspire team members to push problems and feeling them is a training but I always say, “learn
themselves, to do their best and great way of improving perfor- to keep and satisfy your cur-
to grow. You cannot do this with- mance. Setting standards and rent clients and they will bring
out passion, integrity, and hon- principles of behavior help a lot. new once” There is no point in
esty. You cannot do this if you At the end of the day, employees teaching selling skills when your
are not doing it yourself already. are not robots, even robots break employees do not have the basic
For example, I am a very passion- down sometimes so develop your communication skills to provide
ate and demanding manager, empathy to the level where you outstanding service.
but also, I am very demanding will be able to feel your employ- Also, here I would mention the
to myself as well. For me, there is ees without even asking a ques- importance of implementing
no big difference between lead- tion. And the last but not the blended learning for the best
ing your children at home and least quality I would mention is results. Blended learning is a mix
your employees at work. Children empowerment. As they say, “If of traditional face-to-face educa-
will not do what you say but will you want to go alone, go fast; if tion and mobile education. There
do what they see you are doing. you want to go far, go together” are many mobile applications
Secondly, I would say creativity Empower your employees, give but the one I personally recom-
and being a great communica- them tasks, mentor and coach mend is Service Guru. It is a mix of
tor are important qualities. If them. If you continue to micro- education, communication, and
you want to be ahead in today’s manage your team, it will develop motivation.
VUCA world, you must be creative a lack of trust. Give them a chance What I find very interesting is that
and innovative at the same time. to be responsible by providing if other industries understand the
Creative thinking and constant them with all the resources and complexity of the problem and
innovation are what make you support they need to achieve the ask for a long-term strategy, our
and your team stand out. Use the objective. If they make a mistake, hospitality industry is still trying
trial and error system because take responsibility and continu- to solve the issues with a pill (one-
if you wait too long to get to ously improve the skills of your time training). When I talk about
the perfect state, it’s going to team. service strategies, they seem to
be late already. Most importantly, You also do a lot of busi- not realize the potential they
you need to improve throughout ness training all over the world must work on in the long term,
the process. On the other side, for different companies. What rather than operating just from
what I regularly see happening are the main topics that hotels today to tomorrow.
is that the leader’s vision, innova-
tion, and the idea of where we

HOTELIER • wwww.hoteliermagazine.net • 7

8 • HOTELIER • wwww.hoteliermagazine.net •

The Company ITEQ is the leader in the sphere of specialized equipment for hotels,
financial organizations and banks, airports, shopping centers, as well as for
offices and homes. Our company is the exclusive representative of the world-famous
manufacturers. We have great experience of cooperating with many leading local
companies for the projects of chain and local hotels. We also cooperate closely with
international hotel chains for local project development and consulting. We offer
our customers professional approach and high quality, providing with full consulting
and technical support from the project start, in the process of supply and installation
of equipment, as well as after the project completion, providing post-warranty and
ongoing maintenance.

We provide our customers For banks we also offer:
with:

• Professional closing • Bunker and archive
systems of all levels and doors
complexity • Professional
• All type of locking depositories
solutions and door hardware • Certified safes and cash
• Anti-panic devices handling solutions
• Door operators • Locking solutions for
• Master system of ATM
cylinders
• Certified fireproof and For hotels we supply:
soundproof doors
• Revolving doors and • Offline and online
entry solutions electronic locking systems
• High-security solutions with the most innovative
for vaults and depositories Mobile Access technology
• Certified fireproof and • In-room safes
burglar proof safes • Contract carpeting
• Fire suppression • Hotel minibars
systems for server and • Hotel phones and etc.
archive rooms, as well as for
kitchen
• Fire and smoke curtain
systems

ITEQ ARMENIA

WWW.ITEQ.AM

1-ST FLOOR, 25 BAGHRAMYAN AVE. , 0019 , YEREVAN , ARMENIA
TEL. : +374 60 650 910 , + 374 99 910 260

HOTELIER • wwww.hoteliermagazine.net • 9

STANISAV

STOJCIC

GENERAL MANAGER AT

HYATT PLACE - YEREVAN

We care for our
communities and
planet through how
we source products
and how actively we
address today’s life-
important environ-
mental issues and
human rights.”

