Valisoa Raharibako

Q: What are your responsibilities?

V: As part of the opening team, I am responsible for planning, executing and setting up all of the F&B venues. Maintaining the highest quality of service required by the Kempinski standards is paramount to us so, on a daily basis, I greet the guests personally so I can understand their needs and ensure we exceed their initial expectations.

Q: What makes a typical day?

V: Waking up early to prepare breakfast for my family. Doing my daily duties as a mother and wife, before heading to the hotel where my duties involve having meetings with related departments to prepare for groups and events, supervising operational tasks and talking to our guests to gather their feedback.

Q: Your best attribute?

V: Listening to others and the ideas they come up with.

Q: Team player or team leader?

V: Both. Many people learn by seeing and in order to guide them, I put myself as an example. In this case, I am a team player. But when I oversee the performance of my team, I make sure that they stay in the right direction. Thus, I also need to be a team leader, which is especially important in opening a big hotel like this.

Q: Who has been the most influential figure in your career to date?

V: My first general manager in Bali, back in 2004, I worked with him for eight years. He was a determined person, full of energy and positivity. He taught me to stay positive and always chase my dreams.

Q: Name one really special thing about your hotel or restaurant? V: This hotel is real a gem and combines many aspects of Indonesian culture, from its regal architecture to the diverse flavours. The

F&B is really special – at Selasar Deli dine angkringan style, there’s traditional seafood in our spectacular aquarium restaurant Koral, and Pala Restaurant & Rooftop Bar offers traditional and international dining. There are also great cocktails at Reef Beach Club, and Izakaya by OKU brings a modern representation of traditional Japanese food.

Q: How do you unwind?

V: Staying at home is a luxury especially when my kids are around, but reading books or playing piano are my favourite ways to unwind.

Q: Dead or alive, who would you like to take out to dinner? V: Writer Dan Brown. He is so imaginative and has a critical mind. I think spending an evening with him would be a very enriching experience.

The Apurva Kempinski Bali