In January of this year, the Sheraton Metechi Palace Hotel in Tbilisi, Georgia’s first and foremost international five-star hotel, appointed Andreas Heidingsfelder as their new General Manager. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Heidingsfelder was the General Manager at the Sheraton Charles Square Hotel in Prague, Czech Republic, a position he held since July 2009.

Speaking on behalf of his new job in Tbilisi and the prospects of the hotel, Heidingsfelder described the Sheraton Metechi Palace as one of the leader in premium-class hotels on the Georgian market. He admitted that Georgia is fast developing country with a growing market, that’s why the decision to take over the post of general manager had been a very quick and easy decision for him.

Mr. Heidingsfelder joined the Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide in June 2003 at the Le Royal Mйridien in Hamburg as Food and Beverage Manager. Over all, he has over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry and has worked in various positions in Germany, U.A.E., United Kingdom, Russia and Czech Republic.

Located in the heart of the capital’s historical area, only minutes away from the flourishing political, business and entertainment center and 15 kilometers from Tbilisi International Airport, the hotel targets leisure and business travelers. The Sheraton Metechi Palace offers 140 comfortable, yet diverse and spacious rooms, including classic, deluxe, club rooms and suites.

The hotel also boasts indoor and outdoor swimming pools, as well as a fitness center. The Metechi Palace’s multi-purpose conference and banquet facilities can hold up to 1,200 people (the largest in town) and is a great choice for your next meeting, presentation, conference, corporate event, or wedding.

In an interview with Georgia Today, Mr. Heidingsfelder attributed the success of the hotel to the development of tourism in the country, as well as the team at the Sheraton Metechi’s hard work and high standard of customer service.

Q: Georgia Today would like to congratulate you on your new appointment. Why did you decide to come to Georgia and take over the post of general manager at the Sheraton Metechi Palace Hotel? Did you think much about the offer before accepting?

A: Working in developing countries like Georgia is always very interesting for me, as these kinds of markets are the ‘future markets’ of the world, so being part of this progress is always attractive. In the first week of January I was offered this new job and the decision was very quick. My plans have always been to work in Eastern-Central European countries and my last four assignments were in this part of the world… it was easy to take the offer from Georgia.

I was lucky to have the chance to see Georgia in the snow and my colleagues in Tbilisi gave me time to explore the city as well. Now I am trying to organize the office myself. But the best part of this job is working with people. I go into the lobby and talk to the guests and see how they are doing.

Q: Please evaluate the Sheraton Metechi Palace Hotel’s operations on the Georgian market. Will the plans and strategies, as well as the marketing direction change now that you have taken the post?

A: The Sheraton Metechi Palace Hotel’s marketing strategy is generally fixed and we continue to follow this direction. But we must follow the actual marketing situation- if the local market changes then we will have to adjust accordingly. At the moment there is no need for changes.

We focus on leisure business, tourism, as well as corporate businesses. We believe that Georgia will see an increased number of tourists in future years. Moreover, MICE business development looks promising in Georgia and our hotel has all the facilities for it, as well as the location.

Our goal is to transform the core values of certain markets to our customers. The Sheraton Metechi continues to expand as much as possible. The leisure market provides a great opportunity in the country. Furthermore, we won’t forget our corporate and MICE market which is our main business currently.

Q: The Sheraton Metechi Palace Hotel was the first international five-star hotel in Tbilisi. However, other international hotel brands have entered the market and have increased the competition. How difficult is it to compete with other hotels and still maintain a niche? What is the main comparative advantage of the Sheraton Metechi Palace Hotel?

A: All the hotels that are operating on the Georgian market are potentially our competitors, but we don’t compete with price, we compete with the high-quality services that are offered. International hotel brands like Radisson, Marriott, Holiday Inn and Sheraton all have good rooms, restaurants and bars, but our unique personalized service that focuses on the customers’ needs is the main selling point of the Sheraton. Moreover, we benefit because our clients recognize the fact that the Sheraton has established itself for many years on the global market. Our staff tries to satisfy all the needs of our customers with the goal of turning them into repeat customers.

The Sheraton was the first hotel on the Georgian market that attempted to merge the Sheraton’s excellent service standards with Georgian hospitality, and that is a big reason customers have chosen to stay at the Sheraton.

Q: What about the hospitality environment in general in Georgia?

A: I have never experienced such open-minded colleagues and associates like the ones here in Georgia. The way people focus on personal relationships here make this country different from others. Georgian hospitality is naturally warm and combining it with international service standards will be a great benefit to the country.

Source: www.georgiatoday.ge