10 • HOTELIER • wwww.hoteliermagazine.net •

Mr. Stojcic, please tell us Hyatt Place is one of them. Its
about your journey in the hospi- guests never settle. They are mid-
tality industry. When did it start to upper-income business and lei-
and why you chose to work in this sure travelers at the very top of the
f ield? select service category. For several
years already, Hyatt Place Yerevan
Firstly, I want to thank the has been among the top 20 best
Hotelier Magazine for the hotels out of 355 Hyatt Place hotels
opportunity to share our story with in the world. A remarkable achieve-
your esteemed readers and to wish ment of our team indeed!
you all a lot of success in all your You are already working
endeavors! My Hyatt journey starts in Armenia for 5 years now. It will
29 years ago in Belgrade, Serbia. 12 be very interesting to know your
years later, I am in the CIS region, views about the hospitality mar-
working in different Hyatt proper- ket and what changes do you see
ties in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and in recent years.
Russia. One year of exposure in
2012 in our headquarters in Zurich, We witness an impressive
Switzerland opens new horizons change in the hospital-
and brings the Hyatt culture clos- ity market in the country! More
er to the heart and mind. Career important, it is not that exponen-
continues with two big projects tial growth per se as critical as
in Vladivostok, Russia and as of the outstanding quality that the
2014, I’ve been with a great team current hospitality segment can
of my young colleagues here, in offer… that’s the best outcome that
Armenia! Opportunities that the the country, its government, inves-
hotel industry offers are numer- tors, management companies, in
ous and rewarding… it’s not easy a word the entire community, can
to reach the goals though, it never be absolutely proud of! Certainly,
was, but with the passion and love it can always be better, howev-
for what you are doing and a genu- er, what Armenia offers today to
ine interest in the well-being of all travelers is a relevant, modern,
others and the community, you unique experience galvanized by
are on a good way to make your second to none friendliness and
dreams come through. warmth of local community, some-
As Hyatt Place Yerevan is thing so precious and difficult to
the only Hyatt hotel in Armenia find nowadays.
can you please give us more infor- What it takes to work in
mation about Hyatt hotels, speci- a hotel, or in other words when
fications of the brand and differ- you are looking for employees for
ences between other brands of your team what qualities do you
Hyatt. expect them to have?

We are the business of caring There is no industry where per-
for our guests, employees, sonal characteristics, as the
shareholders so they can be their most indicative component of
best! We care for our communi- successful employment, sooner
ties and planet through how we or later, would not prevail. In our
source products and how actively case, this is on the top of the list.
we address today’s life-important We have so many bright exam-
environmental issues and human ples of our colleagues and our ex-
rights. These are key areas of our colleagues whose commendable
corporate strategy. Our proper- career progress speaks in favor of
ties are in all ranges of accom- this approach to Human Resources
modation that the modern hotel management. I am so proud of the
industry can offer today, from all- team and our ex-employees who
inclusive upscale, luxury, luxury & continue contributing to the suc-
upper-upscale, luxury wellness, cess of the businesses they work
upper-upscale to upscale seg- for, consistently and in the most
ment all around the globe! Hyatt’s effective way.
portfolio consists of twenty brands
and it continues to grow further.

HOTELIER • wwww.hoteliermagazine.net • 11

Famous people who 1. Here’s a list of celebs you
got their start in may know who started
hospitality out in hospitality:

Everybody has to start somewhere, right? • Tom Hanks: Tom started out as a hotel bellhop
You may think a lot of the “rich and famous” and was seen carrying the bags of a number of celebrities
were born that way, but you’d be wrong.
Many started off with humble jobs in hotels, during his stint at a hotel.
restaurants and resorts and those experiences • Amy Adams: Believe it or not, Amy worked as a
played a big part in their future success. waitress at Hooters to earn enough money to buy a used

Chevy. She quit as soon as she had enough money ($900 at

the time).
• Chris Rock: Chris earned a minimum wage plus
tips at Red Lobster, waiting tables.

12 • HOTELIER • wwww.hoteliermagazine.net •

• Madonna: Madonna served customers at a local unexpected skill: she learned to mimic a wide variety
Dunkin’ Donuts until she was fired for spraying customers of accents serving customers from all over the world.
ed mixing drinks at a restaurant in New York.
with jelly filling! Perhaps not so surprising.
• Chelsea Handler: Back in the day, Chelsea waited 3. Famous Disney Resort
tables at Morton’s Steakhouse in California, slinging steaks Employees:

and baked potatoes. • Steve Martin: Steve Martin picked up some spe-
• Marisa Tomei: While taking acting classes and cial skills at Disney: he became an accomplished magician
auditioning for roles in New York, Marisa worked at
while working at the Fantasyland Magic Shop. He also
Brooklyn’s Tony Roma’s.
• Mariah Carey: Apparently Mariah wasn’t very learned to play banjo from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s
successful in her waitress jobs in NYC at The Sports Bar
John McEuen, who was also working at the park at the
and The Boathouse Café – “she had a terrible attitude.”
time.
Hmmmm... • Robin Williams: Robin Williams was a tour guide
• Lady Gaga: Before her big break, Gaga (Stephanie on the Jungle Cruise before he became the voice of the
Germonatta) worked at the Cornelia Street Café waiting
“genie” in Aladdin with Disney later in his career.
tables to cover her rent. • Michelle Pfeiffer: Michele played Alice in
• Tom Cruise: Tom was once a hotel bellhop before Wonderland in the Main Street Electrical Parade.
hitting it big in Hollywood. • Richard Carpenter: Richard Carpenter of the The
• Jennifer Aniston: Jennifer really enjoyed being a Carpenters worked at Disney playing piano on the famous
waitress while awaiting her break into show biz. She sup-
“Main Street.”
ported herself waiting tables until she could realize her big • Alyson Reed: Alyson Reed of “high School
Musical” fame got her start playing Alice in Wonderland at
dream.
Disneyland.
2. These famous folks • Wayne Brady: Comedian Wayne Brady played
honed some skills as Tigger at Walt Disney World.
bartenders: • Kevin Costner: Kevin met his first wife, Cindy
Silva (she was Snow White) while working as a tour guide
• Ellen Pompeo: The star of Grey’s Anatomy
was discovered mixing drinks at a restaurant in New at Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise.
York. • Kevin Richardson: The former Backstreet Boy
• Dave Mathews: Before selling over 30 mil- played Aladdin and one of the Ninja Turtles during his time
lion records, Dave was a bartender at Miller’s in
Charlottesville, VA. While there, he was encouraged to at Disneyland.
write music and perform by his friend, Ross Hoffman,
who later became the band’s first manager. SOURCE: WWW.HCAREERS.COM
• Ellen DeGeneres: Ellen supported herself as
a bartender before she tried her hand at stand-up. At
a graduation ceremony for bartenders at the National
Bartender School in Sherman Oaks, Calif., she offered
this tip to the recent grads: “one of the toughest deci-
sions a customer can ever make is whether to have
their ‘Margarita’ on the rocks or blended” and that
“vermouth is like a cheap perfume: A little goes a long
way.” Ha!
• Jon Stewart: Jon honed his wit stopping bar
fights and cleaning up vomit at the New Jersey punk
venue City Gardens.
• Sandra Bullock: After she moved to New
York, she took a job bartending and picked up an

