Robert Heitzig
General Manager at the Seaside Grand Hotel Residencia
Robert Heitzig's professional plans became apparent in his early childhood: he enjoyed the hotel stays on travels with his parents and he turned out to be a perfect (co-) organizer and host of the family celebrations. When he was asked about his later career aspirations, his answer was: Hotelier or Pâtissier.
At the age of 15, he completed an internship at the Hotel Atlantic***** in Hamburg. His professional career began with an apprenticeship at the Crown Plaza hotel chain followed by positions at The Peninsula New York*****, Radisson Blu**** and Side Hotel Hamburg*****as well as the Island Hotel***** in Newport Beach, California. Since 2006, Robert Heitzig has been General Manager at the Seaside Grand Hotel Residencia*****GL, with a break of three years as General Manager for the project of a new 5-star design hotel.
The service concept: focusing on the guest
At the privately run Seaside boutique hotel he appreciates the direct contact with the owners, guests and staff. The resulting short decision-making paths allow him to immediately test innovations and to directly implement any guests' wishes. The guest is king at the Seaside Grand Residencia. The service concept and the absolute focus on the guest is something Robert Heitzig has adopted from his time in the United States.
The secret to Grand Hotel Residencia‘s success
Robert Heitzig sees the secret of the hotel's success in the staff and the easy going, almost familiar service. It is genuine hospitality that cannot always be taught, but is a feeling that comes from the heart.
The hotel has many regular guests’; some even visit the hotel several times a year. Many consider the Residencia a secluded oasis, a paradise where they can find peace and quiet and replenish their energy. The typical Grand Hotel Residencia guest is widely travelled and is accustomed to world class standards. Besides the purchasable amenities of a luxury hotel, he looks for a personal touch, a hotel with soul. It’s the many small details in the Residencia that make the difference and with 140 employees and only 94 rooms, an extremely individual service and customer care is guaranteed.
The Seaside Grand Hotel Residencia has received many awards over the years. Five times voted the best hotel in the world by TUI Germany and on several occasions it has received TripAdvisor's highest recognition, the Travellers' Choice Award, making its way into the travel site's Hall of Fame.
Some of Robert Heitzig challenges as General Manager are to maintain the high standard, without respite and to perfect the processes without altering the concept. It must remain consistent.
Robert Heitzigs‘ personal tips for a stay at Grand Hotel Residencia
What personal tips does Robert Heitzig give his guests for a holiday at the Grand Hotel Residencia? When it comes to culinary delights, (a major factor amongst the strengths of the hotel) and albeit not a vegetarian himself, he has a penchance for the creative vegetarian dishes prepared with regional organic vegetables by chef Wolfgang Grobauer and his team.
Being a fan of Spanish cavas, as an aperitif to accompany the light Mediterranean dishes he recommends the Cava de Nit of the Catalan Bodega Raventós i Blanc. And if a guest should wish to escape the hotel’s paradisiacal tranquility for a while to explore the island, Robert Heitzig recommends a private limousine ride to the cosmopolitan capital of the island, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, or an excursion to the surprisingly green mountain ranges of the North.
Nevertheless, everyone at the Seaside Grand Hotel Residencia is allowed to seek heaven in his own fashion. There are no limits to the realisation of guests' wishes, only the legal ones of course, as Robert Heitzig concludes with a wink.