Lado Mikeladze has been involved in the hospitality sector since 2017. Starting as a security guard in a hotel, he set himself the goal of learning a new profession and rising to the very top. He is currently the General Manager at Litz Resort and shared the story of his career journey with Forbes Georgia.
How did you start your career in the hospitality sector?
My educational background is not related to this field. I am a mariner by profession. However, I have been interested in the hospitality sector since childhood, as I have always enjoyed interacting with people.
As for my career, my first job in the hospitality industry was at Paragraph Hotel. I lived in Batumi and heard that Marriott International planned to open a hotel in Shekvetili, so I applied and got lucky.
Initially, I worked for the hotel’s security team. The general manager liked my style of working, as I was actively involved in overcoming all kinds of challenges and showed great enthusiasm when performing my duties. Just three months into my job, I was promoted to the position of supervisor of the security department.
I continued to demonstrate my determination and professional attitude in my new role. I was rewarded once again a year later when I was assigned to the position of duty manager. The hotel had more than 500 employees at the time, and I was one of 10 duty managers.
What work experience have you accumulated in the industry so far?
I began working at Paragraph in 2017 and spent approximately four years there. Before that, I worked for various small companies, acquiring specific skills and accumulating experience. Paragraph Hotel was the first major hospitality project that I was involved in.
In 2021, I took up the role of night shift manager at Le Meridien Batumi. A year later, I decided to take a short break from the hotel business, but I remained in the hospitality sector as director of the German firm GC Holding, which brought German tourists to Georgia. We also offered the tourists a five-star hotel and restaurant service, which allowed me to remain close to the hospitality industry.
A couple of months ago, I became general manager of Litz Resort. I manage all of the hotel’s departments and ensure their orderly operation. I also devised the strategy for Litz Resort to ensure the development and growth of the hotel’s popularity.
You transitioned from a security guard to a manager in quite a short time. How did you achieve such progress so quickly?
I always wanted to shatter the perception that a security guard can only hope of being promoted to head of security. I was motivated to go against this stereotype and rise to the top. I am happy to have achieved this and set an example for others.
I was only able to achieve my goal through hard work and determination. I encountered many obstacles along the way, but I never gave up and kept thinking about my career development. They say that iron is forged in fire and a man in trouble. I totally agree with this, as it describes my career path. Ultimately, every challenge and obstacle gave me more strength and motivation. It played a crucial role in my development.
The kind of career leap you made requires diverse skills. How did you adapt, and what skills did you acquire?
This was obviously a completely different environment for a sailor, but like I said earlier, I always felt close to it. I would say I already had the skills necessary to work in the hospitality sector. My general manager at Paragraph agreed with this. He told me that he saw in me the skills that he was teaching others.
After completing the appropriate training, I improved these skills even more. Specifically, I completed cross-training in all hotel departments, studied their operating principles, and familiarized myself with the necessary information for the successful operation and management of the facility. I also acquired knowledge outside the hotel sector through an employment agency.
My ultimate achievement was to become the general manager of Litz Resort. This hotel has the potential to become the best resort in this region, at the very least. My goal is to help Litz Resort maximize its potential.
How would you describe your management style?
My management style is based on ensuring both the satisfaction of employees and guests. I have always tried and will continue trying to make every team member feel comfortable, calm, and safe at work. People who spend most of their day working should be happy at work, and their positive emotions will be transmitted to guests. Ultimately, this helps ensure customer satisfaction.
What is your role and mission as the general manager of Litz Resort? How do you plan to contribute to the development of the hotel
My duties include managing all the hotel’s departments, ensuring its proper operation, and choosing its strategy. It has been around two months since I took the position of general manager of Litz Resort, during which time we have already held three major events. We flew the band R.I.O. out to perform for our guests and plan to invite the famous Boney M. in March. We intend to organize more large-scale events in the future, so our guests can expect many pleasant surprises.
Our objective is to maximize occupancy at Litz Resort. With the help of correctly planned offers, we have maintained a 60-70% occupancy rate during the winter, often rising to 100% on the weekends. As you know, seaside resorts are usually not busy in wintertime, so these figures are entirely satisfactory for us. Naturally, we expect much higher numbers during the summer.
Tell us about the achievements that played a significant role in the success of the companies you have worked at.
Every step I take while performing my professional duties is designed to serve the company’s best interests. As for specific achievements, I would highlight Paragraph Hotel’s recognition as the best resort in Europe while I was working there. Of course, every single member of our team contributed to this success.
In terms of my achievements, my determination and hard work have been rewarded on numerous occasions. I was voted Employee of the Month and Supervisor of the Quarter at Paragraph Hotel. I also received almost every single award for distinguished employees in each of my positions.
As a manager, how do you measure success?
For me, a good manager is someone who can see and appreciate the contribution of every employee. They must care not only about their own personal development but also about the development of their team. I help my team to develop as much as possible, whether by conducting training, helping them attend various events, or doing whatever else I can.
Having said that, a successful manager ensures customer happiness. As I said earlier, positive emotions transmitted by employees play an essential role in client satisfaction.
Tell us about your career goals and plans.
At this point, my career objectives and plans are associated with Litz Resort. I want to develop this hotel as much as possible, even though it already plays an important role in the local hospitality sector. It offers guests diverse services such as outdoor and indoor pools, a billiard room, as well as playing areas for bowling and table tennis. We are also actively trying to develop medical tourism. We offer general wellness and detox programs, plastic surgery, hair transplants, dental services, and phage therapy.
By improving these services and introducing new ones, I would like to develop Litz Resort, introduce it to the whole world, and make it even more popular among domestic and foreign visitors. I can confidently say that this hotel has the potential to become the best resort in the whole region. My current plans aim to realize this goal, and I believe we will achieve the desired results very soon.
Finally, what would be your advice for those who wish to follow your example and shatter career stereotypes?
I would be delighted if my career path set an example for young people starting out in hospitality or any other industry. My example will show them how an ordinary employee can rise to the very top. Foremost of all, they must love their work. When you love your profession, you are filled with energy instead of getting tired. You do your job enthusiastically, ensuring a higher quality of work. Furthermore, you must work tirelessly, believe in yourself, and think positively. Every one of these factors is very important to overcome obstacles and achieve success. Nothing is impossible!
