Morten Ebbesen is reputed to be one of the very few best hands in hotel management in the hospitality industry.And surprisingly, he came into the sector by adventure, when he was looking for a job in-the'gap as an undergraduate studying Geology.This adventure forced him to abandon his first love, and in the past 25 years, Ebbesen has been servicing the hospitality industry.In a very relaxed mood at The Boat House, Abuja Sheraton, Ebbesen had a chat with the Tribune Tourism Magazine Editor, Wale Ojo'Lanre. Excerpts:We have been to your office only to be told you were here.Sorry for the trouble. Those of us that encourage people to relax must also demonstrate that we don't teach alone, but we are involved too.Your credentials speak volumes and your reputation in the sector is enviable. How did you come into the sector'Was it your dream job'Not at all. My dream job was to be a geologist and I was actually admitted to read Geology in the university. It was there that I had the brush with hospitality industry. A friend of mine mother was a manager in a hotel and I needed a job. And I got the job in the hotel. It was a job in ' the ' gap. I eventually stopped reading Geology and embraced courses in Hotel Management, Marketing and Business Administration. Since then, I have never looked back.Any regrets'I have no regret. Maybe, I would have had if I did not chose to be a hospitality manager. This has enabled me to travel all over the world. It also exposed me to different kinds of people, different kinds of climates and cultures. I worked in London, Copenhagen, Portugal, Malta, Dubai and Nigeria twice.Then, why Sheration'Good question. I have been in the Sheraton since 1986. Sheraton is one of the very few best hotel chains in the world that has a well groomed tradition of excellence and quality service in all its global concerns. And this is my second time in Nigeria. I was here in 1992 and worked as a deputy then.Why the second time Nigeria'I must confess, I love Nigeria. My first time in Nigeria exposed me to a lot of evergreen memories of a country full of potentialities only waiting for enhancement; a country of hope, where ideas germinate and turn to gold.Now that you are back, what are your proposals for the Abuja Sheraton in relation to the trends in hospitality industry worldwide'For the past years, Abuja Sheraton has been able to maintain the basic facilities necessary, but now the management has decided to move faster to beat the trend. We have agreed to spend 30 million dollars on the colossal refit of the hotel. This cannot be accomplished overnight. The refit will start in June next year. The strategy is to do 20 rooms per month and within three years, we are going to complete the total refit of the hotel. We are looking at touching all the soft items in the rooms. We are talking about total turn around. We look at the public area, pool, restaurant, bar, lounge and fitness centre. We are going to shuffle all these places around,whether the bar will become the restaurant or the restaurant goes for the gym. What you see today is not what you are going to see in 2012. We have the consultant and the architect from Dubai who are looking into this. I am sure that by 2014,we shall be having a brand new Abuja Sheraton.What is wrong with your rooms'Our rooms are not up to date. You remember that Abuja Sheraton was built several years ago and the rooms were installed and equipped with 19th century vogue. That time, there was no internet, no iPod, laptop was not so popular. There was no problem of connectivity or one world. TV sets have to go for the slimmer version; the workplace in the rooms must be conducive for the gadgets of the customer. Our rooms must live up to the dreams and expectation of today's traveller. The bed and beddings must be soft as the customer want to have a sweet dream. The bathroom tub has to go for the shower. 20 years ago the tub was the vogue, but now, people are talking about showers which they find more convenient, though there will be some rooms for those who still prefer bath tub.The capital outlay must be heavy'O yes. It has been estimated at 30 million dollars.Are you going to source the fund from the capital market'No. We already have the money. We are self-sufficient. The money for this is on the ground. We are not going to borrow a penny from anywhere.Hospitality buyers believe that Abuja Sheraton is the best in terms of cuisines.What is the secret'We are in Africa. And let me tell you, if you want to hold on to any customer, get him his taste and you will be fine. Abuja Sheraton cuisine theme is tilted to the traditional African cuisine the home taste. That is why our restaurant set up is laced with the African setting. Also, we got our chefs from different locations. We have the Ibos, the Hausas and Yorubas chefs.Why do you based your theme on African'We are in Africa. We are serving Africans and we are based in Abuja, Nigeria. The largest numbers of our customers are Africans. So we need to be Africanised.The spate of bombings in Nigeria would have got a toll on the hospitality industry'Yes, but not only on the hospitality industry but generally on the development of the country. The different travel advices and warnings issued against Nigeria might have scared away potential investors. Be that as it may, we still have a lot of foreigners coming in droves to Nigeria.Where lies your patronage factor, is it conference tourism or accommodation'Yes. 50 percent of our revenue comes from conference tourism. Abuja Sheraton has the best facilities that enhances conference tourism. The Ladi Kwali Hall can accommodate over 2000 guests, while we have exquisite facilities for groups of 500, 300 to 20 guests or conferees. The other half is from individual guests, tourists, and government officials.How has the decaying infrastructure like energy affected your revenue'No, we have no problem with energy here. In fact, we have three powerful generators which we acquired at the cost of one billion naira. However, we don't put them to use more than 18 hours in a month. Energy supply in Abuja is okay for our business. The president's effort on this is yielding dividends.How