It has been two years since one of the biggest foreign investments in Slovenia, which was the result of successful cooperation between Delta Holding and the prestigious international InterContinental brand. We took the opportunity to ask Milos Cerovic General Manager of Intercontinental Hotel Ljubljana, whether the only five-star hotel in Slovenia fulfilled the expectations of guests, the city, and investors?
“It would be an understatement to say that we are very pleased with our presence in the capital of Slovenia so far. In a very short time, we positioned the InterContinental Ljubljana as the premier hotel in Slovenia for leisure and business travellers” says Mr Cerovic. “We received numerous awards (SEEbtm Award, Tourist Prizma, etc.) that are a testament to the service excellence we provide to our guests. Delta Holding, as the owner of the hotel, is also satisfied with the business side of hotel operation. We exceeded the financial expectations by far, which brought them to thinking that another investment in Ljubljana can be added to their, already impressive, portfolio of hotels.
Slovenia is a complex market with many challenges, which makes doing business for companies operating here very dynamic. What are your experiences?
I will start with the positives. From the start, we are receiving great support from Ljubljana city officials and Mayor Janković. The business community and our local partners have also been very welcoming, as they recognized the importance of the first five-star hotel in Ljubljana. The challenging part is that our destination, being beautiful as it is, still isn’t on the tourist map outside of our immediate region. The airport is on a smaller side, and the number of direct commercial flights to key business destinations is still limited, which presents a challenge for bringing large groups and conferences into our hotel. Lastly, the lack of qualified staff is visible, and the talent war is becoming fierce, as we all fish in a very small pond.
Do you feel the market will further develop over the next two years? It seems that the InterContinental woke up this dormant market, many new hotels are being built, especially in the capital…
I am pleased to see that our investment created some movements in the hotel market in Ljubljana. I believe that other owners and investors learned from our example that it pays off to invest in a high-quality product and excellent service. I will encourage further investments in branded hotels, those affiliated with famous international operators with large loyalty programs. This will help in positioning Ljubljana on the tourist map and creating the buzz about the destination.
A successful business always relies on development. Can you share with our readers how will the hotel and your company further develop in Slovenia, or, perhaps, in the region?
The partnership between Delta Holding and InterContinental Hotels Group is already successful. With three opened hotels, and three more in the pipeline, both companies are eager to further invest in the region. The goal is to have an IHG hotel in each of the ex-Yugoslavia republics. Our immediate priorities are Hotel Indigo in Belgrade, InterContinental in Belgrade and Holiday Inn in Ljubljana. We are also very keen to enter the Croatian and Albanian markets.
There is an ongoing debate in the business circles about the youth and the new generation of millennials, their expectations and engagement at the moment of starting a career. What is your advice to young people who choose this industry, especially those who are thinking about getting a job at the InterContinental?
Here at the InterContinental Ljubljana, we see the development of talent as key priority. We are passionate about it, and I am delighted to say that a third of our current team has been promoted to a higher position within the first 18 months of the hotel opening. We are proud of this statistic and will continue to work on preparing future hoteliers for success. My advice to young people entering this business is always the same – be patient, listen, and always try to learn new things. Knowledge is the most important driver and recommendation for a long-lasting career. Nobody can ever take the knowledge away from you.
THE VENUE OF CHOICE FOR DIPLOMATIC EVENTS
How satisfied are you with the cooperation with the diplomatic corps in Slovenia?
We are pleased to see that immediately upon opening our doors two years ago, we became the venue of choice for diplomatic events and celebrations of national days for many countries. I see lots of guests from the diplomatic corps using our restaurant, spa, and other services in the hotel. Some of the ambassadors residing in Vienna or Budapest found their home at the InterContinental Ljubljana for their regular consular visits and trade meetings. I want to take this opportunity to thank them all for supporting our business, and I do hope that we will keep working together even more in the future.