HOTELIER • wwww.hoteliermagazine.net • 13

VOSKAN

KOKANYAN

GENERAL MANAGER AT

MARRIOTT TSAGHKADZOR

You are now working as a general man- In general, there are no advantages but only
ager of Tsaghkadzor Marriott Hotel. Tell challenges to run Brand Name Hotel in the
us more about the specifics of the hotel resort area… We are hosting both groups
market in Tsaghkadzor and the city in and individuals, and their expectations are
general. different than in the capital. As Marriott,
To run a hotel, not in
the capital is quite we should provide the
different. As you best service and lodg-
know Tsaghkadzor ing in the market which
is a small town we do day to day, but
and known as a ski to keep all standards is
resort. The market challenging. Our motto
is very seasonal is Modern Luxury in
with a short book- Natural Beauty, and
ing window. The we adopted a person-
town itself is not al approach to all our
offering much to guests.
entertain visitors. Please, tell us how you
Two main attrac- started your career
tions are Kecharis in the hotel industry.
Church and Orbeli What are the main
Brother’s Museum. bits of advice that you
What are the would give to yourself
main differences while doing the first
between manag- steps in the industry?
ing a hotel in the I’ve started my career
capital and managing a resort hotel like in Yerevan Marriott in
yours? Please tell us more about the chal- 2000. My first paid job was Bartender in
lenges and advantages of resort hotels in the Hotel’s restaurant. During 12 years I’ve
Armenia. worked there had a chance to work in
all operational departments with different

14 • HOTELIER • wwww.hoteliermagazine.net •

The most
important is
common sense,
the rest we can
train”

roles. I will advise myself to do exactly the opening till now, our Hotel is in the top
same I have done… 5 best hotels in Europe rated by guests.
It is very interesting to know how you There are 96 Marriott Hotels in Europe
choose your team members, what are and for our small hotel in the mountains,
you looking for in a person when mak- I think, having a leading position in that
ing a decision to hire somebody to work list is a great achievement.
with.
For me the most important is common
sense, the rest we can train. Since the

HOTELIER • wwww.hoteliermagazine.net • 15

SATE AVETISYAN

MANAGING DIRECTOR AT

CHECK INN DILIJAN

I had the desire to start my own business
since 2014 when I was 19 years old. My first attempts
were in other spheres - a small coffee point, event
management company, etc. In 2017, I went to Dilijan
with my friends and from that moment it all start-
ed. We stayed in the house of one of our friends.
The location, the view, the cleanliness and comfort
of the house contributed to the development of
the idea that there are all the necessary facilities
for starting a hotel business. After some time, the
house turned into a guest house with 4 rooms, and
I invested in it all my time and love.
As time went by, my interest in hospitality and tourism increased. After a year of operation, I realized
that there is a high demand and the 4 rooms were no longer enough, in addition, there were some
nuances that I learned during the operation, and decided that I needed a new place with a large num-
ber of rooms and amenities. So, at the beginning of 2019, I founded the “Check Inn Dilijan” guesthouse
with a new address and new facilities.

What issues and obstacles did you encounter of new markets, and for us, for example, China,
during your activity? Russia, and India are new markets. Annually, 200
In the beginning, the first problem was million tourists leave China, and if 1% of the 200
the lack of professional education and a lack of million people come to Armenia, this will be a
awareness of the field. I graduated with a degree great achievement for the development of our
in Public and Municipal Management, and only tourism. Therefore, we must work towards these
management skills were applicable to my job. countries. We need to study these countries bet-
This problem was solved through meetings with ter. You cannot develop tourism while sitting;
industry professionals, participation in various you cannot assume that tourism will develop
projects and the study of thematic literature. only through TV advertising. It is necessary to
However, it should be noted that the best solu- create a product and deliver it to those countries
tion is the experience, because the big and small from where we want to receive tourists, and
problems that arise in the course of operation, only after that start the promotion. I think that
and their prevention, are the best training that Armenia and the relevant authorities are on the
can be obtained in our field. right track, and at this pace, year by year, we will
The next problem is still the underdevelopment steadily increase the number of tourists visiting
of tourism infrastructure, but a lot of work is Armenia.
being done to solve this problem. What interesting occasion do you remember
I don’t want to talk too much about the issues while working in this sphere?
and obstacles since they are solvable and only There are many memories that evoke
contribute to the development of business and positive or negative emotions, but I will never
industry. forget one occasion. We have 9 guest rooms on
Are you planning to expand your business in the 3rd floor of the guest house, renovated, with
the near future? a separate toilet and all necessary facilities, and
I consider business expansion to be an on the 2nd floor we have a storage room that is
integral part of success, that’s why I already have not repaired, and we use it to place additional
a well-developed plan for expanding the “Check accessories. Once all 9 rooms were booked, and
Inn” business. Surely, I plan to involve new com- 2 friends came who did not book the room in
munities, but the use of new technologies in advance but wanted to spend the night specifi-
business has become an important and manda- cally in our guesthouse. After getting acquainted
tory requirement these days, so I set the imple- with the situation, I realized that there is no alter-
mentation of IT in the hospitality industry as the native way, and I will have to welcome them. We
basis for expanding my business. I will be pleased cleaned the room on the 2nd floor very quickly,
to present the details of the idea after the launch made something similar to a bed and welcomed
of the project. them. To my surprise, they were very pleased and
What will be like the future of tourism in happy the next day. Aside from being a memo-
Armenia in your opinion? rable episode, it was an excellent test for quickly
I am convinced that it is necessary to cre- navigating and finding a solution in a situation
ate a tourism product/brand for the country, it like this which is mandatory in our field.
should be clear for what kind of tourism people
should come to Armenia. Today we are in search

