Felix Riedl

It is Monday, May 30th and I am glad to welcome you back to season 7, episode 6th of “Monday motivation – Felix asks”. Over the last couple of months, I thought a lot about this project and with everything that is happening in this world, I did not feel the need to continue with it.

But “withFelix” means a lot to me. The world of hospitality and tourism means a lot to me. And thanks to this project, I made some beautiful connections already. My overall aim was to show how beautiful our industry is. Especially during Covid times, I wanted to collect and share positive stories. A little bit like Frederick, the mouse.

“Frederick is the story of a daydreamy field mouse who spends his summer days very differently from his mouse family. As the other mice work busily night and day to gather nuts, wheat, and straw, Frederick instead gathers sun rays, colours, and words. Later, when all the supplies have been exhausted, and “corn was only a memory,” the mice ask Frederick for his contribution to the group.

“Close your eyes,” Frederick tells them, climbing atop a tall rock. And from his stone perch, he envelops the other mice in lush words that bring the warmth of the sun’s golden glow, that paint within their grey minds the bright colours of blue periwinkles, golden wheat, and berry bushes.”

“I have decided to continue the project as there are still many stories out there that are worth to be shared.”

However, the frequency will vary from time to time.

In today’s episode, I am taking you to Doha, my new home since the beginning of May. Before I moved, I read an interesting article in the German publication “Tophotel” about the Director of Food and Beverage at the Steigenberger Hotel here in Doha. By coincidence, his name is also Felix and I reached out to connect with him. Please welcome today Mr Felix Riedl, the Director of F&B at the Steigenberger Hotel.

During our conversation, we realized that we have a lot more in common than just our names. We grew up just 35 minutes apart from each other and had to end our handball careers due to injuries. Both of us have lived and worked in London and have now met in Doha. We talked about the start of his career in his hometown and some of his exciting steps. Felix explained his meaning of hospitality and shared an anecdote with us. When I asked him about a person he would like to see here, he mentioned someone I am already in contact with. Isabella, the pressure is on.  

I really hope you enjoy this episode. Please feel free to share your comments or thoughts.

Question 1: Can you take us through your career? Where did you start and what do you love most about your current role?

Felix Riedl (FR): “I started my professional career in a family business "Hotel Restaurant Freihof" in my hometown Wiesloch. As a trainee restaurant specialist, I was allowed to take on responsibility early on, if only because of the size of the business in relation to the staff.

I would like to think that I learned to work independently and at a high level. This helped me a lot after my apprenticeship to succeed in top-class establishments such as The Lanesborough or The Ritz London. Later, positions at Etihad Airways, Europaeischer Hof Heidelberg, Jumeirah Frankfurt and Burj al Arab followed. Since 2017, I have been working for Deutsche Hospitality, first for four years at the Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof and most recently here at the Steigenberger Hotel Doha, where I was able to accompany the pre-opening

What excites me most about my role as Director of Food & Beverage is being responsible for an area rich in variety. Every day has a different focus, whether it's operationally in the restaurants, bars, banquet area or room service, or administratively where you interface with other hotel areas such as Revenue Management, Sales & Marketing or Rooms Division. You can constantly influence and shape processes and leave your footprint.”

Question 2: What does hospitality mean to you?

FR: “For me, it means first and foremost being a host, which is why I personally don't like to hear the terms PAX and clients. For me, it means pampering guests, impressing them and being a pioneer, especially in the luxury segment. To be a pioneer in the sense that hotels used to have lifts before they became affordable in the private sector. Today, it is important to reinvent oneself again and again and to stand out, for example, through the service itself.”

Question 3: Can you please share an anecdote you experienced, that shows the variety and beauty of our industry?

FR: “Recently, I saw an American guest in our hotel in Doha who looked very familiar. I knew he was there for a hotel tour with our sales team because of the upcoming World Cup. But I just couldn't place where and when I might have met him, and I didn't know his name either.

Later, I was called in because he had some questions about our F&B offers and he actually asked me if we had met before.  It turned out that he was a guest of mine about 10 years ago during the Olympic Games at the Ritz in London, which of course was a great basis for further conversation.

I love moments like this when you see how small the hotel and hospitality world really is.”

Question 4: Have you had a mentor/role model/hero in your career? Who was it and did she/he gave you a piece of advice you still follow?

What was the most powerful advice you have received so far?

FR: “In my still short career, I have had the opportunity to work with many great supervisors and talented colleagues who have shaped me in different ways. Unfortunately, I can't single out just one in particular.

However, three of my mentors whose quotes immediately come to mind are Pasquale Cosmai, who always said "The restaurant is a stage and you are in the spotlight". Thomas Rettig "It's not about what happened, but how we deal with it" and Spiridon Sarantopoulos "Never use a cannon to kill a fly".

“Never use a cannon to kill a fly”

In my opinion, the quintessence of these three quotations, in terms of public image, best practice and leadership, can be applied in many ways.”

Question 5: What would you like to say to a hospitality/ tourism student/professional who recently started his/her career, at this right moment?

FR: “Anyone who is passionate about this job and enjoys what they do, whether it's working with guests or behind the scenes, will sooner or later be successful in this unique industry and make their own way. Don't put too much pressure on yourself to climb the career ladder quickly but enjoy the journey and get to know as many interesting people and cultures as possible.”

Question 6: Do you have a book recommendation - this could be everything from a novel to an autobiography, etc.

FR: “There are many great books that have already been mentioned in this blog and I don't want to repeat them here. In between, I also find it exciting to watch “Ted Talk’s” or “Gedanken Tanken” to gather different impressions.”

Question 7: Which other industry expert would you like to see to answer these questions as well? And what question would you ask him/her?

FR: “Isabella Owen, because she is fantastically creative, full of energy and passion for this industry, and Jean George Ploner. Conversations with him are always interesting and entertaining.”

Question 8: What are your must-dos and must-sees during a stay in Doha?

FR: “I can recommend everyone to go to Katara Cultural Village. Besides the unique mosques and art galleries that you can visit, there are regular concerts and art exhibitions. If it gets too hot, you can spend a relaxing day on the beach or in the shopping mall.”

Question 9: Do you have a favourite hotel and why?

FR: “Generally, I am a fan of Grand Hotels that can tell endless stories that have taken place within their walls. One hotel worth mentioning, however, is the QO Hotel in Amsterdam, which puts a lot of emphasis on being sustainable. For example, they grow vegetables and herbs in their own greenhouse and use only local and sustainable products. The house façade also adapts to the weather and temperatures in order to be particularly energy-efficient. They have been doing what others are now starting for years and I find that very impressive.”

Question 10: What are you currently learning?

FR: “Currently, I have been working a lot on about "Intercultural Stakeholder Management". Especially in GCC it is important to be able to deal with different nationalities and to learn which etiquette is needed to be successful.”

Felix, thank you very much for taking the time.

I hope you all enjoyed this episode of “Monday motivation – Felix asks” and do not forget to share positive stories.