can you assess cost of operation in Nigeria'Honestly, the cost of operation is still very high and this eats up our profit margin. Import duties are too many and we have to import certain equipment which cannot be sourced locally. We are also subjected to taxes, which should be streamlined. Taxes must be paid, but they must be reasonable, well defined and centralised.What is the employment ratio here at Abuja Sheraton'Well, to inform you, this is a Nigerian company in and out. We have about four non-Nigerians and over 960 Nigerians who are happy to work for Abuja Sheraton. They are paid every month. We have a health scheme and other social incentives which motivate them .We also appreciate our workers' commitment to duty.Do you pay them to smile or you send them to school, which teaches them to smile'It is not only about smiling . We train them on the attitude to customers. Not that customers are kings, but that they deserve a homely and royal treatment for entrusting his or her care to you.You have to make him happy, feel relaxed and ready to unwind. Our workers must be able to show empathy to the customers and do their bidding at all times.We are in this bussiness because the customers want us to be. So, we have no choice than to pamper, to lure and ensure that we maintain their loyalty. Also, we must find out what they want done.Can you describe the typical Nigerian customer'The typical Nigeria customer no matter the status, age and affiliation, wants value for his money. He wants his services delivered promptly. One thing, however, is that he appreciates whenever he is impressed. Nigerians are peace-loving rights-sensitive customers.Morten Ebbesen is reputed to be one of the very few best hands in hotel management in the hospitality industry.And surprisingly, he came into the sector by adventure, when he was looking for a job in-the'gap as an undergraduate studying Geology.This adventure forced him to abandon his first love, and in the past 25 years, Ebbesen has been servicing the hospitality industry.In a very relaxed mood at The Boat House, Abuja Sheraton, Ebbesen had a chat with the Tribune Tourism Magazine Editor, Wale Ojo'Lanre. Excerpts:We have been to your office only to be told you were here.Sorry for the trouble. Those of us that encourage people to relax must also demonstrate that we don't teach alone, but we are involved too.Your credentials speak volumes and your reputation in the sector is enviable. How did you come into the sector'Was it your dream job'Not at all. My dream job was to be a geologist and I was actually admitted to read Geology in the university. It was there that I had the brush with hospitality industry. A friend of mine mother was a manager in a hotel and I needed a job. And I got the job in the hotel. It was a job in ' the ' gap. I eventually stopped reading Geology and embraced courses in Hotel Management, Marketing and Business Administration. Since then, I have never looked back.Any regrets'I have no regret. Maybe, I would have had if I did not chose to be a hospitality manager. This has enabled me to travel all over the world. It also exposed me to different kinds of people, different kinds of climates and cultures. I worked in London, Copenhagen, Portugal, Malta, Dubai and Nigeria twice.Then, why Sheration'Good question. I have been in the Sheraton since 1986. Sheraton is one of the very few best hotel chains in the world that has a well groomed tradition of excellence and quality service in all its global concerns. And this is my second time in Nigeria. I was here in 1992 and worked as a deputy then. Why the second time Nigeria'I must confess, I love Nigeria. My first time in Nigeria exposed me to a lot of evergreen memories of a country full of potentialities only waiting for enhancement; a country of hope, where ideas germinate and turn to gold.Now that you are back, what are your proposals for the Abuja Sheraton in relation to the trends in hospitality industry worldwide'For the past years, Abuja Sheraton has been able to maintain the basic facilities necessary, but now the management has decided to move faster to beat the trend. We have agreed to spend 30 million dollars on the colossal refit of the hotel. This cannot be accomplished overnight. The refit will start in June next year. The strategy is to do 20 rooms per month and within three years, we are going to complete the total refit of the hotel. We are looking at touching all the soft items in the rooms. We are talking about total turn around. We look at the public area, pool, restaurant, bar, lounge and fitness centre. We are going to shuffle all these places around,whether the bar will become the restaurant or the restaurant goes for the gym. What you see today is not what you are going to see in 2012. We have the consultant and the architect from Dubai who are looking into this. I am sure that by 2014,we shall be having a brand new Abuja Sheraton.What is wrong with your rooms'Our rooms are not up to date. You remember that Abuja Sheraton was built several years ago and the rooms were installed and equipped with 19th century vogue. That time, there was no internet, no iPod, laptop was not so popular. There was no problem of connectivity or one world. TV sets have to go for the slimmer version; the workplace in the rooms must be conducive for the gadgets of the customer. Our rooms must live up to the dreams and expectation of today's traveller. The bed and beddings must be soft as the customer want to have a sweet dream. The bathroom tub has to go for the shower. 