interview
Hans Joachim Radek
CHECKING INN WITH HANS CHARLIE HOLDING With a popular industry veteran at its helm, this property marks the beginning of a new chapter in the Kingdom’s hospitality sector.
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fter years spent gathering dust following its closure in 2012, a popular hotel in the Seef area is reopening its doors this month with a new look, a new name and under new management. Asdal Gulf Inn is the latest addition to the Gulf Hotel Group portfolio that includes the iconic Gulf Hotel and the K Hotel in Juffair. Formerly L’Hotel Bahrain, the Asdal Gulf Inn is adding the finishing touches to its impressive upgrade under the watchful eye of Hans Joachim Radek. Hans has decades of experience in the industry and says he’s up for a new challenge. “I left Bahrain for 10 months to move to Ethiopia with my wife,” he explains. “One day I got a call from a colleague back in the Kingdom asking me if I wanted to help open a new hotel. So, I asked myself an important question: ‘Am I ready to retire or do I have 10 more years left ahead of me?’” Obviously, the opportunity to take up a challenge was too good to resist and Hans returned to the island full of vigour and eager to put himself, and his team, to the test. “I enjoy a challenge,” he says. I was very lucky to be assigned here; it was a bit of luck and I was 72 December 2015
very happy to come back to Bahrain. I love what I do and that is the most important thing. “There was a lot of work to be done. It’s about attention to detail because the little touches make a big difference. You should look at the hotel from a guest’s point of view, not a manager’s. You need to think outside the box.” Some of the major differences include a slew of new restaurants. Hans explains: “We have an Italian restaurant, Il Gondoliere, a Lebanese restaurant, The Sultan and an all-day dining venue called The Gallery. We also have a new 1664 lounge where guests can enjoy a selection of beverages.” Noting increased confidence in the sector – thanks to the recent addition of several new hotels on the island – Hans says things are “more or less back to where they were” prior to the unrest. “I want to build on that momentum and establish our own clientele,” he says. “People who have been on the island a while will remember it as L‘Hotel – they have their own memories of it as it was. I want people to come and see for themselves just how different it is.”
Contrary to other hotels in the area, the Asdal Gulf Inn prides itself on being a smaller fourstar property with five-star services. Hans believes it is a cosier option with 89 rooms and four suites that are all impressively-sized. When it comes to clientele, the first thing on the agenda is to attract the locals. “I want to create awareness around Bahrain that we’re here,” says Hans. “I want to make the place known to everybody and I want it to become a landmark.” Anyone who has ever stayed in an hotel knows that the staff – and the service they provide – is what makes a good hotel a great one. As such, Hans believes that taking time to source the right team with the right skills is vitally important. Hans says: “It goes back to being part of a group, it’s the same philosophy. I want the staff to work as a team, which makes us stronger as a whole. They need proper training on how to approach or serve a guest, all this needs to be taught. “I’m grateful to Gulf Hotel Group for giving me the chance to prove myself.” www.bahrainthismonth.com