16 • HOTELIER • wwww.hoteliermagazine.net •

Beniamin Tadevosyan, Co-founder and CEO

Your company is already well-known by its non-cash payment
solutions. Could you please tell what solution do you offer to
hotel business?
We have developed an unprecedented for Armenia, conve-
nient and secure innovative solution, which allows receiving
payments of customers from all over the world. A payment
request, in a form of a link is sent to the customer via preferable
for him communication channel - SMS, E-mail, Viber, WhatsApp,
Skype, Messenger, etc.
By following that link a web page, with the transaction details
(company name, logo, payment purpose and amount) opens.
Payments by Visa, MasterCard or ArCa cards are accepted using 3D
Secure technology.
This solution is vital for companies engaged in tourism, such as hotels,
tourist agencies, as well as delivery and distant service providers.

What are the advantages of your solution?
There are many advantages, but let me outline the most important ones – convenience, speed, secu-

rity of transactions, as well as the possibility to as via MerchantX application for Android phones.
control and manage the transactions. It should In order to get an access to this service there is a
be mentioned that, there is no need for any need to sign a service agreement with PayX part-
additional software or integration. ner bank.
The list of our partner banks can be found on our
So, what is needed to start receiving payments? web-page.
There are no any special technical or software
requirements. There is no need for web page What is the service price?
integration or upgrade, not even additional We provide our solution to partner companies free
devices are needed. of charge. The access to our services, maintenance
The service is available from any computer via and trainings are also done free of charge. A fee will
access to MerchantX WEB online system, as well be charged for payments by servicing bank.

MerchantX ACCEPTED HERE

RECEIVE PAYMENTS FROM
ALL OVER THE WORLD

@

HOTEL

Tour

PAYX LLC | 50, MASHTOTS AVE., YEREVAN, ARMENIA | T.: +374 55 522225 | [email protected] | WWW.PAYX.AM

HOTELIER • wwww.hoteliermagazine.net • 17

To meet the client’s expectations,
you need to hear not only listen,
need to empathize not only
understand.“

EMMA

KHASHMANYAN

SENIOR SALES MANAGER AT

COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT ST. PETERSBURG CENTER WEST/PUSHKIN HOTEL

Before joining Armenia Marriott Hotel Yerevan, you lion people after Istanbul, Moscow, and London. This
worked in a travel agency. How do you think working means that the potential is huge here and indus-
in the tourism industry helped you to succeed in the tries we are working with are so different – Oil & Gas,
closely related hotel industry? Retail, Logistics, etc. Sanctions against Russia over
It’s all about connections and mentality. Working in Ukraine crisis, of course, reflected on some segments
one of the leading travel agencies, which is specialized as Embassies and Consulates, but overall if in Yerevan
in incoming, MICE and VIP tourism gives you priceless I have built a nice friendship with all the main players
opportunity to explore all the hidden corners of your of Armenian business & travel industry, hereafter 3
country, to get in touch with different (not always easy- months I hardly know even 10-15% of the market.
going) people and fall in love with Armenia. Thereafter We know that working in a sales department for a
the decision was made – all my career path needs to hotel can be very interesting yet, sometimes, can
be related to the development of my homeland or be also very challenging. Please describe a day in a
highest level of representation of Armenia abroad. salespersons’ life in a hotel.
With this mindset 3 years ago I started my career with My morning starts with something sweet to keep the
Marriott International as a Sales Executive in Armenia balance of endorphins in stressful situations. Then
Marriott and now I am here in Courtyard Pushkin Saint comes participation in morning briefing and check-
Petersburg as a Senior Sales Manager. ing of arrival lists, site inspections and meetings in and
As you already mentioned were recently promoted out of the hotel, endless emails and calls. Needless to
to Senior Sales Manager at Courtyard by Marriott say, Salespersons are available 24/7 and this is a good
at St. Petersburg. Please share with us your experi- chance for me to express my gratitude to my friends
ence working for two countries: what are the differ- and family for their understanding and support.
ences and similarities of working in Armenian versus How did you choose to work in the tourism and hos-
Russian markets. pitality sector at the beginning? Tell us more about
I am thankful to my company for the opportunity I’ve how you decided to enter this field?
been granted, as these two markets are so different I was 3 y.o. when my Mom and Grandpa showed me
from a Sales perspective. Saint Petersburg is the 4th the huge world map on the kitchen’s wall and after
biggest city in Europe with a population of 5.5 mil- a few months, I’ve memorized all the capitals of the

