Jose Manuel Marti Nuñez de Castro. Appointed General Manager of Havana´s Presidente Hotel

Q- You’ve just arrived in Cuba and we assume you haven’t sized up the country yet. However, what have you leaned about Cuba in Spain and what does this project mean to you?

A- Well, it means quite a major challenge, especially because it’s a completely new destination for me, a destination with peculiarities of its own that I think we all know too well. As far as I’m concerned, I understand that managing and running a facility, in most cases, brings about a series of tasks that do not differ so much from one place to another, regardless of the destination. And as to the relations with the hotel chain, that’s really something I need to be in the loop about and move forward every step of the way.

Q- As we said before, you come from Spain and your latest job there was in Marbella. What kind of work did you do in Marbella’s hotel?

A- My job in Marbella’s establishment had to do with all levels, above all from within in order to get as many guests for the hotel as possible and with a view to make them be as pleased as possible, too. In this particular endeavor, coordination among all departments and compliance with established procedures aimed at meeting those objectives are key elements to take due account of.

Q- Are you bringing any new ideas, any new projects for Cuba’s Presidente Hotel?

A- The main idea is to get the hotel back on the track of success, to make it recoup the position and the image this landmark lodging had in the past when it was one of the most charismatic hotels in town. We’ll have to work hard on this issue.

Q- What do the coming of Raytur Caribe at this moment and the subsequent investments to be made in the President Hotel mean at this point?

A- Well, it means change because we’re putting our smart money on an array of investing and training actions aimed at achieving our goals. And these are goals that are going to be shared between the Cuban ownership and the Spanish management, in this case Raytur Caribe.

Q- At age 33 you’re definitely one of the youngest general managers who’ve ever come to Cuba. What is this jump to the other side of the Atlantic, this big challenge in your life going to mean to your professional career?

A- I think it’s a very positive challenge because I’ll be able to see another side of tourism, a different kind of tourism to the one we find in the Spanish Mediterranean. Perhaps there’re many common points, but I believe that given the country’s own culture and idiosyncrasy, this is going to give me a number of benefits. And I’m going to try to use my own experience to return the favor to them.

Q- When will you officially take over the position?

A- If everything keeps on going as smoothly as it is now, it’ll just take me ten to twelve days. So, I hope to get down on my job in late April.