Passion never fails

Nicolas Rueda was born in Bogota Colombia in 1974. Chasing the dream of a better life, he moved to Washington Dc in 1998. He was at Georgetown University campus when he heard that his university was recruiting students to be on the hospitality events team. He really liked the idea and genuinely felt that he should give it a try.

 

“Taking that first step was hard for me but the result turned out well. I totally immersed myself into new ways of living and I was trying to welcome all the cultural differences that I was exposed to. That was the moment when I realized that hospitality was definitely my field.”

 

Why did you choose to study hospitality at SHMS?
Switzerland offers you the very best in education and life style. SHMS is the ideal place for international students, it is famous for its high quality of life and it has a reputation as the birthplace of hospitality. Without a doubt SHMS offers the best conditions to study hospitality and tourism management.

Recently you won the best review award from booking.com for your B&B in Santa Marta Colombia. Can you share with us the ten steps to success?

1. Attentiveness
2. Ability to read customers
3. Have top-notch organizational skills
4. Listen to your customer’s opinion
5. Treat your customers in the same way you want to be treated
6. Anticipate customers’ needs
7. Greet your customers in their native language, it will immediately break the ice
8. Don’t be afraid of improvements
9. Take your time to really know them by offering a glass of wine or a coffee on the house
10. Handle customers who come to your business with efficiency and politeness

What advice would you give to someone thinking of opening their own hotel?
Don’t start your business because it’s in vogue and you think commercializing it will make you rich. Develop a business concept that you're passionate about related to something that you have experience with!

A final thought for all our current students
Don’t worry about what others are doing; the difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra! Some people thrive on the routine of their job performing the same tasks day after day. In the hotel industry you can bet that each day will be filled with new opportunities to challenge yourself. No matter how big or small the business is I rarely experience the same day twice. For me, it was a very conscious choice to make a living doing what I love, PASSION NEVER FAILS!!