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The owner of a family resort told how to open a successful hotel in the Carpathians
It doesn't matter who you are: a carpenter, a boxer or a hotel owner in the Carpathians, find something that is better than others and develop it every day. This is how the main rule of success sounds, which Vadim Gelio, the owner of the Medvezhya Gora family resort in Yaremche, has learned well. The recreation complex consists of a cozy hotel, cottages and chalets. There is a closed green area, a unique Bear Trail route with a varied natural landscape, a recreation area with gazebos, swimming pools, a children's club and delicious national cuisine in a restaurant-kolyba. There is an open-air cage near the complex, where guests can feed a family of red deer and wild boars. More often couples and families with children come here to admire the beauty of the Ukrainian mountains and enjoy a quiet vacation away from the bustle of the city.
In 2008, Vadim made a fateful decision and built the first cottage for his family next to the house, where he warmly welcomed tourists. So that the land would not be empty, he built several more guest houses. In this business, according to Vadim, he got not from the street, but rather from the backyard. After all, before that, for five years he was engaged in carpet, collaborated with many hotels, observed how each of them works and tried to understand business processes and work model. Having worked with many hoteliers as a contractor, I decided to try myself in this area and did not lose: in just 10 years, his business has grown several times and turned into a real recreational hotel with its own spa and wellness complex, children's entertainment, swimming pools, a menagerie and a restaurant. Another project is on its way: a modern SPA hotel. This is 2 hectares of closed territory, where they will create a place for relaxation alone with nature with Carpathian vats, a Finnish sauna, contrasting barrels, a salt room, etc. A real mini-city of relaxation among the Carpathians.
First of all, he shares his experience with Gelio, it is very important to understand who you are and for whom you work. If you are a resort hotel, everything should be geared towards recreation, if you are developing a family-type facility, be so kind as to provide comfort and coziness for families with children.
“Correct positioning is always visible in the details. For example, in any season we have animation for children. One child is resting, ten or thirty - it doesn't matter. Little residents have fun, interesting and comfortable, their parents can safely enjoy their vacation. If there is a clear positioning and a high-quality product, then you will always wait for your guest, ”the owner of Medvezhya Gora advises.
The right advertisement attracts the guest you are expecting. He will not interfere with others by his actions or desires. “We will not tell that we have fun and discos, so people who are looking for such leisure are unlikely to come to us. They will be bored and we warn them in advance. There are discos, but they are all for children. We have swimming pools, six types of saunas, a kids club. There is something to do for both parents and children. We deliberately cut ourselves off from the troublesome guest and focused on our family client and his needs, ”explains the hotelier.
In the beginning, Vadim does not hide, it was also difficult for him: he wanted to lure visitors with everything he could. But for five years now, the hotel team has clearly defined its niche and the direction in which it wants to grow and develop. “We are a hotel for families, recreation with children in nature. I myself have five children, so I understand very well what our guests need, ”Vadim smiles.
And he is not exaggerating at all: even now, in the off-season, the hotel is completely full. For the smallest children, Bear Mountain has created a real country of a fun and carefree childhood: there are play areas, playgrounds, a children's pool and a club with animation. Not without a little reconstruction: to make everyone feel comfortable, the rooms had to be redesigned for full-fledged additional places for children. So that there are no folding beds, as is usually the case, but separate beds, because this is more comfortable for the guests.
After reorienting the hotel, we looked around and realized that we had to go outside the territory. Nature, mountains are wonderful, but in order to detain a guest for more than two days, he needs to provide leisure. The idea for development lay, as they say, underfoot: the closest neighbor of the hotel is the Carpathian National Natural Park with its unique and inimitable nature. Evergreen spruces, pines, wild animals and birds are what many native townspeople saw only in pictures in books.
“Abroad, hotels located near national parks are much more expensive. They create a unique synergy with nature and enjoy all the benefits that are around. We also all Yaremchanschina located in such a place, but no reason - that this does not appreciate "- shrugs Gelo.
