Front Office Deputy Manager, Mercure Krakow Stare Miasto (Poland)

Grzegorz Zygmunt

Grzegorz Zygmunt's story

When I was 9 years old I joined the football academy of the oldest football club in Poland, TS Wisła Kraków, because ever since I can remember football was my biggest passion. Through my hard work on trainings my talent was recognized and I got called-up to Kadra Krakowa (Krakow Representation Team), which comprised of the most talented players of our City, including such super-stars as Marcin Wasilewski who played numerous times for the Polish National Team. Sport has been a huge part of my life throughout.

Thanks to the fact that I work for Accor and my work schedule is flexible, I can now combine my professional life with training at the local Lotnik Kryspinów, which currently plays in the sixth division of Polish professional football. I personally think that there is nothing better to clear your mind than sport. Up until the age of 27 I used to think that football was my biggest passion, but then I realized that the actual number one passion of mine is Aviation closely followed by Customer Service.

When I returned to Poland in 2007 following a year spent in Dublin I begun my adventure with Accor as a Receptionist at Novotel Kraków Centrum. At first, the job’s intensity as well as the load of responsibilities was a bit overwhelming, but thanks to the fact that I became a part of a very experienced Team I quickly learned how to handle it and even to this day I am relying on what I learned back then. It was those early years that helped me develop my professionalism and ability to multitask.

In 2008, Centralwings Airline was conducting a Cabin Crew recruitment day at the hotel I was working in. The Head of Recruitment for Centralwings who I met on that day personally encouraged me to apply to become a Cabin Crew Member. As I dreamt of flying ever since I was a child, I decided to take that risk and apply. After 6 separate stages of recruitment I finally got the news and that was probably the happiest day of my life – I became part of the Aviation industry.

Over the period of six years I flew on the altitude of 10000 meters for over 5000 hours, getting to fly on machines such as Boeing 737 400/800 and Airbus A320. During this time, I also got the opportunity to become a Cabin Crew Instructor and trained many fresh graduates. All of this would not be possible if it wasn’t for my bosses at the Novotel, who understood and supported my dream to pursue my passion, making it easy for me to be able to combine working in the hotel with flying.

I remember a day when I was helping a Guest to check-out from the hotel only to greet that very same person on board of an aircraft the following day. After 6 years of working the two jobs simultaneously my adventure with Aviation came to an end, as the airline I was working for went bankrupt. Thankfully, Accor and Novotel Kraków Centrum always was my safe harbor and they welcomed me with open arms when I asked if I can work full-time at the hotel. It was then that I finally decided that my destiny is “on the ground” and that hospitality is what I always really wanted to do.

In 2016 I got the chance to apply to become part of a Team of a hotel that was about to open, my beloved Mercure Kraków Stare Miasto. Not only that, but the opportunity was for a position that was new to me, namely Guest Experience Manager. This was a breath of fresh air for me that enabled me to create something new and exciting, while at the same time allowing me to take advantage of my skills as a painter. It is here that I learned that work does not have to be arduous, but can be pleasant and fun! Furthermore, it is here that I got the chance of becoming a Heartist Transformer and a certified trainer for Accor. Recently, I was promoted to become Assistant Front Office Manager, where I am currently honing my skills in managing a Team and helping them to reach their potential, which is not always as easy as it may seem.

  • Grzegorz Zygmunt
  • Front Office Deputy Managerer
  • Mercure Krakow Stare Miasto (Poland)

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