18 years in the industry, but the passion for hospitality has anything but dimmed for Cicero. From front of house to backend now, he loves immersing himself into strategies that will help hoteliers grow their business.
Tell Us About Your Hospitality Career… Your Journey to STAAH.
I come from a family with a medical background, so hospitality and tourism were never really on the horizon. But, I liked meeting different people and when I saw an ad for a tourism course on TV, I knew that was it! My parents opposed it but I made the right choice.
It’s a very social place and I love interacting with people. Guests. Hoteliers. It’s a fun industry to be part of. My journey began as a customer service agent with an airline in Brazil before I moved into front of house for hotels, starting with Hyatt Regency. I have worked with the Accor Group, Waldorf Apartments and VR Group.
I joined Agoda in 2016, keen to learn more about the online world that basically has changed the face of this industry and how people buy travel. STAAH was a natural progression, working with technology at ground level and seeing it make a visible impact for hotels.
What Do You like Most About STAAH and Your Job?
What I like the most about STAAH and my job is the fact that we are here to genuinely help hotels to grow their business and revenue. It is such a pleasure to watch hotels grow their revenue using our suggestions and services. The feeling of sort of being part of our customers’ business is something that I cannot describe; being able to discuss their businesses strategies and when they implement some of our suggestions is absolutely amazing.
Being a Key Account Manager gives me the opportunity to meet different managers and owners with their unique management styles. It is a great opportunity to learn more about different dynamics in different hotels.
What Is Your Hospitality Success Mantra?
Always be yourself and be a listener.
Listen to your customers need very carefully so you can address them efficiently.
Tell Us About Your Interests Outside STAAH. Do They Help You Do Your Job Better?
I’m a very active and outdoorsy person; I enjoy a lot of workout, no matter what it is! I am constantly trying out new exercises, trying them out in my free time. I figured it’s not just great for fitness, but an excellent stress buster – something that runs quite high in this industry.
I also enjoy being out and about with my partner and friends drinks, meals and a good laugh.
Some Funny Moments in Hospitality or with STAAH….
The hours are long and the salaries can be less, but one thing you’re guaranteed in the hospitality and tourism industries are plenty of funny moments. I have had my fair share since I started off my career in Brazil 18 years ago.
What stands out right now is this crazy incident when I was working for a five-star hotel as the F&B Assistant. On the morning of this incident, I was the breakfast host and a guest decided to walk in for breakfast just before we closed the buffet. He was making his way to the host desk straight from the spa, wearing his bathrobe.
My colleague at the desk that day, a particularly religious person, was already mumbling about the inappropriateness of the attire when suddenly the bathrobe fell off!
It’s a story that I have brought up often socially and always garners huge laughs.
Feel free to connect with Cicero here.