18 • HOTELIER • wwww.hoteliermagazine.net •

World. I guess it was a starting point for endless
exploration, travel addiction, 2 professional degrees
in tourism and hospitality from different universities
and 5 years of experience in hotel industry. I am so
lucky that my profession chose me.
Speaking about the sales department in a hotel,
what are the main personality traits that one should
have to succeed as a salesperson in the hospitality
f ield?
Being able to communicate effectively is one of the
most important life skills to learn if you want to suc-
ceed in Sales. To meet the client’s expectations, you
need to hear not only listen, need to empathize not
only understand. It’s a lifelong process of learning and
scrutinizing the psychological aspects of human rela-
tions. I am also working on shifting from a managerial
to coaching mindset in my team, as for me it’s the
most effective one, and learning what makes people
tick can help them to succeed.
Sales sometimes can be very stressful, so stress man-
agement is the last point I want to highlight here.
Taking charge of your emotions, your schedule and
your environment will bring you and your team to
perfect work/life balance.

HOTELIER • wwww.hoteliermagazine.net • 19

Icame to the hotel industry manager of small hotels and the guest or not. And when,
in distant 1997 and got a job then move to big hotels. in the end, it works out, you
in the Baltschug Kempinski To these types of questions, feel incomparable satisfac-
Hotel in Moscow. At that time I always reply that everyone tion. And probably one of the
there were only 2 or 3 five- should do his own work, perks is the uniqueness and
star hotels in Moscow. I got what he likes, and this is our difference of the same situa-
settled for lowest position, problem, that there is a lack tions to each other. And as a
as a doorman, so, I began of professionals in their field. bonus, every day you learn a
to explore the entire hotel That is, people, and most- lot of new things.
business from the bottom. I ly young people, that have The cons are the flip side of
found out where, what and worked in several depart- the coin. This is the irreg-
how it works. Later I worked ments for a short period of ular working day, it is the
as a messenger, a luggage time, want to become man- multifunctionality, the lack
carrier, and as a result, they agers, which, in my opinion, of time management capa-
noticed some good qualities is not quite right. That’s just bilities. It may happen that
in me and transferred to the like how I do my job, and do in a short time you may
position of a night concierge, it, most likely well, because have to do 10 urgent, pre-
where I received a very valu- people appreciate me and viously unplanned things,
able experience. my job. and you will have to answer
After that, I went to work the phone calls, write letters,
as a concierge at the What conclusion and at the same time deal
Sheraton Hotel. I created have you come to through- with various requests of the
from scratch concierge ser- out the time of your career? guests. It is a very hard job,
vices in Barvikha Hotel & Spa What are the pros and cons but when, in the end, you
hotels, in the Radisson Royal, of working as a concierge? finish everything, exhale and
now called the Radisson What qualities should a think that you managed to
Collection Hotel Ukraine, person have in order to do everything.
opened the Intercontinental, become a truly good con- Despite the fact that guests
after which I promised myself cierge? are very different, we love
to no longer participate in them all, they are all good
the openings of hotels. Even There are a lot of advan- for us. But sometimes it
though it is a very interesting tages in the work of the may happen that a guest
experience, I am already very concierge: first of all, when is upset about something,
tired of that. you go to work, you don’t and all that bad mood trans-
Finally, I was invited to the know what kind of requests lates onto the concierge. But
wonderful Metropol hotel as the quests will approach you. what can you do, you have to
a chief concierge, which I am Of course, there is a certain handle it as well. We perceive
very, very grateful for. routine in our work as well, such situations normally and
And in conclusion, I can say but it is not so monotonous try to make the guest happy
that many of my friends look as, for example, in the office. and satisfied.
surprised when they ask why, Here, there are often situa-
having such experience, I still tions when you enter into a What would you
work as a concierge. I can kind of “competition” with advise a beginner if he
already work as a general yourself, whether you man- wants to follow in your foot-
age to do everything right for

20 • HOTELIER • wwww.hoteliermagazine.net •

ANDREY KORYSTOV
PRESIDENT OF
LES CLEFS D’OR - RUSSIA

steps and decides to work at a hotel?
What professional recommendations can
you give to those who are just starting
their careers in the field of hospitality?

Unfortunately, they don’t teach the con-
cierge profession here, and, in truth, not
every person can learn our profession. Of
course, concierges are not born, but it must
be a person with certain qualities. First of
all, a person should be all-round developed,
ideally, know several languages, be able to
speak with people from different countries,
maintain a conversation on any topic, and
these are just the minimal requirements.
Constant self-development is important,
that is, being well-informed of everything
that happens in the city and the country
but not only that; starting with social news,
and ending with various exhibitions, con-
certs, and other events. You must constant-
ly “keep your hand on the pulse” of the city.
The most important quality of a concierge is the desire to help your guests. For the concierge,
they are not clients, for him they are guests for whom he will do everything well and correct
so that these guests leave happy and satisfied. The concierge should be a smiley, polite, com-
petent and educated person who puts his guests’ wishes above everything and does his best
to make them satisfied.

