Our emphasis is on service and food

By Zanita Careem

Elton Hurtis, a seasoned and versatile hospitality professional with a career spanning over 25 years is the new General Manager for Courtyard Marriott Colombo. He was working for Marriot Hotels in India. before coming to Sri Lanka .

Over the years he has showed his skills by managing a diverse teams of hoteliers. His career with Marriott began in 2002 at the The Marriott Juhu in Mumbai followed by Marriott Bhopal, General Manager Weligama Sri Lanka and now as General Manager Courtyard Marriott Colombo.

Being a post graduate medalist in Hotel Management from Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development Delhi, he is the first hotelier to take over the Marriott brand in Weligama and Colombo.His astute leadership and the superior quality of personalized service to all guests has accelerated overall business growth wherever he worked. In recognition, he was named the best General Manager at the World Luxury Hotel Awards in 2018.

Elton is an avid photographer and enjoys traveling

Your Journey

Hailing from a family of professionals I wanted to be an engineer but later decided to go into the hospitality trade. It was at the Oberoi Centre for Learning and Development that I honed my skills after which I was appointed as an Executive Chef at the Marriott Mumbai. Due to my enthusiasm dedication and hard work I was propelled up the ladder of success to be appointed General Manager of Marriott Bhopal and next at Marriott Weligama in Sri Lanka.

Tell me about your marketing strategy.

Marriot is a global brand to begin with. That is why we make sure that our guests experience a superior quality of service.

Tell me about the post pandemic performances and present challenges.

Our experience at Marriott Weligama was good. We had many locals patronising the hotel. Our emphasis on service and food was part of our hospitality programme which attracted locals and overseas travellers. Our visitors have a comfortable ambiance and our chefs made sure guests needs were not only met beyond their expectations

What do you think it takes to succeed in the industry?

Hard work and a winning attitude. There have been significant life lessons imbibed and imported along the way. I believe hospitality has to come from the heart, it is the fundamental truth, the mere relationship you nurture with guests, colleagues, associates enriches your path both professionally and personally.

I believe there is no short-cut to being a cut above the rest, it takes clarity of thought, focused intention and resilience to make a significant impact.

Tell us about your F and B. what has been your approach to ensuring consistency of the highest possible standard of service.

We endeavor to make a stay with us both unique and have exceptional memory.

What have been your key take away.

Understanding your guests and their preferences is of utmost importance. This is one aspect that we as a brand swear by.

How has the journey been so far?

The journey thus far has been one of discovery, learning, connecting and understanding people.

What are some of the key changes and innovation that you have been planning to implement.

As a hotelier I strongly believe it is imperative for our guests to have unique lingering memories of their stay with us. We strongly believe on customer feed back and good team work.

What do you think it takes to succeed in the industry.

Good communication, it means to pay attention to the guests concerns. Also accepting feedbacks from guests in the right spirit,This helps to capture the hearts of guests who become loyal customers and who will always patronize Marriot and be repeated customers. Our hotel is child friendly and we will focus on child friendly Programmes. Our new coffee shop will be the talk of the town with a variety of delectables to stop by

Prospects of tourism in Sri Lanka will attract many tourists by next year.

I feel Sri Lanka will soon become a top tourist destination, the beauty of nature, rich heritage and the charming smile are some of the key attractions for tourists to the weary traveller. Pix by Nishendra Silva