DAY IN THE LIFE MY ROLE IN TRAVEL
DAY IN THE LIFE MEHMET CUBUKCUOGLU HOTEL GENERAL MANAGER
The general manager of the new Tui Blue Palm Garden in Manavgat, near Antalya – formerly an Iberotel – tells Jennifer Morris what it’s like dedicating a large part of your life to the smooth- running of a hotel. Mehmet lives at the resort with his family during the summer season and commutes from his home in Belek in winter
MY TYPICAL DAY AT WORK INVOLVES . . . I usually wake up early but I don’t get out of bed until my alarm goes off at 7.14am on the dot. If I have time to have breakfast I will, otherwise a shower and espresso is enough to start the day. At 8am I tour the hotel and go down to the beach to make sure everything is in order. If I do find a problem – like something is dirty or not well-maintained – I will send a picture to the department manager over WhatsApp. At 9am I am in the breakfast room to greet the guests and the staff before holding a morning briefing with colleagues in the Welcome Lounge over coffee. Then I talk to the guests as much as possible. In the evening I receive reports on things like the VIP list and forecasts for the next two months. I don’t go to bed before midnight, or 2am at the latest.
in Marmaris. I love to be with the staff and change things for the better. It makes me happy to make others happy.
The most rewarding part of my job is… Being with the staff and with the guests and seeing them satisfied. Receiving positive feedback gives me a real boost. It’s motivating – that’s my daily food.
The most challenging part is… There are some guests who are very difficult to satisfy, no matter what you do. Fortunately, there are very few of them – only two or three a year – but they are here to be dissatisfied.
I have been in my job for… Seven seasons at this hotel, but I have been in travel for 27 years overall. Before this job I was at another Tui hotel chain, Magic Life. I started there in 1994 and became a general manager in 2002. I have always worked in hospitality.
I became a general manager because… I originally wanted to be a lawyer but the system is different here in Turkey – you study what you do best in at school. I was best at hotel management so that’s what I did at university. I tried it and I loved it. Back in 1990 it was very different – there were just a few hotels here in Antalya. I started out
The thing I’m asked most is… For extras. Guests will ask me for things they can’t get from the department managers. They’ll ask about things like late departures, if they can keep their rooms, or if they can get free transfers to the airport.
To relax, I like to… Do something totally different, maybe some- thing crazy that makes me forget everything. If I’m on a jet ski and I go so fast I scream, I relax. Also, smoking a cigar once in a while.
If I was only allowed one thing on a desert island it would be… A knife – to be used for survival skills. › Turkey: Destinations, page 58
Tui Blue Palm Garden opened last month
30 June 2016
travelweekly.co.uk 37
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