M1

TRAINING
REPORT
ARINA KOLLARI 18/006
HOTEL OTRANT
ULCINJ, MONTENEGRO

VATEL HOTEL&BUSINESS
SCHOOL/UDG

+382 69 662 030

10/1/2020
 Contents
1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 3
2. THE TOWN ....................................................................................................................................... 4
-The History ......................................................................................................................................... 4
3. MY ROLE .......................................................................................................................................... 7
4. THE HOTEL ....................................................................................................................................... 8
5. BAMBOO OPEN BAR .......................................................................................................................10
-THE BEACH ........................................................................................................................................11
6. SPECIAL POINT ................................................................................................................................12
-Human recourse ................................................................................................................................12
7. Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on tourism ..................................................................................14
8. WHAT I LEARND ..............................................................................................................................16

Page
2
1. INTRODUCTION

-This year we all had a complete different image of our lives and our World. All of our plans
were destroyed because of the virus (COVID-19) and so was our practical. Luckily Montenegro
was one of the safest tourist destination countries in Europe. Many Hotels where closed due to
the crisis and of course it was a bit difficult for all of us to find a hotel/restaurant to work. But in
the end we somehow managed to end the practical in good terms.For this practical I had other
plans, my idea was to go to the USA. By going in America I would had the opportunity to learn
about the culture, meeting new people and see how the hospitality business there goes. It was
all planed, I have found the perfect city and the perfect 5*Hotel. But hopefully this year
everything will be ok and we can continue with our normal lives again.

Now let’s get to the important part! This year I decided to do my practical in hotel Otrant since I
didn’t have much options where to work I choose this 5* Hotel. This hotel is located in the Long
beach of Ulcinj, with a beautiful panorama view of the sea and amazing sunsets. I remember
since it was yesterday when I first saw this hotel. It had a big pool, the private beach etc. I
immediately fell in love with it. Do you know why? Because my town never had a big hotel like
this, it was really strange but I saw myself working in the front desk as well, because I always
loved meeting new people, using my languages skills etc. Who would have thought that some
years later I would be an employ here. In the end I wasn’t so sad working in my city. Everything
happens for a reason, that’s a sentence that I always use to motivate myself. I felt safe here
since the virus happened and I was extremely happy that I could help my people

In the end, the most important thing is to not have regrets where you worked, even though it
didn’t go as planned, here I am now and I couldn’t be happier.
2. THE TOWN

-Ulcinj, known as Dulcigno, is a very small town in the sea side of Montenegro. Not a lot of
people know about this Town, but every time they come they are speechless, and they always
want to come back.

Many people and tourists ask me why they should visit this town, well and I always have my
answers. Why? First let’s not forget the endless sandy beaches, where you can walk down the
beach with your loved ones, watch the sunset have a glass of wine and of course go for a swim.
Second, the wild beauty of Ulcinj! If you love nature you will find beauty everywhere but first
you will find it here in this unexplored town. You would be speechless knowing how small this
town is and how much beauty is cares. And third, the history of “Dulcigno”. The history is so
wonderful and touching; knowing the history of this town would make you want to visit this
town even more. These are some characteristics that I always use on tourist when they have a
question.

-The History

As one of the oldest settlements in the Adriatic coast, Ulcinj was founded in the 5th century. The
first inhabitants of the Ulcinj area known by the name Illyrians. In ancient times there was a
settlement of Greek colonists who - archaeological excavations have shown - in the 5th century
BC was expanded to the city. During the Hellenistic period, the place was under the influence of
the various short-lived Illyrian kingdoms and came under the influence of 163 BC.

During the war with the Ottoman Empire, Montenegro captured Ulcinj on January 20, 1878.
When the preliminary peace of San Stefano was concluded, the Russians again granted Ulcinj to
the Sublime Porte, while Montenegro only got a few villages on Lake Skadar. The Berlin
Congress revised the San Stefano agreements also with regard to Ulcinj and awarded the city of
Montenegro. The Ottoman Empire refused to vacate the city. Only after the intervention of the

Page
4
great powers, including a joint fleet demonstration off the Turkish coast, did the Ottomans give
in. On November 30, 1880 Ulcinj was finally annexed to the Principality of Montenegro. Since
2008 Ulcinj has been the district partner town of the 23rd Viennese district Liesing. The
corresponding written agreement was preceded by four years of cultural and infrastructural
cooperation with the southernmost municipality of the Austrian capital.

“The Old Town of Ulcinj”

With a population of 21.000 people you would always find someone here to make you feel
special. Although Ulcinj is still undiscovered by many tourists, the travelers used tom stay here
for months because they had so much to discover here. Let’s start from the two-millennia-old
Castel, where the view is breathtaking and the restaurants and hotels are amazing. And never
forget the river Ada Bojana. This place is known as the quite destination of Ulcinj, where you
can meditate go kayaking and rent a cottage and enjoy your relaxed vacation.

