Interview with: General manager Roy Davies

Good Day all my fellow readers. Wow it has been a while but you know what they say all good things come to those who wait.

I have decided my first posting for 2011 was going to be my little project I am going to run for the next year which is as follows:

I will be doing an interview or two once a month with top managers from different hotels in and around Cape Town, whether they it be the general manager, food and beverage manager or rooms divisions manager. I want to try an get the best of the best to post onto my bog.

My very first interview I have ready is with one of Cape Towns top general managers:

Roy Davies the GM of The Vineyard Hotel and Spa.

It was such a privilege for me to have 30 minutes within his company asking him a series of questions to share with all of you as well as for me to gain some sort of knowledge an experience from such a top person. So that when I become I Gm one day I would have learned from the best.

Questions and Answers:

1. What made you study hospitality management an where did you complete your theory as well as practical?

- I didn’t complete any official hospitality qualification. I worked in the air force catering for 4 years and then completed an 18 month in- service programme at the Mount Nelson Hotel

2. What was the first position in an hotel once you had completed your 18 month in service programme?

- Assistant Banqueting Manager

3. At what time after your experience in the hotel industry did you have your first general manager role?

- 1994: GM of the Bay Hotel

4. What exactly does your role as the GM entail?

- Operations of the hotel
- Human recourses / Rooms Division an Food an Beverage directing
- Budgeting as well as the business aspect of the hotel
- Responsible for culture because whatever you do develops the culture of the business

5. Are your plans for the future to stay in hotel industry or move away from hotels to other hospitality services?

- No because I have already experienced the side of other hospitality services

6. What advice do you have for fellow trainee managers who aspire to be general managers one day?

- Take all opportunities as they present themselves
- Be committed
- Work hard
- Take initiative
- Have an enquiring mind
- An don’t think what you can get out of it but rather what you can give

7. If you had to choose to play any other role in an hotel besides the Gm what would it be?

- Human resources department

8. What was your most stressful moment you can think of that you have experienced during your time in the hotel industry?

- After working 9.5 years at The bay Hotel to be told you have been retrenched as well as other staff members and that it was my responsibility to tell them.

9. What is the most difficult part of your job?

- “Getting everyone of the bus facing the same direction and in the right seat".


Roy thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to interview you. I really learned some valuable information from you that will help me become a better leader one day.

Lots of love

X.O.X.O
Hotel Guy