This blog series offers you a summary of our last Lobby Talks event. We’ll be including a recap of the event, along with exclusive insights and quotes to give you motivation.
Getting to know Martin, a persevering and creative individual
Martin is the Chief Sloth at The Gluttonous Sloth, a consulting business that “refuses to dumb it down”, and a Partner at Strategic Partnership Solutions (SPS). He has over 20 years of experience working in and running hotels in Europe and the Middle East before moving into consulting, teaching, mentoring, and writing. Martin specialises in working with start-ups, family-run companies, and businesses in customer-centric and service-critical industries.
Bayerischer Hof – a Hotel Destroyed During WW2
We always start the Livestream with an explanation of the hotel lobby chosen by the guest; in this Lobby Talks, Martin Kubler picked Hotel Bayerischer Hof, in Munich.
“This is the first hotel lobby I’ve ever been in. It’s a family-owned hotel and was where I started my journey in hospitality; I did an apprenticeship in this hotel for 2 and a half years. I like this lobby because it has a 5-star feel and is full of history. The hotel was completely destroyed in the second world war, and was rebuilt to its former glory.”
Next, Martin ran us through his Career in 60 Seconds – check out the video below where he gives us a summary of his career.
45 degrees and no air conditioning – Career Highlights
The next section is called Good Day / Bad Day, where the guest describes a certain day that they remember in a positive way, and one in a negative way.
“One of the best days was when we finally opened the hotel in Dubai. There was a financial crisis at the time so everything was delayed but we managed to pull it off and had a huge opening. The building finally came to life. I think we all try to forget the bad days. One of the worst days was when I was in my first position in Dubai. It was around 45 degrees Celsius and for some reason, the electricity failed and we faced 9 hours without electricity in the hotel. There were no lifts or air conditioning available, and everyone was sweating. We suddenly had to do everything the manual way which was very complicated and unpleasant.”
Back to my roots – Last Day on Earth
The premise for this section is imagining that the world is ending tomorrow, but you have VIP access to any hotel, restaurant and event. Where would you go and what would you eat?
“I’ve always wanted to go back and stay at the Bayerischer Hof. My roots are there and it was where I first started my hospitality journey. In terms of the last meal, so long as it’s vegetarian, I’m up for anything. It could be somewhere in South-East Asia or a fine-dining experience. As much as I like participating in events, I’m not an events person. I’ve always enjoyed the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai and it would make a fitting last event.”
The Guestbook
Martin shares his words of wisdom and advice.
Key Takeaways
You need to learn how to ask questions. By asking questions, you’re showing that you’re passionate about your job.
No question is wrong.
Don’t book a room that’s next to a lift - it’ll be too noisy.
The Checkout
A huge thank you to Martin for sharing his knowledge and experiences with us. If you missed the Livestream and would like to watch it, here is the link: [Lobby Talks – Martin Kubler]
[Martin Kubler] Lobby Talks Review
This blog series offers you a summary of our last Lobby Talks event. We’ll be including a recap of the event, along with exclusive insights and quotes to give you motivation.
Getting to know Martin, a persevering and creative individual
Martin is the Chief Sloth at The Gluttonous Sloth, a consulting business that “refuses to dumb it down”, and a Partner at Strategic Partnership Solutions (SPS). He has over 20 years of experience working in and running hotels in Europe and the Middle East before moving into consulting, teaching, mentoring, and writing. Martin specialises in working with start-ups, family-run companies, and businesses in customer-centric and service-critical industries.
Bayerischer Hof – a Hotel Destroyed During WW2
We always start the Livestream with an explanation of the hotel lobby chosen by the guest; in this Lobby Talks, Martin Kubler picked Hotel Bayerischer Hof, in Munich.
“This is the first hotel lobby I’ve ever been in. It’s a family-owned hotel and was where I started my journey in hospitality; I did an apprenticeship in this hotel for 2 and a half years. I like this lobby because it has a 5-star feel and is full of history. The hotel was completely destroyed in the second world war, and was rebuilt to its former glory.”
Next, Martin ran us through his Career in 60 Seconds – check out the video below where he gives us a summary of his career.
45 degrees and no air conditioning – Career Highlights
The next section is called Good Day / Bad Day, where the guest describes a certain day that they remember in a positive way, and one in a negative way.
“One of the best days was when we finally opened the hotel in Dubai. There was a financial crisis at the time so everything was delayed but we managed to pull it off and had a huge opening. The building finally came to life. I think we all try to forget the bad days. One of the worst days was when I was in my first position in Dubai. It was around 45 degrees Celsius and for some reason, the electricity failed and we faced 9 hours without electricity in the hotel. There were no lifts or air conditioning available, and everyone was sweating. We suddenly had to do everything the manual way which was very complicated and unpleasant.”
Back to my roots – Last Day on Earth
The premise for this section is imagining that the world is ending tomorrow, but you have VIP access to any hotel, restaurant and event. Where would you go and what would you eat?
“I’ve always wanted to go back and stay at the Bayerischer Hof. My roots are there and it was where I first started my hospitality journey. In terms of the last meal, so long as it’s vegetarian, I’m up for anything. It could be somewhere in South-East Asia or a fine-dining experience. As much as I like participating in events, I’m not an events person. I’ve always enjoyed the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai and it would make a fitting last event.”
The Guestbook
Martin shares his words of wisdom and advice.
Key Takeaways
You need to learn how to ask questions. By asking questions, you’re showing that you’re passionate about your job.
No question is wrong.
Don’t book a room that’s next to a lift - it’ll be too noisy.
The Checkout
A huge thank you to Martin for sharing his knowledge and experiences with us. If you missed the Livestream and would like to watch it, here is the link: [Lobby Talks – Martin Kubler]
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