Name: Ioannis G.
Position: Bartender
Hotel: King George Hotel and Hotel Grande Bretagne (both Luxury Collection Hotels in Athens)
Dream destination: Tokyo. I want to learn about their culture, and rich food traditions.
Drink or treat of choice: A premium whiskey, like a Macallan, or a good wine paired with food. I like a local Greek Assyrtiko, or a good Pinot Noir.
The Alexander Bar at the Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens, Greece consistently ranks among the coolest rooftop bars in the world year after year. In fact, in 2022 Forbes voted it the Best Hotel Bar in the world, and, besides the stunning Acropolis views, we think Ioannis might have something to do with that.
For the past five years Ioannis has been behind the bar at The Alexander where he passionately serves the signature cocktail, Tears of Chios—a mix of shaken vodka, local Mastika, grapes, lime and mint—and goes to extremes to wow every guest that seats at the other side of the bar. Even if it means giving a whiskey lecture.
About a year ago, a guest sat at the bar in front of Ioannis tasting different malt whiskeys. The guest stayed for a while and asked Ioannis about the differences between the whiskies, the different kinds and brands of malt whiskeys.
“When he left, I took a piece of paper, and I wrote all the information about the whiskeys I know. I sent it to him through room service so he wouldn’t forget all the information about the whiskeys and the many suggestions I shared about other brands we didn’t have but were like the ones he liked,” Ioannis recalls. “He was so happy. That something extra for our guests, it’s what we do and what makes us different.”
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It makes sense that among his colleagues Ioannis is considered something like a “rockstar”, not just because of his next-level cocktail making skills and stellar guest-service, but also because he was recognized on the hotel’s magazine, GB, and graced its cover.
Keep reading to learn more about Ioannis’ journey to the Mount Olympus of bars (apologies for the mythological pun) in his own words.
How did you end up working at The Grande Bretagne?
First, I worked as an intern and after that I became a Grande Bretagne assistant waiter for two or three years. Then I worked in the room service department as a waiter before making it to bartender at The Alexander’s bar, the cigar lounge, the pool bar, and now in the Tudor Hall on the next door’s hotel, the King George.
How do you describe your experience as a Marriott associate?
Each day offers a new challenge, and I never stop looking for inventive ways to serve our guests. The Hotel leadership gives me the opportunity to grow; and I agree completely with the company mantra “take care of your associates and they will take care of our customer”. I have been working here for 10 years, and I feel the “Put People First’ value daily. I feel cared for, and this makes me offer my best self to my team, and my guests, and makes me want to keep continuously developing as an individual.
What inspires you and when are you able to be your most creative self?
My inspiration is every guest I meet each day. The needs, requests, dreams and desires of each guest make me focus on my work and act as a challenge to always try harder to meet the guests’ needs and exceed their expectations. This is the reason I never stop learning, and developing my skills and knowledge, that helps me build my creativity. My goal is to always offer the most memorable experience possible to the guest I am serving.
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What is the proudest moment of your career so far?
Both moments came in 2023. The first was receiving the Praxis award (Employee of the Month program) at the Hotel Grande Bretagne and King George, where I was recognized for my hard work, dedication to my role, the good guest comments I have received, and the positive feedback from my managers. The second was a feature in the 38th winter 2023 edition of the GB Magazine for the Hotel Grande Bretagne. I was included in the article dedicated to the award-winning Alexander’s bar and graced the Magazine cover. Both these recognitions have made me feel great pride and pushed me to improve my performance even further.
What is a good tip or advice for someone who might want a job like yours?
My advice is to have patience, passion and to develop your skills daily, and not wait for others to do it for you. You need to want the next step in your career. You need to chase it, take those seminars, increase your knowledge, use tools like the Marriott Digital Learning Zone, and have a role model or coach you can work with.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Communication with our guests and good conversation. These exchanges start from their drink order and finish with me learning about their life journey, their hobbies and their dreams, and their reason for visiting Athens (of which I can also act as a destination authority).
What is something that has surprised you about working at Marriott?
The sense of feeling that I belong to a large family, which cares for my wellbeing, where I can be my best self, and thrive alongside my colleagues. Marriott is a great place to work because there’s a high level of organization, a clearly definite structure, goals, and vision, and they give opportunities to everyone at all levels of the company.
As a member of The Luxury Collection brand, I also feel empowered to create authentic moments for my team, and guests, and this makes me very happy.
Have you used the Explore Rate?
Yes of course! I’ve used it on my trips to London, Amsterdam, Berlin and Istanbul. Through the trips, I also have experienced brands different from my own Luxury Collection, seeing Moxy, Sheraton and the Autograph Collection; I have more trips scheduled for the future, and so look forward to them!
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