At present, you are also the president of the Russian Association of Golden Keys of
Concierges, please tell us more about the organization Les Clefs d’Or and its development
in Russia.

Next year it will be our 20 years anniversary, this is, basically not as much. Compared to the
international association “Les Clefs d’Or”, we are a relatively young, but, as we were told
in the international executive committee, our association is quite strong, and progressing to
the right way. Les Clefs d’Or Russia began with several people in Moscow, and now it includes
more than 60 people from different countries and cities. Over the past 20 years, we have done
a lot, and we will probably celebrate it in a fine way, together with all our friends, fellow con-
cierges, and will strive further to the highest level of service.

HOTELIER • wwww.hoteliermagazine.net • 21

VAHAGN HARUTYUNYAN
General manager at

BEST WESTERN PLUS PARADISE HOTEL DILIJAN

First of all, let me thank you for your interest in Best
Western Plus Paradise Hotel Dilijan. I must say, the main
advantage of Dilijan, is in its nature, which is amazing and
beautiful in all seasons. From the Soviet-era Dilijan was
considered a resort town, which was the main reason to
establish a hotel complex in the city, in that era Dilijan was
famous for its nature and for its wonderful climate, but the
infrastructures as such was not developed in the city and
unfortunately, the mentioned problems are still an issue in
Dilijan.
The appearance of an international brand hotel in Dilijan was
a bit complicated in terms of technical issues, but I think it was
also a good premise for the development of the city. The hotel has
been operating since 2011 and has been a member of Best Western
International Hotel Chain since its establishment.
After years of hard work, we were able to raise the hotel category in to

PLUS, about two years ago, maybe few of our guests comes with great responsibility. The hotel is constantly
have noticed this small addition to our brand, but I in the process of being upgraded and every year we offer
can assure you that this was a reward for a long years our guests a new service such as: new conference rooms,
of hard work, and I can proudly mention that our outdoor pool, new room categories, cafes and more, and
team had succeeded, and now there is an addition to all of these improvements are appreciated by our regular
the name of the hotel with the word PLUS, to be more guests and not only.
clear to the readers, it means that the hotel offers As you may know the tourism in Armenia is developing
more high-quality service and has high-quality infra- very rapidly, and regarding this, the interest in our hotel
structures than the basic standard requirements of is growing too, due to the high demand, it was decided
Best Western, such decisions are made after positive to build another building, to increase the number of our
results of many international forensics, I am pleased rooms by 35.
and proud that we have succeeded in this process, The high season for our hotel has been prolonged, it
the key to success is the professionalism that there is starts in April and lasts until November.
in our team, our outstanding cuisine and high qual- February and March are considered to be low season. In
ity service which the guests start to feel entering the my opinion for this matter to not be an issue, the inter-
lobby and all the other facilities that our hotel offers, vention of the government is required in order to provide
and in addition, great importance is given to all the touristic flow during these months
positive and the negative feedbacks, by reviewing In particular, the study of international experience shows
guest suggestions, we make decisions to improve the that during the low season of many tourist cities numer-
hotel segments which the negative feedbacks are ous festivals, exhibitions and other events are organized
more predominant. by the government, which provides the flow of tourists.
Most of our guests visit us again and imagine their Of course, the city needs to be ready to accommodate a
enjoyment to see that their feedbacks are valued larger number of tourists, and unfortunately, Dilijan still
and improvements are made by the hotel. Many has a lot of issues regarding the roads, transport, water,
travel companies have started to consider Dilijan as and more. We hope that these problems will gradually
a tourist city, after the establishment of Best Western be resolved and that Armenia, as a tourism center, will
in Dilijan, which we are very proud of, but also this take its rightful place on the world map.

22 • HOTELIER • wwww.hoteliermagazine.net •

B est Western Plus Paradise Hotel Dilijan is
a modern, elegant and luxury hotel over-
looking the mountains of Dilijan. Perfect
for romantic, family and business trips. The
hotel’s friendly and professional staff, the high-quality
service that meets the international standards and the
unique architectural design is the only reason that cre-
ates an excellent environment for your perfect rest and
efficient work.
The hotel features a spacious lobby, conference halls,
winter garden, stylish cafe, bar and restaurant, well-
ness center which includes outdoor and indoor swim-
ming pools, sauna, steam room, and gym.
The hotel has 100 spacious and comfortable guest
rooms that conveys peace and elegance.
For many years now the hotel is the number one in the
ranks of TripAdvisor in the region.

Since the establishment of this luxurious hotel, Best
Western Plus Paradise Hotel Dilijan has undergone
many changes, yearly renovations, room additions
and the most important, the additions of solar panels
throughout the hotel, and this is one more step closer
of becoming an eco-friendly hotel.

The hotel is located in the picturesque site of moun-
tainous Dilijan resort town, on the interstate highway
connecting Armenia and Georgia.
We trust that your stay will be one unique experience,
which will be cherished for a lifetime.

156 Kamo Steet, 3901, Dilijan, Armenia
Tel: +374 77 288 247 | +374 268 24016

Mail: [email protected]
Web: www.paradisehotel.am

Each Best Western branded hotel is independently
owned and operated.

