Full Name:
Erik Stuebe
Position:
General Manager at InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto
When and why did you join the industry?
As a teenager, cleaning function rooms, washing up, chipping weeds, and scrubbing car park oil stains in a regional motel. The camaraderie and 24/7 nature of hotel operations are my happy place.
What do you like most about your job?
No two days the same so far!
What’s one of the biggest achievements of your career so far?
Being able to help colleagues realise their potential and move up into new roles.
What’s the best advice ever given to you and who gave it?
Senior Duty Manager Edwin Herd at The Wentworth Sydney told me very early in my career that if I was having a bad day, to go home and make a list of all the things that made up my job, in two columns – things I liked and things I did not like. It is a great way to feel grateful for all the great parts of a job, and brings into perspective that really there are not many things that are bad – the second column is always smaller than the first!
Who do you admire and see as a role model in the industry?
I enjoy following and learning more about industry leaders who are passionate about our segment and innovate to bring better experiences to guests – leaders such as Kemmons Wilson, Isadore Sharp, Girish Jhunjhnuwala, Adrian Zecha, Sonu Shivdasani…..
What can people expect from your company and what sets it apart from the rest?
People can expect true hospitality from an IHG hotel – service with warmth, integrity, empathy, and anticipation.
What destinations are on your travel bucket list?
Le Mans and Goodwood, salmon fishing in Canada, gold panning in the Yukon.
What’s a memorable travel experience you’ve had (good or bad)?
French Polynesia is the only place I have ever been that was better than the legends I had heard. Truly a remarkable, wonderful place.
What are three things you always take with you when travelling?
A good book, extra socks, and lots of patience.
Name someone famous you’d like to travel with and a destination you’d like to go with them.
Would have loved to travel to Walden Pond with Henry Thoreau.
What direction do you see the industry heading in over the next five to ten years?
The luxury sector will grow and prosper, defining itself through genuine service from passionate professionals; in contrast, the lines between other sectors will blur as shadow inventory and traditional hotels become more and more alike, and brands proliferate.
Read the original article on ETB Travel News, Face of Travel section
