LA VERSIONE ITALIANA LA TRADURRO’ QUANTO PRIMA, CHIEDO SCUSA

ENG: A million thanks to Alexandra Tinkovà and Stanislav Vadrna for giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts on BAR-MAGAZINE.SK

HERE IS THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION:

— 1. What do you think is the specific, unique about hotel bars (comparing with other bars), and do you believe todays hotel bars are of the same importance as they were 70-80 years ago?

1a)”TIME” is one of the topics that really differentiates hotel bars from other bars:

The customers usually stay with us for a really short period of time or even only one night, so we want to make sure it leaves our bar with the BEST impression, my policy is.. “going the EXTRA MILE even serving a glass of water”.

This doesn’t mean just finding unusual ingredients for your cocktail program (as most of the modern bartenders seems to be concerned with) but to give the customers the BEST welcome making them feel comfortable, before anything else.

1b)I think hotel bars today are even more important than before.
In the past, the hotel bar was a place where people went to drink and socialize, today, it’s also to conduct business and also to be entertained.

Peolpe like to eat a light breakfast, hold small business meetings or work alone on laptops in the afternoon and managers are changing their views on the bar’s potential whithin the hotel.

— 2. What is the most important thing to have if you want to have the best hotel bar?

A well trained and..most af all a PASSIONATE bartender, it all starts form there.
He is the person that will look after a well stocked liquor display, that will create your ambience and that will make sure customers keep coming back; of course after that, the tools and equipment choosen are very important too.

— 3. What is the pride, the uniqueness of bar where do you work?

Our friendly but elegant approach to our customers…let’s say “italian way”
Times are changing and I think people travelling for pleasure but especially for business want in a way feel more “cuddled” with a not-so-strict approach when they go to hotels even if they are Luxury Hotels.

— 4. What would you advice to a newcomer who wants to work in a hotel bar?

1)Learn to be a good host, ask thousands of questions to your head bartender or mentor..never stop being curious.
2)Don’t make comparison with other styles of bars otherwise you’ll end up not enjoying working there!
3)Watch how your head bartender welcomes people even before learning the difference between a gin and a whisky.
4)Treat the bar as it was your own living room, is the only way the make “the BIG difference”