Corina Goetz
It is Monday again, April 12th. In today’s episode of “Monday motivation – Felix asks”, I am delighted to introduce you to a good friend of mine and a true hospitality professional, Corina Goetz. Corina is the founder of Star-Cat Ltd. and an expert on the Middle East market.
I met Corina during my time at the Savoy in London while she was representing Corinthia London. The Corinthia is a modern 5-star luxury property, close to Embankment Gardens with 283 rooms and suites with a phenomenal spa “ESPA Life at Corinthia". The company was founded in Malta in 1962, and includes nine elegant properties worldwide, with six more hotels in the pipeline. The new openings will be in Doha, Dubai, Rome, Brussels, Bucharest, and Moscow.
Corina started her career in the rooms department, working as a front office manager at the Dorchester. She gained her experience in various roles at the Intercontinental Park Lane and Les Ambassadeurs Casino while starting her own business in parallel, Star-Cat Ltd. In 2011 she joined Corinthia as Head of middle eastern and diplomatic sales, and since 2015, she is representing the hotel through her own company.
Over the years, Corina developed Star-Cat Ltd. from a mere representation to a very diverse, multi-channel company with a strong focus on the Middle East market. She offers training for companies interested in the Middle East and is very active online with her own YouTube channel and podcasts, not to forget about her frequent appearance on Clubhouse.
I enjoyed my regular communication and our walks through Embankment Gardens a lot. We were competing for the same business, but there was no rivalry between us. We both believe in the idea of lifting one another. Something that is even more important in the world today, giving advice and sharing knowledge.
During our interview, we discussed Corina’s career start, her definition of hospitality, mentorship, her advice to the new generation, and her book recommendation.
I hope that you will enjoy the interview and if you have any additional questions for Corina, please feel free to share them in the comments.
Question 1: Where did you start your career?
Corina Goetz (CG): “I started my career in a small resort hotel south of Frankfurt in Germany and then at the Dorchester in London. I always had a passion for hotels and found it so exciting to deal with different people.”
Question 2: What does hospitality mean to you?
CG: “For me, this means going above and beyond, and always doing something surprising and extra for the clients. This can be anything from arranging flowers in the colors of the client’s country or sourcing a thoughtful gift as an amenity. Small moments can make all the difference.”
Question 3: Can you please share an anecdote you experienced, that shows the variety and beauty of our industry?
CG: “It is all about people and collaboration. Everyone has a role to play, whether it is the doormen who will tell you extra information about your client, to the butler who knows little details like that your client just successfully closed a business contract. All these people work together, often behind the scenes, to create magical moments - for example, I once had a client whose wife just had a baby. He was on a business trip and we wanted to do something special, so one of the team members suggested we gift him a children’s bathrobe with the name of the baby – Housekeeping made this happen, the butler delivered it and the client was delighted. Hospitality is a team effort and everyone’s role is important regardless of the title.”
“Hospitality is a team effort and everyone’s role is important regardless of the title.”
Question 4: Have you had a mentor in your career? Who was it and did she/he gives you a piece of advice you still follow?
CG: “One of the first people I worked with at the Dorchester was Said Melaimi – he was a legend! He had been at the hotel for 30 years and he knew everyone. Whenever there were challenging situations, he stayed calm and solved all through his relationships in a calm manner.
He was the most knowledgeable person when it came to the Middle East because he knew everyone – he taught me everything I need to know about who is who. The advice that I still follow to this day is that relationships are key to everything.”
“The advice that I still follow to this day is that relationships are key to everything.”
Question 5: What would you like to say to a hospitality/ tourism student/professional who recently started his/her career, at this right moment?
CG: “This is a fantastic industry and no day will ever be the same. It is so diverse and exciting, and you will gain invaluable skills such as reading people and improvising. Hospitality is also such an uplifting industry because you can create big moments with little resource – you just need to use your imagination and you can really make a difference to someone.”
Question 6: Do you have a book recommendation - this could be everything from a novel to an autobiography, etc.
CG: “I have been reading a lot of books on mindset and how we can overcome challenges – how very fitting during this pandemic. I highly recommend Believe It by Jamie Kern Lima about building a cosmetic line into a billion-dollar brand from her living room. I also read The Choice by Edith Eger, is about how you can overcome even the worst situations with the power of your mind.”
Extra: Is there something you learned or started in 2020 which you continue in 2021?
CG: “The biggest revelation for me was that you have to move forward and try something new. If it scared me, I knew I had to try it, so I now have a YouTube channel where we interview experts, a podcast and I really love clubhouse.”
Corina, thank you for taking your time and I cannot wait to see you again in London.
Happy Monday, and do not forget to #sharepositivestories.
Felix
