We interviewed a professional for whom life had plans that she did not expect and which led her to develop her career as general manager of several hotels and resorts. She currently manages the Monte Santo Resort in Portugal and plays an important teaching role at the Escola Hotelaria e Turismo. Be sure to enjoy this entertaining and interesting talk with this professional in the hotel and tourism industry.
Amusement Logic: You started your career by studying Hospitality Management in its different aspects. Why did you choose the hospitality sector for your professional development?
Patricia Correia: Actually, I studied “Informatics” as I wanted to work in a Bank or Insurance company. But life has chosen differently, as I fell in love with the hospitality sector when I started a summer job, just to pay for my car’s gas. When I finished my first degree, I was already working full time in the FO and loving it. Life had different plans for me and they were even bigger than I planned, so I’m very grateful.
A.L.: After working as a Commercial Manager, you ascended to General Manager at Hotel Baía Cristal and Macdonald Hotels & Resorts among others. How did this evolution take place?
P.C.: The formula was quite simple, but it demanded a lot of effort. My evolution was based on a lot of hard work, every chance I got to be promoted, I took it seriously. Every chance I got to improve myself, every opportunity…. I took it seriously and I worked very hard.
It was a combination of being in the right place at the right time and working the right way with the right effort. And also, I had the good fortune of having great teams, people that were easy to work with, with the right mindset and together we accomplished great things.
A.L.: Today you combine lecturing on Tourism with the position of General Manager at Monte Santo Resort. How do you implement the theoretical principles of Tourism into the management of the resort?
P.C.: Tourism is considered to be the peace industry and actually this is what we embody. To welcome people to our region, to make them feel at home although in a different place. To teach them our costumes and traditions, our culture and gastronomy, it is a part of our day today as tourism workers. All the team shares this “host” mindset and this makes a huge difference to the guest experience.
A.L.: We have learnt that Monte Santo Resort was voted “Europe’s Most Romantic Resort” for the sixth consecutive year at World Travel Awards? Why is it so and what does it mean?
P.C.: Actually, we won again! Therefore, it’s the seventh consecutive year, Europe’s most romantic resort! This is a recognition given to us by the World Travel Awards and it has to do with it not only with the infrastructure of the resort – 8 acres of a beautiful landscape, our Love bridge, gardens and ponds but also with the energy felt here and the services we provide.
We cater to our couples, romantic picnics on the lawn or at the beach. We are also known to do very elegant wedding proposals and small weddings. Our team loves to be accomplice to our guests, to surprise their partners! There is a love menu with many choices to celebrate Romance at Monte Santo. All for our guests to achieve those unforgettable moments.
A.L.: What sort of strategies did you implement for the development of Monte Santo Resort? What would you recommend?
P.C.: Monte Santo Resort is a great combination of excellent infrastructure, beautiful gardens and a wonderful service provided to our guests. We are improving both on the team, as well as on our standard of service. We have a lot of training, always trying to build a better “Us”. A team that listens to the customer and makes sure their needs are met. A team that is there to do more than just serve. A team that is there to serve with style, leaving a positive mark on our guests’ memories.
A.L.: What are the basics for team building and team management?
P.C.: Both team building and team management are day-to-day work. It is the priority of a GM to build a strong and reliable team. In order to do so, the GM needs to know each team member really well, his or her needs and expectations of the job. It also helps if we get to know our team on a personal level, their families, their history. What drives them, what do they expect of each day of work! Different people, from different generations are now working together in the same physical space, but their needs and expectations are quite different. If we, GM´s, know what drives them, it is easier to make them flourish.
A.L.: What role do you think social media has in respect to hotel marketing? What strategies are most effective?
P.C.: Social media has a great deal of importance to hotel marketing, as it is the new way of communicating. There is a big shift from TV to social media and the hotels must take advantage of that. New contents like videos, tutorials, reels and everything that shows our guests how we operate and who our people are, are always successful in attracting new followers and customers. People want to know more about who works at their favorite hotel, and that is why we have a few initiatives to present not only our team but who is the person behind the team member. Hobbies, Likes and dislikes make our guests connect with our team even before they arrive at the Resort.
A.L.: What’s the importance of recreational facilities such as waterparks, spa, etc., in order for a client to choose a hotel?
P.C.: Long gone are the days where guests would only like to come to a hotel to sleep. Nowadays, the offer should be more than just quality sleep, we should think about recreation facilities and animation. Our resort is quite popular during the winter time due to our indoor pool and our beautiful Alma Spa. This complements the guest experience and should not be taken lightly.
A.L.: How do you see the future of Tourism in general and that of hotel and resort management in particular?
P.C.: I am an optimist and I do feel tourism has a bright future ahead. Covid aside, I feel 2022 is the recovery year and I sense the world is sick of waiting for normality to come by. I think once the barriers are down, people will start to travel again, even more than they did before. We all realized how fragile life is and that we should not take it for granted and make the most of it, while we are here! So, I think tourism will be booming soon. As for the resort management in particular, I think these two years made us realize and appreciate what we had before, more than we used to. And that is why I feel our team is now much stronger than ever. And I hope we continue improving ourselves to be the best team we can be.
