During this 2019 we have shared with the readers of our blog the story of some of the people who make up the great “Elba Family”. They make everything possible, they are responsible of the success of Elba Hotels, and that is why we wanted to dedicate this space to them. To close these series we have someone known by all the workers in our brand, Fernando de las Heras, our CEO.
“We live times of volatile situation that always affect our activity, but I want to send a message of encouragement to our teams. If fortune gives us health, everything else will be fixed. We must be self-demanding in offering our guests the best service and our best smile; this makes our work enjoyable and attracts success to our project ”
Fernando has been at Elba Hotels for 22 years. "A lifetime!", As he says. “I arrived as the opening director of the first hotel of the chain in the Canary Islands, which at that time was the second hotel of the company. As the chain grew with the opening of new hotels, my responsibilities also did it, until I reached my current position” explains the current CEO of Elba Hotels.
Over the years, Fernando declares that he has always had a very well-defined objective, “to create committed human teams as a fundamental pillar for the good progress of all aspects of the life of a hotel, including profitability”.
Without a doubt, like every good executive, he knows that the quality of his human teams is the key to the good results; perhaps in the hospitality industry more than in any other activity. That is why he values, above all, a special attitude shared by all Elba Hotels workers: “their commitment to the company, their responsibility and professionalism”. Fernando does not hesitate to affirm that “it is the most widespread quality among our people, together with the dedication to our guests, offering them the best service with the maximum kindness, making many of them become our friends”.
Getting a team of 1,500 people -the staff of Elba Hotels- to act in coordination is not easy. But the gratification is high. "I enjoy when the efforts have their reward: happy customers, employees who love and defend their company, optimal returns for shareholders, increasingly contemporary hotels... That is the gasoline to always aim for continuous improvement" Replies Fernando when asked for what he likes most about his job.
Of course, not everything is work in his life. The CEO of Elba Hotels also has time for his hobbies, which are traveling with his wife and enjoying mountain hiking with friends, "and always finishing the route with a good beer", he adds. He also confesses that his personal concerns are two, the well-being of his family and that his children become good people. And, as a professional project, it is equally clear about his horizon, "keep Elba Hotels as a leading and healthy company, of which all its members are proud".
High objectives that require working hard, as the entire company team has done in the last year, with significant milestones such as the arrival of Elba Hotels in Mallorca -one of the leading holiday destinations in Europe-, advancing in the strategic plan of brand diversification. “Elba Sunset Mallorca is the most marked lifestyle approach hotel in our portfolio and, after its first summer, we have found that it is a success” says Fernando.
The remodelling of the hotels in Madrid and Cádiz and the increase of loyal customers who book directly through the web are other successes of this 2019 that is ending. And, at this point, we have to think about 2020 and new goals to pursue, so before saying goodbye to Fernando we asked him what message he would like to transfer to the “Elba family”. We leave you with his answer: “We live times of volatile situation that always affect our activity, but I want to send a message of encouragement to our teams. If fortune gives us health, everything else will be fixed. We must be self-demanding in offering our guests the best service and our best smile; this makes our work enjoyable and attracts success to our project ”.