For himself, even at the stage of choosing a location, he appreciated the advantages of this place and realized how much it can give. In 2013, the Medvezhya Gora hotel signed an agreement with the national park on joint recreational activities.
“I took 6 hectares under my responsibility, created a rehabilitation center here for animals in trouble. Then we built a whole network of walking alleys, equipped recreation areas, created many attractions, combined the hotel with a mineral water source. Now, 100 meters away from us, there is the only explored spring in Yaremche, ”says the hotelier.
All this required a lot of investment, which anyone else could easily put into the construction of new guest houses and get a quick profit. But Vadim does not perceive such a "Scrudzhian approach" in business. After all, work is a tool, money is a reward for quality work, but by no means an end in itself. “When I heard one rule, it seemed to me very clever: do not be afraid to spend a lot, be afraid to earn little. By investing correctly in the development of the project, you will always get a return. There is no need to be afraid to invest in development, I am for a reasonable risk in business, ”Vadim shares.
Medvezhya Gora Hotel is a family business. Vadim is engaged in operational activities, but the family helps with advice, and sometimes with deeds. Now there are 30 rooms here, in a year or two there will be another forty on the way, then twenty more will be added. Now Vadim's team employs about 70 people - another large professional family.
“I'm a liberal with the team. The main thing is that we hear each other, if there are any problems in the team, with guests, of a personal nature or in a hotel, we immediately try to understand what is the reason and help solve it. In the hospitality business, the employee's mood is extremely important so that the guest does not feel any discomfort. If the administrator or the waiter is not in the mood today, we ask the person to rest and give the day off, ”says Gelio. According to him, it is very important to constantly be in contact with everyone, to understand and respect the needs of other people.
Despite the fact that many hotels complain about the terrible turnover of staff, "Bear Mountain" has hardly encountered this. Quite a few employees have been working here for five or more years. “Our strength is discipline and desire. People want to work because there is order, they are taken care of, everything is formalized. Plus our salaries are 10% higher than market ones, ”explains Vadim.
The hotel actively cooperates with educational institutions, in particular with the Ivano-Frankivsk College of Restaurant Service and Tourism, and gladly accepts yesterday's graduates. At the same time, a lot of attention is paid to self-education and professional development. According to Vadim, you need to train personnel every day and prepare personnel in advance. “Previously, we put 10 people in one place in the selection, now at least five. We have a big competition for serious positions, we only hire professionals and people with experience. This is our reputation, ”he explains.
The main obstacles for the hotel business in the Carpathians rest on the roads and infrastructure of the area, as well as on the bewilderment of tourists, why go so far and on such roads, to stand on the border. But the situation has changed for the better over the past few years.
“They used to think that Yaremche was a residential area of Bukovel, but this is not so. We strengthen our best sides and develop our weaknesses, ”says Vadim. It is very important, he said, to meet the needs of a modern tourist. And he is very demanding and selective. “Ten years ago in the Carpathians, an outdoor pool was a gimmick, we now have four of them. If the hotel does not have at least one pool, it is one step behind; if there is no SPA, it is two steps behind. "
Another unspoken rule of the "Bear Mountain": if we cannot provide a quality service or service, we refuse them in favor of those that are within our power.
“Three things are very important for guests: where I sleep, that is the hotel itself, what I eat, delicious cuisine in the restaurant, and what I will do. The third component is extremely important. The time has passed when a hotel is just a room and a sleeping place, now it is a place for full rest and entertainment, ”concludes Gelio.
1. How much was your starting capital?
I spent about $ 50,000 on my first guest house.
2. What was the main obstacle to your business?
I don’t remember anything like that. Everything can be decided if there is a desire.
3. Would you start all over again?
Yes. With pleasure.
4. Which business man inspires you?
People who successfully run several different large businesses. The hotel and restaurant industry usually takes a lot of effort and energy, it is difficult to devote time to anything else.
5. What would you never go for for business success?
To a lie and a crime. When I started, my father gave me some practical advice: pay all taxes, work honestly, formalize the staff. I always stick to them. Doing business honestly in Ukraine is real, you just need to set up your work correctly and confidently stand your ground.