MANO SOLER

How long have you worked as the Director of Les Roches Marbella?

I became Managing Director of Les Roches Marbella in April 2022, after spending 10 years as Director of Operations and Student Services. My objective is to give continuity to the educational model that has placed Les Roches in the elite of luxury tourism and hospitality management education.

Having graduated from Les Roches many years ago, I am thankful and honored to have been a witness and a contributor to its incredible student growth, reputation within the industry, and global Alumni network.

Over the years, the campus has also undergone amazing improvements in technology, facilities, F&B outlets, classrooms, and academic offerings, but the beauty of it all is that the Les Roches culture has not changed. The spirit, passion, and way of life is still very much present on campus, in our students, and in our Alumni.

How would you describe your experience working at Les Roches?

Having over 93 different nationalities represented with a strong multicultural environment; Les Roches is truly a privileged place to work. Being in education and seeing the success of our Alumni worldwide makes working at Les Roches a very gratifying and rewarding experience.

Being surrounded by passionate professionals as well as eager and aspiring students provides me with daily inspiration. It is also an exceptional place from which to observe the evolution of our industry.

I am truly blessed and grateful to be part of Les Roches.

Why did you choose the Hospitality Industry?

First, because it is about people and secondly, it is an industry that creates lasting memories and experiences. The hospitality and tourism industry transforms lives, economies, and generates a positive impact on communities. I can’t imagine a better industry than this.

What changes has the hospitality industry gone through since the pandemic?

The pandemic has served to put the focus on professionalization; something already internalized in the luxury segment, but not so much in other areas of the industry. Companies, aware of the challenges involved in being a leader in the sector, are now looking for qualified, flexible, resilient workers with the right attitude and soft skills to ensure their success.

What do you think sets the difference between Les Roches Marbella?

Les Roches Marbella is a world reference in the training of hotel managers and hospitality professionals throughout our undergraduate, postgraduate, masters and executive education programs. One of our most popular programs is the threeand-half-year BBA in Global Hospitality Management, which combines academic theory with two practical internship periods in the industry worldwide and offers students several specializations to choose from. Our Alumni are prepared to occupy managerial positions, but we also teach that the key to any leader resides in mastering the basic skills of Hospitality. For that reason, students’ start in areas like of a hotel like reception, F&B departments, or customer service. Humility, humbleness, empathy, and teamwork are key essential characteristics of any leader in this industry.

Les Roches creates lifelong friendships that become family, real life lessons that develop you as a person, and the school provides you with a global network of the most hospitable people in the world.

What relationship does Les Roches have with the business world?

At Les Roches we train the best executives specialized in businesses where the quality of luxury services is the key to value. It’s exciting to see how top companies and brands reinvent traditional hospitality concepts, and we are proud to say that we also are part of that process through our close relationship with the industry.

Les Roches is an exporter of talent internationally and the best companies all over the world recruit our students because they believe that our students have the right business skills and attitude needed for the job.

In fact, Les Roches is in itself a network formed by more than 14,000 former Alumni, many of which are currently managers and executives at the best hotel chains, academic, technological and luxury partners in over 133 countries around the world.

We have also created “Spark Innovation Sphere by Les Roches”, a space for innovation and co-creation where students and companies work hand-in-hand to design the industry of the future.