HOTELIER • wwww.hoteliermagazine.net • 23

HAYK VEISHTORT
Executive Chef

SEASONS RESTAURANT

You are the executive chef - emotions and finest prod- to many and have been lucky
for Seasons Restaurant. ucts are cooked intelligently enough to have experienced
Please tell us about the new so that to squeeze the finest formation in Spanish, Danish
concept of Armenian cuisine from the dish. highest quality restaurants.
you are trying to bring to the Before coming to Armenia, My decision was made abso-
market. you worked in Michelin star lutely spontaneously. I met
restaurants in Spain and also the founders of “Seasons” in
Armenian new cuisine is in high level restaruants in the restaurant I worked, they
a hybrid of new and old, Russia . Can u please tell us made me a partnership offer
traditional and innovative! In how you decided to come to I could not refuse. When I
practice, we cook the endem- Armenia? saw the restaurant, in reality,
ic and purest products that it caught my heart - I took the
grow in this soil with tech- Russia does not have challenge and agreed to the
niques brought from the best Michelin star restaurants offer.
restaurants abroad. It is our yet, but it was a very good What are the main challeng-
childhood taste on a new fine school. In reference to Michelin es of our hospitality and ser-
dining plate. To cut it short star restaurants, I have been

24 • HOTELIER • wwww.hoteliermagazine.net •

SEASONS_RESTAURANT_EVN

VEYSHTORT.1

Dream and
Courage! Courage
to dream high
and chase it!

vice industry in your opinion Share with us your recipe for
and what are the solutions having a high-quality restau-
that you see? rant with cuisine and profes-
sional service.
Any sphere requires work
and self-progress to Dream and Courage!
become successful. We lack it. Courage to dream high
The pursuit of perfection that and chase it. There is a level
lies deep in our genes needs of perception when aesthetic
to be awakened. Hospitality pleasure dominates the stom-
and service are communica- ach needs when this level is
tion, we need to learn to listen achieved quality comes to the
to each other and react prop- fore.
erly.

HOTELIER • wwww.hoteliermagazine.net • 25

INNA

KHOSTIKYAN

GENERAL MANAGER AT

REPUBLICA HOTEL YEREVAN

Ms. Inna, Could you please tell us about your

Ijourney to the hotel and hospitality industry?
t’s a long journey, that’s for sure. I started it
absolutely unexpectedly back in 2003 when
I was a student. It was a small hotel, called
Hybusiness Hotel. But since that moment
I clearly realized that this is what I want to be
busy with for a long time! It was love from the
first sight! Then 9 consecutive years followed at
Armenia Marriott Hotel, holding different posi-
tions. In 2014 I joined Republica Hotel Yerevan
pre-opening project as a General Manager. It
was a great creative experience. Even after 5
years, I have the same enthusiastic feeling: we
do not stop creating, enhancing, planning new
projects. The hospitality industry is my passion
for more than 18 years and many more to come.
I enjoy each aspect of it every single day, despite
all the challenges the industry may face.
Nearby Republica Hotel on Amiryan street
and closer to Republic Square there are several
hotels that have different concepts. What do
you think about the competition in Armenia and
what are the specifications of your hotel?

The first thing I would like to state is that the
competition in Yerevan today is very open-
minded and cooperative as it has never been
before. And it’s a great achievement of all of
us in the market since that helps to figure out
obstacles and challenges together. The proof
of that is the re-establishment of the Armenian
Hotel Association in the mid of this year. That
means that the hotels are in healthy competition

26 • HOTELIER • wwww.hoteliermagazine.net •

for each niche. In reality competition pushes for
nothing more but self-development and devel-
opment of the market. Coming back to the speci-
fications of our hotel, I would definitely mention
the boutique style of Republica. We have rela-
tively limited space, but we did the best to create
an unforgettable atmosphere for our guests, to
deliver hearty service, individual approach, tailor-
made services’ scope. Also, we are aiming to a
gastro-hotel positioning.
According to feedbacks and reviews
especially on TripAdvisor, your hotel is in the
best position, and the highest rates are for
cleanliness, staff, and service. What are the
main characteristics you consider when you hire
people?

Iwill quote one of my favorite executives, Herb
Kelleher, since no one said it better: “You don’t
hire for skills, you hire for attitude. You can always
teach skills.” Of course, that’s not enough to fulfill
a leadership position where the skills, both hard
and soft, are very important. When people love
what they do, they will succeed, there is no way
around. When you are surrounded by a team,
which goes above and beyond to deliver the best,
when they have a pride for their personal and
team achievements, you can aim to the high-
est benchmark. Worth noting, that it’s a huge
work of the whole team day in and day out what
stands behind those high rankings.

HOTELIER • wwww.hoteliermagazine.net • 27

nd and

211-14
Aug 2020
A4 &

28 • HOTELIERVIUNA ARYA VISION • wwww.hoteliermagazine.net •

‫ﮔﺮوه ﺑﯿﻦاﻟﻤﻠﻠﯽ وﯾــﻮﻧﺎ آرﯾﺎ وﯾﮋن‬

IRAN-TEHRAN

Why Hotelity?

With over 2000
accommodations
including high ranked
hotels, hostels and
Eco-lodges, Iran is a
huge market in Hotel
industry. The recent
increase in Iran
tourism, made this
market even more
profitable. Hotelity show is designed to available properties to learn more
about new technologies and equipment in all aspects of hotel management.
From property construction to daily routine management .This exhibition will
bring opportunities for Hotel product and service suppliers and hospitality
experts all around the world to benefit Iran’s Market.