Page
5
In the past 10 years Ulcinj has developed many changes and I would like to name 2 of the most
famous places that every tourist visits. I would like name one of the most famous restaurants in
Ulcinj and on beach as well.

Let’s start with the famous restaurant Higo.

The name Higo comes from the Spanish word that means Fig in English. Why Higo?! Well there
has been a Fig tree in front of the Restaurant for over 100 years. They began with an idea of
uniqueness and class something that you never saw in Ulcinj, and that is the reason why it’s so
hard to visit it only once, beside from the delicious and unique dishes and drinks. The
breathtaking sunsets and the surrounding nature offer a cozy atmosphere and the staff will do
the best to make you feel like home. From your morning coffee and delicious breakfast, to your
family lunch or dinner with the most interesting dishes you have ever taste, Higo is the place for
you and your loved ones. If you ever asked yourself where to eat in Ulcinj, well here you have it
now; there is no better place where your desires can come true. I always go there to have my
morning coffee, because the view and the atmosphere clean your mind.

“HIGO RESTAURANT LOUNGE”

Page
6
The second known destination that I personally adore is the beach Dolcinium Kite Surf. This
beach literally has everything. From the perfect view to amazing food and drinks and excellent
staff. Every week they host a party, where the atmosphere is breathtaking. You have people
who dance, some of them Kite and some people relax, so basically you have everything in one.

As a Vatelier I would recommend these two places, both are really unique and they would
want to make you come back.

“DOLCINIUM KITE SURF CLUB”

3. MY ROLE

As a girl who has lived her entire life in the sea side of MNE, I was always surrounded by
travelers. I myself had tourists in my Villa. And the moment I started helping my parents I fell in
love with hospitality and I knew immediately that this was my dream job. Why many people as
me? Well because I love making people happy when they are on vacation, I’m very passion
about languages and communicating with people.

This year I was lucky enough to work on the front desk. Sadly because of Covid-19 not many
tourists from around the world came, and that made the industry a bit difficult to work. Many

Page
7
employs where also fired. Every year a lot of travelers from France and Poland would come
here, but since the pandemic that was not possible, so only travelers from Kosovo and Albania
came. But let’s look on the bride side; at least there were some tourists. My shift always lasted
7-8 hours, and these hours where always busy, of course we also had breaks to eat to rest a bit.
The break would always last 15 to 20 minutes, but since there wasn’t a lot of work this year the
breaks would last even more.

I had the opportunity to learn new things, make reservations from new sites new apps etc. I’ve
met new people and made new friends. Every day was a new challenge, a new experience.
That’s why I love this industry, because every day there’s a different story.

There’s also Quote that I like to remind myself why I am doing this.

“Hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them space where change can take place
and make them feel like home”

-HERRI NOWVEN-

4. THE HOTEL

Hotel Otrant was always a part of Ulcinj as I can remember, but in the last years when the crisis
began the hotel was shot down and it didn’t work for some years. Luckily some investors came
and reinvested in this hotel. They saw that this hotel has everything, so they renovated it and it
looked completely new.

Page
8
Featuring its own sandy beach and a large pool with sea views, there is also an indoor pool and
spa center with every treatment that you desire. It offers two restaurants where you can also
plan you weeding destination and activity programs for your kids where your kids can have an
amazing time, plus you can relax and have no worries. The stylish Hotel Otrant is 3 km from the
old town of Ulcinj and north has its own sandy beach and a large pool with sea views. Each
room offers a balcony with the beautiful panorama view of the sea and of the Montenegrin
rights or the green surroundings. You can hear fine Mediterranean cuisine in the restaurants,
listen to live music. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served three times a day. The lobby bar of
the Hotel is an inviting place to relax with your favorite cocktails.

You can play volleyball or basketball, and rent boats or jet skis on the beach. Parasols are
available free of charge by the pool and at an additional cost on the beach and on deck chairs.
Water sports equipment can be rented and each week they organize a fitness professional to
do some workouts in the pool or beach. The Hotel has total 240 rooms, and basically each room
has either: sea, pool or garden view. Elevators, large halls, reception the lounge bar “Bamboo”.
Even if you spend only one night here, you would have the time of your life.

Page
9
 “Hotel Otrant-Resort & Spa”

Many people ask me why I chose hotel business. Well, first of all let’s begin with how many
options you have in a hotel. Hotel Otrant offers you a lot to be honest, because it’s a big resort
and they need a lot of employees. From Housekeeping, to accounting.

5. BAMBOO OPEN BAR

This Bar for my opinion was one of the greatest investments the Hotel has made. Why? Well
there are many reasons. I remember the first time I went there, it was the one place where I
could sit with my friends and relax. The interior design is breathtaking; it gives you a feeling like
you are in Cuba or somewhere in Brazil. I remember the first time they opened we were all very
excited, because they hosted a big party for everyone. This party happens every year in May

Page
10
and it lasts 3 days. And I can tell you that the hotel is always fully booked when this event is
happening.

