Alumni interview – MICHAEL GERLACH

 

Please fasten your seat belts, the journey begins. On the 25th of January 2019 former college graduate Michael Gerlach started a great & eventful time in Washington D.C.

“I had the great honour to be part of the Willard Intercontinental Team for one year and to gain experience in this historic hotel.

The location was also very special: only a stone’s throw away from the White House and thus the political centre of the world.

 

Dear Michael, how did you manage to prove yourself in this great luxury hotel and what was very important from your point of view?

I was warmly welcomed with open arms right from the start. After very exciting initial weeks I was able to quickly fit into the team and was very popular with colleagues as well as demanding guests. Going the extra mile, as we heard in the concierge lessons with Mr Schöllauf, was indispensable. In general, I would like to emphasise that the college training was definitely a foundation stone for my time abroad, both personally and professionally.

I am very grateful that I am still in contact with my former colleagues and that friendships for life have been made. Especially now I realise how important it is to have such a great network and also to look after it.

 

You have completed a 1-year management trainee programme in various front office departments. How can one picture this?

My 1-year programme was structured as follows: The first few weeks I was allowed to get to know the whole hotel and the different departments – I soon felt like a part of the unique Willard family: employees from 90 different nations under the direction of the former TSBG graduate from Bad Gleichenberg Markus Platzer.

After 4 interesting months at the Front Desk and also 4 very instructive ones in the guest relations area, I was able to prove my team skills as a supervisor and duty manager for the last 3 months.

 

Now I am sure many people are wondering what it is like to present the hotel in such a magnificent lobby at the ” front line”. What were your tasks?
With pride I can say: very varied, very exciting but also sometimes very labour-intensive. Among the hotel guests were high-ranking business guests, celebrities but also employees of international embassies and wedding guests.

My tasks were to convince the guests of the hotel from the first second on and do everything to make them feel comfortable and come back.

Furthermore, I was responsible for the organisation of great VIP’s: Room allocation, inspecting the suites and making sure that everything is in the right place, coordinating the sending of amenities relating to Private Dining, Housekeeping, Concierge and the Bell Captain. A very exciting part was the Meet&Greet with the special arrivals and the escort to the prepared suite.

As a supervisor or duty manager I had a lot of responsibility and attached great importance to a smooth process. In addition, I learned a lot in the area of guest complaints and was also able to contribute with new ideas to improve the implementation.

 

How were you able to motivate yourself day after day and what were the most important encounters for you?

Being able to take this career step in this fantastic location and being part of this harmonious team was pure motivation. In addition, I was repeatedly mentioned positively in evaluations and perfectly managed to check-in a mystery shopper. Working together with the other departments was essential, especially in the guest relations department. I was also responsible to welcoming delegations in the name of the hotel and especially the personal reception of Sebastian Kurz and his delegation in February was a great experience. (Bild).
Furthermore, we even welcomed two living turkeys for Thanksgiving, traditionally staying in a Willard Suite for many years and preparing for the meeting with the President, that was really very weird (BILD) – ” typically American” one could think.

 

Have you seen other parts of America besides Washington D.C.?

Of course, I also used the time in America to explore cities like New York City (BILD), Miami, Las Vegas, San Francisco or Los Angeles. At the end of my time in the USA, I also visited Bad Gleichenberg graduate Daniel Karner in California who gained a lot of experience in the Ritz Carlton Lake Tahoe (BILD). So, you see – successful graduates from Gleichenberg can be found all over the world.

 

What do you want to share with future world explorers to help them on their way?

Believe in your dreams and give everything to make them come true.

 

My secret tips for Washington DC

 

1) Best place to relax:

Georgetown Waterfront. Most expensive residential area in DC but cool bars and restaurants along the Potomac River are great for recharging your batteries.

 

2) Must have:

Comfortable shoes

And as an Austrian in America very important: delicious Styrian pumpkin seed oil!

 

3) What you must have seen:

Of course, the White House, Lincoln Memorial and US-Capitol – you only know them from Hollywood movies, but they are really unique.

The world-famous Smithsonian Museums (Air & Space/American History Museum) are also worth a visit.

 

4) Best Bar:

Very difficult to answer because there are so many. But I would recommend to enjoy a mojito on the POV Rooftop at sunset with a breathtaking view of the White House and Monument.

 

5) Best Restaurant:

Zaytinya – Mediterranean restaurant with the best appetizers in DC.

 

6) Best party location:

Definitely Echostage. Here I celebrated a few times with star DJ’s like Martin Garrix, Tiësto or Armin van Buuren.