Introducing the Diverse and Welcoming Front Desk Staff at THE LIVELY OSAKA HONMACHI!
LIVELY HOTELS is home to many staff members, both part-time and full-time, from around the world! If you have been curious about the faces behind the front desk, then you will be eager to read on. In this article we will introduce our lovely front desk staff at THE LIVELY OSAKA HONMACHI, who spoke about their journeys to working at the hotel, their special memories with guests and their professional and personal goals for the future.
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Simone Pirolo
Q: What is your role at THE LIVELY OSAKA HONMACHI?
I’m one of the full-time staff so I mainly work at the front desk but I also do HR and other miscellaneous tasks. Before this I was working as an English teacher but I wanted to use Japanese a little bit more in my job, so looking through Gaijinpot I came across the Assistant Manager position here and decided to apply.
Q: How did you end up coming to Japan?
I came to Japan in 2015. I studied Japanese in school in Italy then came to translation school for two years and just stayed after that. I live in Nara, but I have worked in Osaka the whole time.
Q: What do you enjoy about working here?
I like the freedom we have. Within the company rules we can try new things. For example, I brought up the idea of the money exchange machine and helped change the luggage tag to an almost completely paperless system.
Q: Do you have any memorable experiences working here?
We do a lot of events that are fun for the guests like the recent 4th anniversary event and a lot of foreign guests show up. A lot of foreign guests are starting to come back to Japan so we’re able to involve them a lot more than we used to because right after we opened we had the pandemic so that was really memorable and fun.
Q: What makes this hotel different from other hotels?
There are lots of lifestyle hotels but the friendly atmosphere is really different, especially towards foreign guests. Most of our staff speak really good English so we’re happy to communicate with the guests. Also there are lots of places where we can communicate a lot more like the free beer time, where guests can communicate with each other or the staff, and the rooftop and fire table.
Q: What makes it different from other THE LIVELY hotel locations?
Compared to our hotel in Fukuoka, the rooms are more spacious and newer, as our hotel in Osaka was built from scratch. It’s not that the other places are not friendly, but I think we welcome more foreigners from English-speaking countries. The communication factor is a lot more developed here.
Q: What are your goals for the future?
I want to do a little bit more translation and interpreting. I’m already doing all the translation and interpreting that needs to be done in the hotel, but focusing a little more on the design of the hotel.
Q: Do you have any final words?
Everyone can speak English at the front desk. We also have the restaurant information in English. We like having foreign guests so I’m trying to gear everyone so they are able to communicate as much as possible.
Matsumoto Nagisa
Q: What is your role at THE LIVELY OSAKA HONMACHI?
I work at the front desk and since I’m a full-time staff member I help out with events and other tasks as well. I started working here six months ago and before that I worked as a cram school teacher. I studied Chinese and wanted to find a job where I could use it. I also really love hotels so I thought this would be the perfect job to combine all my interests.
Q: How did you find out about THE LIVELY OSAKA HONMACHI?
During COVID-19 I went on a lot of staycations in Osaka and Kobe and during that time I stayed here about five times and became really enamored with the place. When I was looking for a new job I remembered this hotel and decided to apply to work here because I really enjoyed my time here.
Q: What do you enjoy about working here?
I like learning about other cultures and talking to the guests. The staff is also international so I have been able to learn a lot about other cultures through them as well.
Q: What makes this hotel different from other hotels?
Other hotels may feel really strict but here it’s very relaxed. We are free to talk to the guests casually. We still treat them like they are guests, but we can bond with them more than staff would at other hotels.
Q: What makes it different from other THE LIVELY hotel locations?
THE LIVELY FUKUOKA HAKATA is similar because we’re under the same brand, but we have a lot of events here unlike in Fukuoka and we try to give our guests lots of opportunities to enjoy themselves. Fukuoka is more about the food experience. Every branch has their own good points.
Q: What are your goals for the future?
I want to improve my English and Chinese skills and learn Korean so I can communicate with guests from around the world.
Q: Do you have any memorable experiences with the guests?
There was one time a Chinese guest was ill in his room. He didn’t know how to speak Japanese or how to call an ambulance in Japan, so I called an ambulance for him and accompanied him to the hospital. During that time he said many times over and over again that I saved his life and gave me lots of Japanese souvenirs and gifts to show his appreciation.
Sakia Hovde
Q: When did you start working at THE LIVELY OSAKA HONMACHI?
I started working here as a full-time staff member two weeks ago. I came here once before to use the .andwork co-working space and then it left a strong impression on me so when I started working for a job, I remembered this hotel I remembered the vibe and the people and it made me really interested in working here.
Before this I worked at a Japanese language school as an enrollment coordinator. I really enjoyed working with people. I used to work as a server at a restaurant for 4-5 years and I really missed the constant interaction and missed the ambiance of hospitality.
Q: What are the differences between working at a hotel and restaurant?
I have learned a lot about the difference in customer service. I feel like restaurant service is more personal and is service oriented, but I think front desk is more about greeting customers and having a more friendly ambiance. I’ve figured out how to balance things out.
Q: What do you enjoy about working here?
