Kempinski Ajman front office manager Luca Valdevit was awarded the Concierge/Guest Service Person of the Year at the 2016 Hotelier Middle East Awards.
Valdevit’s proactive and improvisational techniques caught the jury’s attention. He joined Kempinski Ajman in in May 2015 and has held positions of duty manager and more recently front office manager.
“I started as a bellboy, and today I am a front office manager, I did every step along the way. That’s why I feel confident of what I do every day, and probably was the reason I won,” Valdevit told Hotelier.
He began his career aged 17, and moved to Slovenia in 2011 at the age of 21 as a bellboy, switching between Kempinski Hotel Portoroz and Kempinski Grand Hôtel des Bains in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
In 2013, he moved to Kempinski Hotel Bratislava River Park, Slovakia, as a bellboy, moving up the career ladder rapidly from front office agent and front office supervisor to a front office departmental trainer.
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“I’m a funny guy and I like to make people smile, this is what I like to everyday with the guests. I keep it simple and look to give people what they are looking for, that’s what keep my passion burning for the industry,” Valdevit explained.
Whilst focusing on expenses and independently creating a front office smartcosting plan for 2016, Valdevit simultaneously implemented a strategy to increase the number of walk-in guests by 25%, compared with 2015.
He divulged how he came up with the plan: “The smartcosting plan is something that is very close to my heart; I come from a very humble family. So obviously money is not available at a premium. Hence, when your owner gives you a budget, you try to keep its usage under check, without affecting guest experience.”
He also saved the hotel a sizeable chunk of revenue, when a travelling Chinese-based football club threatened to pull the plug on its stay abruptly as it was disappointed with certain facilities outside the hotel. Valdevit was quick to intervene, speaking to the Serbian head coach and eventually convincing him to stay.
“The football team was not happy with the football facilities and certain elements of the diet. The issue got serious and they were about to walk out of the hotel. And that’s when I sat with the coach and assured them I knew what they were looking for, as I played football for 17 years. I guaranteed the team, while conversing with the coach in Serb-Croatian, that I would find him we would find a pitch that he was looking for and I would get the executive chef to cater to the team’s exact needs,” Valdevit said.
Amr Alaa from InterContinental Semiramis – Cairo was high commended by the judges, who loved his attention to detail and focus on guests.
Jackson Dallmayr Trading managing director Arnd Springer presented the award to Valdevit.
The 2016 Hotelier Awards took place last night (October 26) at the Ritz-Carlton Dubai International Financial Centre and recognised the industry's finest professionals.
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