Rodrigo Silveyra. General Manager of the Paradisus Rio de Oro Hotel

Q.- What does this general manager appointment mean to you?

A.- I see it as a promotion and a challenge in the same breath, I mean, being appointed to run the Paradisus Rio de Oro Hotel, this five-star establishment owned by Gaviota S.A. and Sol Meliá’s leading brand in Playa Esmeralda, right in the eastern Cuban province of Holguin. On the other hand, I’m pretty much aware of my responsibility for being at the helm of one of the island nation’s premiere tourist products, really one of the finest in eastern Cuba and the great competitor of the Paradisus Varadero Hotel.

Q.- What can you say about your experience in this particular field?

A.- In the three years I’ve been in Cuba, I’ve been acting manager of the Meliá Cohiba Hotel in Havana and general manager of the Sol Cayo Largo and Sol Pelicano Cayo Largo del Sur hotel compounds. Now I’m general manager of the Paradisus Rio de Oro Hotel and I’ll be in charge of making it get there in the next five years.

Q.- What are the advantages you see in this hotel you’re running right now?

A.- The hotel is currently going through an enhancement process and it’ll be ready to go in the late 2004 with a spa, a fitness center with full-fledged medical services, body therapy, steam baths, saunas, Jacuzzis, outdoor areas and natural pools with therapeutic water jet streams. Later on, we’ll embark on adding fifty more rooms, Jacuzzi-equipped suites and accommodations outfitted with private pools, all that aimed at a most demanding breed of guests.

This is absolutely new for a hotel that’s penciled in as one of the most genuine gems of Cuban tourism and marked by a superb and assorted gourmet service. We should also mention the recent opening of the Japanese restaurants with its traditional Teppanyaki-style tables and sushi bar, plus another one specialized in Mediterranean cuisine.

Right now, we count on the world-class International, El Patio, El Criollo and El Bohio restaurants that make up a quartet of a-la-carte eateries, let alone the La Ceiba smorgasbord restaurant.

I believe the key to success for the Paradisus Rio de Oro Hotel is the smart combination of services in sync with a natural environment, the sun and the beach; a tailor-made service to guests and the privilege of enjoying the ultimate expressions of Cuban and local history while being trapped in a breathtaking landscape.

Q.- How bright is the future for this new facility?

A.- I want to make clear that everything around here is designed to provide guests with a much better service in line with Sol Meliá’s leading brand in the market. I’m going to do my best the best way I know how, I’m going to put every bit of passion and experience inside of me into it, together with the great expertise and training of this well-skilled personnel in order to both strengthen and get a much better product.