20 years ago the tub was the vogue, but now, people are talking about showers which they find more convenient, though there will be some rooms for those who still prefer bath tub.The capital outlay must be heavy'O yes. It has been estimated at 30 million dollars. Are you going to source the fund from the capital market'No. We already have the money. We are self-sufficient. The money for this is on the ground. We are not going to borrow a penny from anywhere.Hospitality buyers believe that Abuja Sheraton is the best in terms of cuisines.What is the secret'We are in Africa. And let me tell you, if you want to hold on to any customer, get him his taste and you will be fine. Abuja Sheraton cuisine theme is tilted to the traditional African cuisine the home taste. That is why our restaurant set up is laced with the African setting. Also, we got our chefs from different locations. We have the Ibos, the Hausas and Yorubas chefs.Why do you based your theme on African'We are in Africa. We are serving Africans and we are based in Abuja, Nigeria. The largest numbers of our customers are Africans. So we need to be Africanised.The spate of bombings in Nigeria would have got a toll on the hospitality industry'Yes, but not only on the hospitality industry but generally on the development of the country. The different travel advices and warnings issued against Nigeria might have scared away potential investors. Be that as it may, we still have a lot of foreigners coming in droves to Nigeria.Where lies your patronage factor, is it conference tourism or accommodation'Yes. 50 percent of our revenue comes from conference tourism. Abuja Sheraton has the best facilities that enhances conference tourism. The Ladi Kwali Hall can accommodate over 2000 guests, while we have exquisite facilities for groups of 500, 300 to 20 guests or conferees. The other half is from individual guests, tourists, and government officials. How has the decaying infrastructure like energy affected your revenue'No, we have no problem with energy here. In fact, we have three powerful generators which we acquired at the cost of one billion naira. However, we don't put them to use more than 18 hours in a month. Energy supply in Abuja is okay for our business. The president's effort on this is yielding dividends.How can you assess cost of operation in Nigeria'Honestly, the cost of operation is still very high and this eats up our profit margin. Import duties are too many and we have to import certain equipment which cannot be sourced locally. We are also subjected to taxes, which should be streamlined. Taxes must be paid, but they must be reasonable, well defined and centralised.What is the employment ratio here at Abuja Sheraton'Well, to inform you, this is a Nigerian company in and out. We have about four non-Nigerians and over 960 Nigerians who are happy to work for Abuja Sheraton. They are paid every month. We have a health scheme and other social incentives which motivate them .We also appreciate our workers' commitment to duty.Do you pay them to smile or you send them to school, which teaches them to smile'It is not only about smiling . We train them on the attitude to customers. Not that customers are kings, but that they deserve a homely and royal treatment for entrusting his or her care to you.You have to make him happy, feel relaxed and ready to unwind. Our workers must be able to show empathy to the customers and do their bidding at all times. We are in this bussiness because the customers want us to be. So, we have no choice than to pamper, to lure and ensure that we maintain their loyalty. Also, we must find out what they want done.Can you describe the typical Nigerian customer'The typical Nigeria customer no matter the status, age and affiliation, wants value for his money. He wants his services delivered promptly. One thing, however, is that he appreciates whenever he is impressed. Nigerians are peace-loving rights-sensitive customers.You have been in Nigeria for many years, which of its cuisines do you fancy'Nigeria has so many delicacies that can be packaged to attract tourists. I only love your pepper soup. It is usually chili. As a foreigner who has been in the country for many years now, can you honestly advise your friends over there to come and invest in Nigeria'Why not' Nigeria is a paragon of investments. My own wish is for Nigerians to first invest in Nigeria and create employment. We should stop exporting our resources in the crude form. Let the processing be done in Nigeria. This is one of the reasons why unemployment is high in Nigeria. I have hope that Nigerians would seize the opportunity of the high import duty paid on furniture to set up several furniture factories which can employ and engage a lot of people. There are many items which Nigeria has no reason to import Nigeria, with a population of about 150 million, can manufacture any item if it so desires.How strong is the brand Abuja Sheraton' In Nigeria, Sheraton as a brand is very strong. You know we have been here for long.We understand the Nigerian market better than any chain in Nigeria. We have five hotels in Nigeria, with two run under the Sheraton family, (Sheraton Abuja Hotel and Sheraton Lagos Hotel), while others managed by the Sheraton brand are Four Point by Sheraton in Lagos, Le Meridien Ibom Hotel and Resort, Akwa Ibom and Le Meridien Ogeyi place, Port Harcourt. Nigeria has so many delicacies that can be packaged to attract tourists. I only love your pepper soup. It is usually chili.As a foreigner who has been in the country for many years now, can you honestly advise your friends over there to come and invest in Nigeria'Why not' Nigeria is a paragon of investments. My own wish is for Nigerians to first invest in Nigeria and create employment. We should stop exporting our resources in the crude form. Let the processing be done in Nigeria. This is one of the reasons why unemployment is high in Nigeria. I have hope that Nigerians would seize the opportunity of the high import duty paid on furniture to set up several furniture factories which can employ and engage a lot of people. There are many items which Nigeria has no reason to import Nigeria, with a population of about 150 million, can manufacture any item if it so desires.How strong is the brand Abuja Sheraton' In Nigeria, Sheraton as a brand is very strong. You know we have been here for long.We understand the Nigerian market better than any chain in Nigeria. We have five hotels in Nigeria, with two run under the Sheraton family, (Sheraton Abuja Hotel and Sheraton Lagos Hotel), while others managed by the Sheraton brand are Four Point by Sheraton in Lagos, Le Meridien Ibom Hotel and Resort, Akwa Ibom and Le Meridien Ogeyi place, Port Harcourt.
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