I think whenever I’m able to help someone find a restaurant or fun bar, those are always my highlights of the day, especially when they come back and say they went there and had a good time.
I also like the staff and the guests a lot. They are all very interesting and global. Well actually I went to university in San Francisco and I’ve met a lot of people at THE LIVELY from the Bay Area and San Francisco, so it has been fun meeting people who live where I spent half my university years.
Q: Nice. And where did you grow up?
I grew up in Nagoya. I moved to Osaka a year and a half ago. I lived in America before moving to Japan. My hometown is Nagoya but wanted to branch out and go somewhere new so I was looking for a job in the Kansai area. Osaka is fun. It’s very different from Nagoya and Tokyo. People are really nice here.
Q: Where do you recommend people visit?
I like Kitahama. I love the river. There are a lot of nice cafes and it’s not as busy as Umeda and Namba, which I like.
Q: What are your goals for the future?
Ideally, eventually I want to start my own NPO focused on bringing people together hopefully in Kansai. I grew up the only foreigner in my community because it was a small, suburb so I want to bring foreigners together so they have more of a sense of community in Japan, in a foreign country.
I also want to travel more and explore the world. Japan is an island so you’re kind of stuck here but I want to be sure I branch out. I would love to go to Amsterdam. I’ve never been but it’s one of my top bucket list places. I’ve just heard so many amazing things about the people, culture and environment, so I would love to go explore.
Q: Why should people stay here?
There are surprise plans and all these special plans available at THE LIVELY. Honestly they weren’t even things I knew I could do when I stay at a hotel. They’re perfect for anniversaries and birthdays. We go above and beyond for our guests. We’ll do balloon decorations for birthdays. I really didn’t know it was an option because I would have done it if I knew. Foreign customers come on their honeymoons and anniversaries, but mainly Japanese customers do the plans because it might be easier for them to understand what the plans are.
Q: Do you have any memorable experiences with the guests?
I think it was my first or second shift. There was a couple and the boyfriend brought a gift and a happy birthday banner and wanted us to decorate the hotel room while they were out for dinner so myself and another colleague went up and hung up balloons, the banner, gifts and a swan.
Nishioka Isei
Q: When did you start working at THE LIVELY OSAKA HONMACHI?
I work part-time at the front desk. I found out about the job through a friend. Before this I worked in Canada for a year on a working holiday visa at a restaurant as hall staff and dishwasher. I went overseas because I wanted to speak English, but I had to come early for a family emergency. In January or July I hope to do working-holiday again, this time in England or somewhere else in Europe.
Q: What do you enjoy about working here?
I like meeting people from different countries. British guests recommends things, American guests recommends things, etc. and I get to hear about unique things to do in each country and different ways of thinking. Also everyone is really nice and the staff all have different nationalities.
Q: What are your goals for the future?
I want to backpack in Europe and travel around the world, learn about other cultures, learn new languages and get to experience diverse perspectives. So far I have been to Australia, Canada, Taiwan, India and Hawaii in the U.S. Japan is an island country with relatively few foreigners and I hate that so that’s why I liked Canada. There are a lot of different cultures mixing together and I was able to learn and grow a lot. It inspired me to continue expanding my horizons and seeing what life is like around the world.
Q: Any final words?
I think it’s important for foreign guests to learn about Japanese culture like its history so they can better understand the people here.
Hayakawa Riko
Q: What is your role at THE LIVELY OSAKA HONMACHI?
I started working part-time as front desk staff at the end of March.
Q: Why did you decide to work here?
I live in Kobe but I go to fashion school in Osaka. I used to work at a hotel in Osaka, so I had previous experience before starting my job here. I liked the free and relaxed atmosphere here.
Q: What do you enjoy about working here?
There are a lot of foreign guests, way more compared to other hotels so I like being able to communicate with people overseas and practice my English.
Q: What makes it different from other hotels?
Other hotels have a traditional, older way of Japanese thinking but this place has more of an international feel so we’re close to the guests and it’s much more free.
Q: Do you have any memorable experiences with the guests?
There was a guest for Singapore who made a mistake on where to send their luggage. I called Yamato Transport and tracked down their luggage for them. They emailed me later to express their gratitude. There was also a guest from Ireland. When I was in university I went to Ireland. I chatted with them about the places I visited in Ireland and we became close. He gave me recommendations on places to visit in their hometown and said I should come visit someday.
Q: What do you think of Osaka fashion?
The colors are cool. People also like Y2K and retro fashion. Throughout the world, even in Korea, it’s becoming more popular.
Q: What do you think of the fashion among foreign guests?
Japanese people like over-sized fashion and Koreans like tight tops and loose bottoms. French people think ankles and wrists are sexy but in Japan people think the chest is sexy, so it’s interesting seeing how different countries have different ideas of what is attractive.
With its stylish & amazing facilities, THE LIVELY OSAKA HONMACHI offers a variety of ways to enjoy a stay tailored to your lifestyle. Ideally located in the heart of downtown Osaka.
Click the button below to book your stay at THE LIVELY OSAKA HONMACHI.
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