Michael Koth, general manager, InterContinental Regency Hotel Bahrain
ABOUT MICHAEL
Fresh from school in Hamburg, Germany, Michael started as chef apprentice, where after three years he was awarded German Junior Chef of the Year. Afterwards he joined the compulsory Military Service in Kitchen for 18 months. His hospitality career began in 1986 with InterContinental Hyde Park as a receptionist/cashier, but he progressed to assistant manager at InterContinental Geneve then as assistant FOM at InterContinental Frankfurt. A multi skilled individual, he took the challenge of dual role as FOM/director of sales at InterContinental Stuttgart, Germany and was later transferred as DOSM at InterContinental Wien, Vienna. His first role as resident manager was at InterContinental Regency Bahrain in 1995. Later, he moved to InterContinental Beograd in Belgrade, Serbia as director of operations. His first GM role was in 1998 and took the helm at a number of hotels across Europe and the Middle East.
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WHY WAS HE NOMINATED?
HeartBeat is the online guest satisfaction survey tool of IHG and prior to Michael’s arrival, the Hotel was on rank no. 14 among Middle East and Africa Hotels.
With quality focused initiatives led by him, he created the Quality Circle with specific goals and actions and the hotel now claims the number one spot – a position it has maintained each month for more than year.
The hotel has achieved top ratings on Trip Advisor for 2012 up to 2013 YTD, among the 109 Manama hotels and the property has landed several industry awards.
Michael exceptionally led two hotel operations in challenging situations where safety of employees, guests and property, and brand image were upheld during the 2011 Egypt revolution and 2012 Bahrain unrest.
InterContinental Semiramis, next to Tahrir square, was where Journalists were staying when the situation worsened. GM Michael proactively set up his Internal Crisis Response Management team and made a difficult heroic act when a military general instructed him to put an immediate stop to media broadcasts from the Hotel’s premises. Journalists were defiant at first but with Michael’s persuasive communication, emphasizing on safety of lives and property, he convinced them in less than an hour, and bravely defended their wellbeing and the brand reputation. In 2012 at InterContinental Bahrain, the staff village, situated near areas of frequent political conflicts, accommodating more than 130 employees, was suddenly under attack with Molotov cocktails, burning tires, fire, at the middle of the night. It was chaotic situation. Michael led the team in exceptional manner quickly evacuating them to hotel, safely unharmed with the help of the hotel’s Internal Crisis Response Management Team.
Michael is action and results oriented with energy, optimism, broad expertise, adaptability, cultural awareness and role modeling that he inspires people to contribute and engage – adjusting expectation and pace of work to the respective environments without lowering standards.
WHAT DID HIS TEAM SAY?
“I have worked with Michael since 2007. He is a seasoned IHG hotelier with great professional experience. He is very focused on people’s development and always keen on helping talents moving ahead in their careers. For many years he has been a great assessor in many development centers and a great coach to many of us. He is very much focus on achieving targets and goals. With his experience and know how, he has managed throughout the years to reach or exceed targets with his teams through correct planning and rigorous execution. Michael is a star when it comes to guest satisfaction. The scores always climbs up when Michael is leading. This has been the case today at InterContinental Bahrain and in other previous properties. We all learn from Michael with his best practices. He is a champion in managing guest satisfaction. Finally, during the last two years Michael has been for me a trustful and inspiring leader. He is always available whenever needed and I have enjoyed very much my professional business relationship with him.” Carlos Malliaroudakis, area general manager InterContinental Kuwait & Holiday Inn Kuwait Down Town.
WHAT DID HIS HOTEL OWNERS SAY?
“Michael Koth, the GM of the hotel joined us after the renovation of the hotel works were successfully completed (less than two years ago). He has been working closely with me and I have been in follow up of his efforts to put back the hotel as the leading among its five-star rivals and recover for the owner and the staff what they had missed and lost during the yearlong closure due to hotel renovation. Michael was successful in gaining our confidence, as owners, in his loyalty and leadership qualities and in gaining the confidence and support of all his subordinates and staff. We all felt the hotel started a new era since he assumed his duties, with all the praise for him by the hotel customers and guests. The results of the hotel operations and the rise in standards, occupancy, and income, the many prizes won by the hotel within a short time and in different respects, all prove the qualities of Michael.” Dr. Omer O. El Mardi owner’s representative, InterContinental Regency Bahrain hotel president and chief executive officer, United Hotels Company, owning company of InterContinental Regency Bahrain.
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