By Fariha Eshrat
Petr Pisecky, Cluster GM of DoubleTree by Hilton Riyadh – Al Muroj Business Gate and Hilton Garden Inn Riyadh Olaya, came to Riyadh six months ago and he’s been a trailblazer in the Riyadh hospitality field ever since.
Congratulations on completing your first six months as the Cluster GM of DoubleTree by Hilton Riyadh – Al Muroj Business Gate and Hilton Garden Inn Riyadh Olaya.
Oh, thank you. I haven’t realized how fast it’s gone by, but it’s been great so far. Let’s start by telling our readers about yourself. Sure, my name is Petr Pisecky and I am originally from Prague, the Czech Republic. That’s where I first started working with the Hilton group 19 years ago, at the Hilton Prague.
So, let’s go back to the start, what attracted you to the Hilton brand?
I have always known Hilton as the best-known brand in the hospitality industry, worldwide. When I joined in 1999, I was young and the opportunities were endless. To me, there was nothing bigger than Hilton and so I was excited to begin my career here. When I joined the Hilton Prague as a junior employee, little did I know that one day I will be managing a Hilton hotel, in fact two hotels in Saudi Arabia. So far, it has been a very interesting journey really. In fact, Riyadh is my 6th working destination since I joined the company. After my initial 7 years working at the Hilton Prague, I pursued an opportunity to transfer and to work in Hilton Sydney in Australia. I then moved to China, where I spent 5 years working in two different locations and then in the Emirates for the last three and a half years. In late August of last year, I joined the hotels here in Riyadh.
How did you choose Riyadh as the next step in your career?
In our company, when you are ready, available and prepared for your next move, you get interviewed and your background is assessed for the various open positions. Since I was already working in the Middle East in Dubai, when the Riyadh opportunity came up, I was considered. Earlier last year, I first came on a personal visit to get familiar with the hotels, the city, the people and I was excited to come here.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
There are a lot of things to be enjoyed in this line of work, I could honestly go on for hours. But to summarize, I love the opportunity to travel, learning new cultures, gaining new experience but also sharing my own while I have the opportunity to work with people of so many different backgrounds, discovering talent in the places I’ve been to, seeing the people grow and seeing how the industry changes. I truly enjoy witnessing the evolution of hospitality and also, being an associate to my team members.
What are the biggest challenges in your work?
I think the cultural awareness that is required can be a challenge. When I first moved out of my home country and started working in Australia, I realized it wasn’t very easy for me, because culturally, Australia is a very diverse country. When I moved to China, I initially had a bit of a culture shock. It takes time and effort to adjust and learn the culture of where you work and the people you work with. Coming from China to the Middle East, even moving from Dubai to Riyadh, despite such a short distance, there is an inevitable and significant cultural difference.
What’s your best piece of advice for a manager of a multicultural staff?
As I just mentioned, be culturally aware. Everyone has different habits and there are differences, for example in how people communicate. It is actually on you to learn and to adjust to the different cultures of your international associates. There must be a lot of room for respect, understanding and adjustment before you start to impose your own style or opinion. It can be difficult to move between continents, but if you do your homework and you are prepared to learn and to accept the change, it can be the most wonderful experience.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
Never judge things at first instance or on ‘face value’, always dig deeper and find out more information before you make judgement. It really makes all the difference.
What advice would you give students looking to get into the hospitality field?
It is not an easy job to work in hospitality – it takes a lot of devotion, a lot of patience and most importantly, a lot of passion for serving people. Yet, once you have it, you enjoy it. Also, one won’t instantly become a Hotel Manager just by graduating from a hospitality college or getting a degree from university, but rather by, gaining the experience and knowledge you need to have to make your way up. Opportunities in Riyadh and in the Kingdom, are growing and almost everyone provides the same facilities, but who and how provides the best hospitality is the difference that wins customers over.
Is there a quote or mantra that you live by?
My personal motto is ‘Never say never’. In my career, wherever I said never is where I ended up going or coming back to. I’ve learnt that it’s very important to stay positive, open and nonjudgmental. Let’s talk a little about the Hilton hotels you manage in Riyadh.
What services have you offered to the residents and visitors of the DQ?
The Hilton Garden Inn Riyadh Olaya has been here for many years longer than the DoubleTree by Hilton Riyadh – Al Muroj Business Gate which is relatively new, but we’ve been a key hospitality partner for accommodation and catering to the DQ as well as other Riyadh residents for many years. Our hotels have been working with more than a dozen of embassies. Our business development team is constantly in touch with them as we’ve catered for many of their events and parties. We’ve also provided catering to private villas outside and inside of the DQ.
What are you most excited to see this year?
Professionally, I look forward to this new wind of change coming to Saudi Arabia. We are witnessing a lot of new things coming up and a lot of changes. We are also seeing a number of new competitors coming up, but that is exciting as it shows that hospitality industry is on the rise and also because it keeps us on our toes and pushes us to think of ways to get better. The development of Saudi tourism is also something to look forward to. Personally, I’d like to hope that my family and I will enjoy our time in Saudi Arabia and that we will have a lot of good opportunities to learn from its culture and from the people living here.
Final words?
I would like to encourage the readers to come to our hotel, check out our promotions, sample the different international cuisines we offer daily through our themed dinners. Our chef and his team are brilliant at cooking for varying palates and tastes. As I mentioned, we’ve catered to embassies and parties, but you can call our catering service for any parties, celebratory meals, events, etc. Last, but not least, our hotel team and services are renowned and the finest, so even if you’re interested in a staycation, I’d argue you deserve the best and whether the DoubleTree by Hilton in Al Muroj or the Hilton Garden Inn Riyadh Olaya, our hotels should be your top choice in Riyadh.
DoubleTree by Hilton Riyadh – Al Muroj
Business Gate North Ring Road,
Al W Wadi Ar Riyadh,
Riyadh 11552, Saudi Arabia
Contact Number: +966-11-528-5100
Website: http://doubletree3.hilton.com
Hilton Garden Inn Riyadh
Olaya PO Box 15553
Olaya Main St. Riyadh,
Saudi Arabia
Contact Number: +966-11-293-5333
Website: http://hiltongardeninn3.hilton.com
