Pabisa Hotels: “In the future, we will be investing even more in cycle tourism”

Interview with Zahira Rangel, Assistant Manager at the Pabisa Chico hotel.

“In the future, we will be investing even more in cycle tourism”

Zahira Rangel has been with Pabisa Hotels since 2014. She started work in the central offices, responsible for reception and as an assistant in Reservations, Purchasing, and finally Operations Management. From there, she made the move to the Pabisa Orlando apartment complex as Assistant Manager, and in 2017 she took over at the Pabisa Chico as Assistant Manager.
Zahira was born in Venezuela and has a degree in Administration and Business Management, she has been living in Spain for almost two decades. She gained a Master’s degree in Hotel Management in Madrid and acquired professional experience in sales and events working at the luxury Princess Yaiza hotel in the Canary Islands and for the Hesperia hotel chain.

QUESTION: The hotel Pabisa Chico started the 2018 season in April, how have the first few months been?
ANSWER: This year we are seeing the consolidation of the hotel’s new strategy aimed at the senior segment of the market and at cycle tourism. This change in direction is having a positive effect and has meant that clients in the hotel as a whole are happier. A new measure has been to remove the classic tablecloths from the dining room and we have replaced these with simpler, modern table runners or individual placemats, which apart from improving the aesthetic appeal, contribute to greater protection of the environment as the volume of table linen to launder has decreased significantly. Also, we are still delighted with the new fencing and the re-upholstery to the furniture in the hall area which we carried out last year. We have also invested in improving the air conditioning system. With regards to our internal organisation, after a renewal of staff from last year, we can now say that we have completed our new team. Thanks to them, we have improved the quality of the services we provide, and we are achieving good scores from the tour operators.

Q: What feedback are you getting from clients?
A: Overall, the feedback we are receiving is positive. Our guests are usually very comfortable at our hotel. Due to its size, meeting other guests around the common areas of the establishment, such as the pool or reception, is easy, and so guests feel very much at home when staying with us. We do, of course, have some clients who are not satisfied with aspects of the hotel, but I am always grateful for their comments as it gives us the opportunity to resolve any inconvenience as soon as possible.

Q: Why would you recommend the Pabisa Chico?
A: Firstly, for the location; close to the centre of the resort and in an area with a huge choice of leisure activities, entertainment and restaurants, 200 metres from the beach and 10 minutes away from the airport. Also, thanks to our chef, Daniel Arona, we serve great food. No less important is the fact that the Chico is a very attractive hotel: we take great care of the cleanliness and order in the rooms as well as in the public areas. The reception staff are also very committed to their work and are always very friendly and accommodating.

Q: What do the management team do in order to look after the internal client, your staff?
A: The main thing is to provide a good example, and therefore I cannot allow myself to come to work in a bad mood. If I see that one of the team is having a bad day, I’ll try and approach them to see if I can help and turn the situation around, although if that doesn’t work, then I have no option but to take action as a manager, and I must always put our guests first.

Q: What changes are in place to cater for the cycle tourist?
A: Basically, at the beginning and at the end of the season we adapt the dining room menus to cater for our sports-loving guests and, for example, aside from the usual choices, we add ginger water, lots of cut fruit and wholemeal biscuits to the breakfast buffet and we provide a wide range of white and wholemeal pastas and lots of protein at lunch and dinner. We are very happy with this type of guest as they appreciate the extras we provide for them and they make the most of the hotel facilities. Some facilities are specifically for cyclists, such as the bike storage room and a workshop for minor repairs. In the future, we will be investing more resources into this client segment.

Q: What is Pabisa Hotels for you?
A: Pabisa Hotels is the company that has given me the opportunity to be where I am today, my aim was always to be in hotel management. Also, Pabisa makes it possible for me to combine work and family life, something that is not always possible in a position such as mine.

Q: What do you like most about hospitality and hotel management?
A. About the profession, I love being able to meet lots of different people and speak with guests from all over the world. With regards to management, as I work as Assistant Manager under the guidance and leadership of the Operations Manager, Pau Obrador, I really like the organisational side of things, a hotel is like a very big house where you have to have everything organised.