"Only few hotel brands can really deliver experiencial travel" - ROCCO BOVA, General Manager, award winning, Chablé Yucatan, Mexico | exclusive interview
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“Only few hotel brands can really deliver experiencial travel”
Tell us about your journey. How did it all start?
It started at the age of 13. That was the time of my very first job in a Bar. I was so bad that the owner fired me after just three days and challenged me to return only when I could hold a tray in my hands. The rest is history.
What do you think it takes to succeed in this industry?
Perseverance, hard work, discipline, and a clear vision or a dream. I was lucky to find my calling very early, this helped me to challenge myself every day to achieve more. You also need to be careful on how to choose the leaders you work for. Great leaders make great leaders.
What are the attributes you look for while selecting or hiring? If someone wants to work with you, what should they do?
I changed a lot the way I select and hire people. In the early days I used to hire people with passion and experience, now I hire people with attitude and open to learn. I believe that a good leader can then inspire people to become what they want.
What, according to you, can trainees do while they are training at hotels to make it a win-win for them & the hotel/unit?
Sadly most Hotel Schools (and I think most schools in general) do not teach anything to freshers about what to expect in a first time assignment. On the other hand, hotels do not really understand or do not take enough time to make a proper induction analyse the skillset of the young individual and assign them in the right department so that they can both gain something out of it. There is a lot of work to be done by both parties.
What are some of the trends you see impacting the hospitality industry?
Human capital challenge and the automation of as much as possible of processes, so that there is a minimal need for people to make transactions and services. Thankfully this is much less impacting the ultra luxury segment, for the moment at least, where the personalized service and the emotional connection cannot be replaced by a machine.
Second is the ''experiencial travel''. Only few hotel brands can really deliver this. Majority is a reinvention of something that already exist.
Tech is now an enabler for great hospitality. Can you share with us some of the tech that goes into creating the experience at your hotel?
I am sorry but I disagree on this point. There is no such technology that can create experiences. It can only facilitate processes and diminish the time of deliver of certain tasks. Hospitality should come from the heart of a person not technology.
Two things you would like to change in the industry.
The reputation the industry has for unsociable hours or hard work. There is no industry, if one wishes to succeed and progress in their career, without sacrificing time and personal commitment.
The second is the education model for hotel schools. They should teach students: problem solving skills, how to apply for a job in a professional manner, career management and how to use social media for a professional gain. The majority of the new generation (i.e. Millennials) have little clues about it.
