Copthorne Hotel Birmingham: Meet the GM of Copthorne Hotel Birmingham
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Mat Williams reflects on his first two months as GM of Copthorne Hotel Birmingham. Here, he speaks to hotel-industry.co.uk.
Meet the GM:
- Name: Mat Williams
- Property:Copthorne Hotel Birmingham
- Number of rooms: 211
Hotel-industry.co.uk: How did you begin your career as a hotelier?
Williams: Having worked a little bit in the hospitality industry in my native Australia, I backpacked around Europe in 2000 I found myself working in a hotel restaurant in Gatwick as a waiter and progressed from there.
Hotel-industry.co.uk: How would you describe your style of management?
Williams: I would consider myself hands on manager and a laid back person in general. I am very approachable and have found that this has been a great asset within all the teams I have worked with.
Hotel-industry.co.uk: What achievements are you most proud of at your current property?
Williams: Well having just completed my first month I think there are many achievements to come for the Copthorne Hotel Birmingham. I think it is more a case of watch this space, but the strategy hereon in is all about sales and raising the profile of the hotel.
Hotel-industry.co.uk: What keeps you awake at night?
Williams: At the moment it is my six month old daughter Tilly! However, once she has woken me up I find myself thinking of potential new opportunities that I want to try and capture.
Hotel-industry.co.uk: How is the market changing in your sector and region?
Williams: From what I have seen in my short time in the area it appears that the rate has declined from previous years due to a number of factors. It is now all about getting the right business in at the right rate.
Mat Williams’ top three pieces of advice for hoteliers:
- Keep it simple. We really like to overcomplicate the things we do.
- Get your team on board with your plans.
- Speak to your guests. Again this sounds simple but it is amazing what you find out.