“Bamboo beach lounge”

-THE BEACH

The private beach in Otrant is one of the first beaches when you arrive in the long beach of
Ulcinj. Not a lot of hotels have their own private beaches here, this was one of the first hotels
with their own beach and it was really excited for us.

With the perfect panorama view, the beach contains 25 beach chairs including beds as well.
Walking down the beach with your loved ones at night is one of the greatest feelings in a
summer holiday. I had also the opportunity to see a lot of guests just sitting there and meditate.
This hotel had everything that would satisfy a guests need and want.

Page
11
 “Otrant Beach”

6. SPECIAL POINT

-Human recourse

But there was always one department that satisfied me, and that’s the Human recourse section.
Why you asking? Well with this department you can train your employees in many ways,
motivate them etc.

We also know that the customer (guest) is very important for us, they are the reason that we
are working, without them the business would go down. There is also a quote that the
managers always used it on us to open our eyes in the morning and reminding us why we are
doing this:

Page
12
While reading this you can see, why people around the world work. Satisfying a customer was
one of the best feelings I had, knowing that I did a great job made me want to work even more.

Working In this hotel and in my own town made me realize some things. That first this town
needs some changes. Working here I saw that they have advantages and disadvantages:

-Advantages:

• Comfortable beds
• Security patrol (24-h)
• On site restaurants and buffets
• 24-h reception and room service
• Loyalty Programs
• Travel agent

But like any other Hotel there must be some disadvantages as well, without mistakes how can a
person learn? Otherwise I told them some of the tips and tricks we learned in Vatel, and they
really took my advise seriously. So here are the disadvantages that the hotel had:

Page
13
-Disadvantages:

• No professional waitresses
• Rooms can be pricey sometimes especially if you need to stay for a long period of time
in the hotel (it needs to have at least 10% of discount)
• Problems with reservations
• Not enough employees with language skills

7. Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on tourism

-Even though Montenegro was one of the safest countries in the world for Covid-19, this
pandemic affected our industry and the economy a lot. The crisis has touched each corner of
the world and has left a big impact in each business. It has take millions of lives, totally
transformed people’s lives and where each plan that the people did, have been crushed.

The virus has had a big impact on the tourism industry due to the resulting travel restrictions as
well as slump in demand among travelers. The United Nation World Tourism Organization
estimated that global international tourist arrivals might decrease by 58% to 78% in 2020,
leading to a potential loss of 1.2 trillion $ worldwide.

Page
14
Because of the virus and of the pandemic, many countries and regions have made quarantines
so that the virus would not spread, entry bans, or other restrictions for citizens of recent
travelers to the most affected areas.

Together with a decreased willingness to travel, the restriction has had a negative impact on
the travel sector in those regions. During this summer I have seen how low the profit was. As by
me for living 21 years in Montenegro, I had never seen my country more than this year. Many
new hotels and restaurants have been open, but none of them have worked like it should have.
They say that for the tourism to come back in the place that it was, it would take 3 to 4 years,
and that’s a lot! Why? Well when you think of it clearly everything involves around tourism.

Let’s say you have a souvenir shop, who do you think would come to by the gifts if not tourists?
People from your city will definitely not come. Or 5* restaurants, not everyone has the luxury
to go to a restaurant every day. And for Hotels don’t get me start it, why would a citizen from
their own city go to a hotel when they have their own house or apartment, and there are also
so many other things that could take me a day to name them. So as we can see here, everything
revolves around the tourism industry, without travelers the world would have been very boring
and not satisfied at all.

Page
15


8. WHAT I LEARND

The past three months that I worked here, I reinforced some of my skills that where on me
weak spot. I’m grateful for all my co-workers, who helped me work on me weaknesses and of
course for becoming my friends. Working in hospitality taught me some skills that I could not
learn anywhere else. It taught me about prioritization, about solving problems, communication,
and team work and about how customers act when they are seriously angry, and the most
important one to keep a smile on your face despite that.

This role is to define the commercial and managemnt strategy of the establishment in line with
profit targets, and the quality charter and hygine and safety norms.

This role is to define the commercial and managemnt strategy of the establishment in line with
profit targets, and the quality charter and hygine and safety norms.

Since it was covid-19, we had to where a mask 24/7, and they could not see our faces. The
social distancing was very important, as well as desinfection and the other important stuff.

Page
16
Team work was one of the main things in this hotel, otherwise we would all be infected by the
virus. But here I am now, healthy and happy.

For the last practical (next summer), I have only one wish and that’s to go for my internship
somewhere outside of Europe, to learn about new cultures new rules and meet new people.
And most of all im thankful for my parents, for making my dream come true to be part of Vatel.

Page
17
 Page
19