Waterfront’s Alfred Portenschlager:Business and pleasure

CEBU, Philippines - Being at the helm of the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino is almost a 24-hour job for General Manager Alfred Portenschlager. But this does not mean that this Austrian does not know how to relax. In fact, while he is considered a strict boss, he is actually a child at heart when it comes to his hobbies.

BUSINESS

As for the running of the hotel, Mr. Alfred, as he is fondly called, gets down to business right away, starting his day checking his emails and making quick rounds in the hotel in preparation for the staff’s daily morning meetings. The rest of his day at the hotel is spent meeting employees and guests, as well as planning strategies and observing activities within the hotel.

Mr. Alfred was educated at the Hotel School in Bad Gleichenberg and was trained in the hotel business in prestigious hotels in Europe, as well as in the Caribbean, America, Asia, Africa and in the Middle East. He is fluent in German (his mother tongue) and English, and speaks Indonesian and French, as well.

Having worked at the Waterfront for over two years already, Mr. Alfred is on top of the continuing renovations in the hotel, which now covers the convention and conference facilities, and the hotel rooms. His other focus for the hotel for the next three years, he said, is to provide consistent services. “We have come to realize that business models have changed over the years. Flexibility is what people are asking for; meaning, it is no longer business as usual, rather cultivate relationships and trust so customers will come back and stay with us,” he added.

Mr. Alfred enjoys working with his Cebuano staff, especially since he has worked with Filipinos before in the hotels he was previously connected with all over the world. Like all foreigners dealing with Filipinos, he considers our grasp of the English language a plus in the business. However, he admits that there are challenges that should be addressed, one of them is attitude. “This country is known for heartwarming smiles… But behind all this lovely smiles, there is this ‘easy going’ attitude which can also have a negative effect on our customers. Perhaps, my formula would be a little less smile and more professionalism to get the work done right. After all, what our customers look for is professional service with a smile and no sorry feelings after a mistake is made,” he explained.

A demanding leader and team player, Mr. Alfred shared that he expects the best from his staff. “I know exactly what I want and I know the parameters that will keep us within our guiding principles of honesty and integrity. I always keep an open door and welcome new ideas that can help in our growth. I value commitment and loyalty and I know that I would not be successful without our team of top professionals,” he said.

PLEASURE

Mr. Alfred spends a long day at the hotel and usually does not go home until before 8 in the evening. He is even available 24 hours should he be needed in the hotel, his principle being “the customer comes first.” However, he always makes it a point to relax during his off days, saying that “a rested mind is a productive mind.” He said his off days are his only time to catch up with friends or indulge in his many hobbies, which include playing golf, tennis and photography. He is also a collector of many things – trains, stamps, and art. And what is interesting is, wherever he is in the world, wherever his hotel assignment takes him, he brings his collections with him!

“I am collecting everything – trains, stamps, art. It will be all for my son one day,” he said, laughing, adding that because he takes his collection with him wherever he goes, he is carrying the value of a house. “Everything is locked, boxed, sealed and accounted for. I like to keep them close to me.”

And his collections are not just collections. All of these are of value, high value, in fact.

His train collection, for example, is composed of limited edition trains, run by a computer. “Why trains? Trains have a great history. The trains I am collecting are not just toys. Yes, they are toys but they are very sophisticated toys and rather expensive. They are all workable, meaning I can set them up and have them run. It gets you involved in history and it is also educational. Trains around the world have a great history.”

Mr. Alfred got into collecting trains because of his father, who always made sure that trains were set up under the Christmas tree. He has been collecting trains for the past 30 years and the value of his collection is already almost a hundred thousand dollars.

His art collection consists of, among others, paintings, silk fabrics, wood carvings, glass pieces and over 300-year-old lacquer boxes. His stamp collection, meanwhile, is composed of “unusual” pieces such as those printed on gold, silver and even cosmic dust. “People may say this is crazy. But 20 years ago, the prices of these items were different. I bought these at the right time,” he said.

The “collector” gene, Mr. Alfred said, he definitely got from his father. “We collected things of value. Things that have a story. The secret is you have to realize what you are buying. When you are a collector, you take a risk, you take a chance. The most important thing is you like what you are buying,” he said.