I remember it as if it were only yesterday. In the first few weeks of my training as a hotel manager, I had difficulty using the sophisticated language required in a 5-star hotel to properly communicate with guests. I had never had any contact with it before and my Berlin slang was deeply rooted in me. I had to understand that these were neither friends, close acquaintances nor customers. The word "customer" often sounds neutral and matter-of-fact. Customers buy a product or service, complete a transaction and go on their way. Just think back to your last purchase. How much personality and warmth did you encounter?

Guest relationships, on the other hand, go much further and, above all, deeper. They are characterized by a warmth and connection that goes far beyond pure service. A guest is welcome, is cared for and treated with respect - as if he were part of my home. This was very important to me from the beginning. I never had to pretend anything, as many of my colleagues did. My interest in people and especially in visitors to my home was genuine and the guests always appreciated that. In contrast to the customer who simply uses a service, the guest is our priority and the focus of our honest mission: We want them to feel well looked after, that their trip through us is a personal experience and that they also feel an emotional connection with the city.

For us, guests are never just our customers and this is reflected in our entire approach from the very beginning. We want to create an experience that goes beyond mere information and conveys the soul of the city in an atmosphere of appreciation and warmth. It is very important to us to represent our home fairly and correctly. This is a responsibility that we take very seriously. Because in the end, our guests should not only feel welcome, but also take away the feeling of getting to know a real part of the city.