The Big Cheese: Dawid Koegelenberg, General Manager, Paresa Resort Phuket

The Big Cheese: Dawid Koegelenberg, General Manager, Paresa Resort Phuket

The great thing about my job is… I love working with people and I cant see myself doing anything else.

The challenge for industry is… It’s getting harder and harder to fill rooms.

My greatest achievement is… Studying and working full time at the same time, attending classes from 9am to 4pm, working from 6pm till midnight, go home, study till 3am, sleep for 4 hours and back in class again at 8.30. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do. I passed!

The biggest thing in MICE this year will be… Unforgettable “once in a lifetime” experiences, it does not matter where you are, if you can offer this, you will make money.

I try to relax by… taking my Jack Russel for a walk every day.

I don’t understand why… Guests leave bad Trip Advisor reviews and not saying something while in house… we could have fixed it if you told us.  

My favourite venue is… Palace of Versailles – France. 

I’ve always wanted to travel to… Alaska. 

I am scared to death of… Snakes.

I can’t live without… G&T.

I really wish I had… Learned another language.

If I could invite four people to a dinner party, they’d be… My Mon, Sophea Loren, Shirly Bassey and Liberachi.

For anyone starting out in the industry one piece of advice I’d give would be …. For the first 10 years its hell, you work impossible hours, never get the day off you want, forget about weekends, Xmas and NYE and possibly a relationship but as you climb the ladder it really gets better. I still work impossible hours, weekends, Xmas, NYE and I’m single but I have the best time of my life because I love what I do.

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