Lake Thun Blog
A Hauenstein Hotels success story
Motivated employees are given the opportunity to grow and develop within the Group - both professionally and personally. We are proud to have many longtime employees with us who have already been able to advance several rungs on the career ladder.
Read an interview with Lisa Lauener - one of many great success stories within Hauenstein Hotels.
As a reception manager you are always present, attentive, and concerned about the well-being of the guests. When did you realize that customer contact suits you?
As a child, the idea of working at the post office counter excited me. When I later became aware of the hotel industry, I saw the opportunity to fulfil my wish for customer contact by becoming a reception manager. The reception desk is the hub of the hotel and I can make sure that everyone feels well taken care of.
Why did you choose the Belvédère Strandhotel in Spiez to apply for a job at in 2015 after your hotel management apprenticeship in Adelboden?
Actually, there was no job posted at all. I simply submitted a spontaneous online application! (laughs) As a native of Frutigen, I mainly looked around for exciting businesses in the Bernese Oberland. It's important to me to identify with the style and service of the hotel of which I am the "representative face" so to speak. It made sense to try my luck at the renowned four-star superior hotel on Lake Thun - a place where I would like to spend holidays myself, especially because of the hotel's own beach... (grins). Luck surely played a part in being in the right place at the right time!
Later on there was certainly more than luck involved: What pushed you further?
Careful decisions like the one to complete the practical part of my further education at the hotel management school not in the Belvédère Strandhotel, but at the Widder Hotel in Zurich. Young as I was, I wanted to breathe some new, more urban air!
How did it come about that you were drawn back to the Hauenstein Hotels after your "wandering years"?
I always maintained my friendships with team members of the Belvédère Strandhotel. One day, when I was on a quick visit, the hotel directors surprised me by offering me the Reception Manager job. As much as I liked Zurich, the distance had made me realize that I something was missing. I didn't have to think long and gratefully and accepted this great opportunity!
What has contributed significantly to the fact that you are now up to a management position at only 26 years of age?
Certainly the theoretical knowledge from my specialist training, which I was able to apply directly in practice. But above all, the cooperative style of the management team which focuses on good working relationships - I now cultivate a similar style in my new position. My bosses always lend a helping hand when it came to addressing potential for improvement, finding solutions, and developing myself further. I also listen to my employees and involve them in processes. This is a key factor to ensuring that we act as a well-coordinated team - and that guests explicitly thank us for our courteous service at the end of their stay.
Your second start at the Belvédère Strandhotel on 1 March 2020 virtually coincided with the lockdown. What did you do in the months that the hotel doors remained closed?
One consolation was that the business was closed for a few weeks anyway due to extensive renovations and expansions. Among other things, we used the time to push ahead with the digitalisation of certain services, such as the online registration form or voucher orders via the online shop. There are services that we could digitize, but we don't want to because we value the personal contact. ... by the way, I really missed the irregular working hours!
Now, about a year later, the time has finally come! Life is returning to the freshly refurbished premises... What are you particularly looking forward to?
The whole team is enthusiastically back to everyday business - it happens automatically when you have hospitality in your blood... We are especially excited to see how the guests - currently mainly individual tourists from within Switzerland - like the brand new design. I look forward to seeing all the happy faces of our guests enjoying the sunset over the picturesque Spiez Bay from the new, stylish "Captain's Bar".