The Hospitality trade has always been my favorite business for over 50 years. The reason that I love hospitality is that it allows everyone to enjoy quality, created by a multicolor of people divided in females and males. It is hard to find another trade that has this combination. Also, a way of living, where you meet people from the whole world enjoying what they have paid for.
My first years of experience was at 15 years when I signed on a cargo vessel as apprentice in the galley. This was starting from the bottom line, with hard and long hours, but I enjoyed it because we were always going somewhere. Finally, I visited over 50 countries as a sailor.
Followed up my years as a sailor, with a two-year education at the Hotel and Restaurant school, Hasselbacken, in Stockholm.
Emigrated 1968 to Australia where I only worked for Five Star Hotels, in towns like Brisbane, Surfers Paradise and Sydney.
At the return to Sweden, I bought a small hotel with eighteen rooms, with an a la carte restaurant and banquet hall.
I became the youngest hotel owner in Sweden, at that time.
Several years later, I was offered an advantageous position at the Hotel Scandinavia in Copenhagen, the same Western International group, as I had been working for in Sydney. Back to five stars hotel!
During the 80th I started Chef Food catering company, with specialties in sport events like Stockholm Open, Davis Cup, Ullna Masters Golf.
In 1990, the international economic collapse, made me move to Spain, for family reasons.
To start a new life in southern Spain was not easy, still if the climate helped to make it as a pleasure.
One day a good old friend called me to offer the opportunity to represent the sale of the Spanish hotel group Silken! This was a challenging task, as the group had economic problems at the time and were temporary owned by Blackstone!
My first thought was to connect with Pandox in Sweden, as I knew the CEO Anders Nissen from working together in the same company. As always Anders in his positive way, listened to my offer and asked for full information regarding the Silken group. Finally, Pandox turned down my offer, but I used this experience to later get involved in the sale of other hotels in Spain, under my company Meriton Holding. (Later Anders died under sad circumstances)
My specialty became seeking classic buildings that could be transformed into hotels as The Old Railway company building and the old post office, Equitativa, in Malaga now both renovated and opened as hotels. It has been a pleasure to see new 4- & 5-star hotels created in historic buildings.
Lately I am projecting a football university to accommodate up to 400 students #VMFU, in Velez Malaga, southern Spain.
A shortened story, of my life in the hospitality trade, thank you for reading.
Windmush/Curt