Opportunities:

[email protected] Follow us on:

HOTELIER • wwww.hoteliermagazine.net • 29

Mr. Barbier, Can you please tell us about your experi-
ence in the hotel and hospitality industry: when you have
started?
I started my adventure in hospitality 15 years ago in
Warsaw, Poland. After my collaboration with a famous
Polish Restaurateur, I joined the Accor group and went
through an internal cross-training to become General
Manager. I had the luck to meet the right people who
believed in me and gave me a chance in a new and
unknown industry. As I always liked to travel, I imme-
diately saw it as an opportunity to combine work and
hobby.
After 3 years, I got the opportunity to open my first
hotel as General Manager in Katowice, Poland. I ended
my experience in Poland by working at the Head Office

of Accor in Poland and dealing with various topics like
Operations, Marketing, Financial Analysis or even Construction.

The call of Adventure took me then to Indonesia where I was in charge of my first 5-star hotel and then 3 years
in Armenia where I opened the first hotel of the group. I recently relocated to Cambridge, UK for family reasons.
You have previously started up and managed the Ibis Hotel in Yerevan and several years you worked in
Armenia. Can you describe the advantaged and disadvantages of the market and tell us about the nuances that
the manager of hotels should pay attention to?
Opening a hotel with an international brand in Armenia was one of the most exciting and difficult challenges I
experienced. The range of brands present in the country is limited and so is the know-how linked with the expec-
tations of the Operators.
At a macro level, Armenia is a country full of potential. Its political situation has evolved by leaps in the past
30 years and when the issues with neighbor countries are solved, there will be a bright future for tourism. In
the meantime, you have to deal with the limited and expensive access to the country, mostly by plane, which

CHRISTIAN BARBIER

GENERAL MANAGER AT

IBIS CAMBRIDGE CENTRAL STATION

30 • HOTELIER • wwww.hoteliermagazine.net •

limits physically the number of and amend. And finally, a tough
potential visitors. The lack of hotel challenge is to move out of the
infrastructure and limited domestic country and leave your friends, all Emblematic hotel for
transportation are restricting the these nice people and the sunny an emblematic city”
market to Yerevan and a couple of weather behind you…
hotspots. And What about Ibis Ibis Cambridge and its 231
When political answers are brought Cambridge Central Station Hotel? rooms is not a standard
to lift these barriers, there will be a What characteristics and privileges hotel on the market.
natural boom in the tourism indus- have the hotel and in general the In this boiling and creative
try together with new investments tourism of Great Britain? city, the hotel introduced
in hotel structures. The expected It might be a bit too early for me Chill, the new Coffee Shop
inauguration of low-cost flight con- to speak about tourism in Great & Bar concept.
nections with Europe is already a Britain as I recently arrived and I It is also the first hotel of
positive sign for the market though still feel like a tourist in fact! the brand with no physical
we need also more transparen- I would say that the main charac- front desk.
cy and unbiased statistics to be teristics of the hotel industry in A team of welcomers is
provided by authorities to secure this part of the world is the pro- checking the guests
more viable foreign investments. fessionalism and specialization of online, using mobile
Another big challenge for the each domain. Most of the support phones.
country is education. There are functions in a hotel, like Revenue The concept might
not enough vocational structures Management, Human Resources surprise however it always
to develop and provide special- our Accounting are externalized. convinces the guests
ized workers for the hotel indus- So are most of the team, as you will that you can associate a
try. I am talking about positions probably outsource your house- warm welcome with new
such as cook, waiter or reception- keeping or your security team. technologies.
ist. Armenians are naturally hos- All in all, it allows the General
pitable and welcoming however Manager to focus on 3 main tasks ibis Yerevan Center Hotel
guest-oriented service and techni- which are to increase the satisfac-
cal skills need to be provided in a tion of the guest and the satisfac-
more professional manner and at tion of the Team. The third one, the
a larger scale. Hotels can’t bear the satisfaction of the Shareholders
whole training process to cover will benefit from it and from busi-
future needs. It is also necessary ness development. As it is a very
to have more open-minded man- competitive market, the hotel
agers with experience abroad, who online reputation is the main indi-
can understand the challenges of cator of the good health of a hotel.
guest satisfaction, digitalization On the opposite, with a very com-
as well as Human Resources in petitive labor market, employee
a country sometimes polluted by retention is a key target to be able
archaic mentalities. to keep the right level of service
When coming from abroad, you and achieve the reputation target.
first have to be open-minded your- Another major difference is also
self and despite the geographi- the gap in digitalization. Even
cal localization of Armenia, keep though the technical solutions
in mind that this is not a typical implemented in Great Britain give
European country. The boundaries a competitive advantage, I am
between life and work are thin- glad to see that in Armenia and
ner in relations, following a patri- Indonesia, the industry can pro-
archal scheme. On the other hand, cess with technological leaps and
socialistic heritage and corruption catch up very quickly. Not talk-
have also impacted civism and ing about the fact that people are
productivity. So, like in most of the much more technology-oriented
country, you have to find the right in these countries and the public
balance with the values and meth- access to wi-fi is easy. Have you
odology you want to bring and the ever tried to connect to wifi in a
local values you have to respect café in Paris? Nightmare!

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