Meet our M-Explorers
Anastasios Dimokas
Meet Anastasios, who started his journey at MEININGER Hotels in 2013 as a night shift receptionist in Berlin while supporting his studies. Over the years, he progressed through various roles, including Front Desk Manager and Junior SEO Manager, and is now the Senior Digital Marketing Manager. In this interview, he shares how his diverse experiences have shaped his career, the challenges he has tackled, and the accomplishments heās most proud of at MEININGER.
How did your journey at MEININGER Hotels start?
I first started working at MEININGER hotels in February 2013. At the time, I was new in Berlin and was looking for a part-time job to support my studies. A close friend of mine urged me to check out the job openings of MEININGER Hotels, so, I ended up applying for the Front Office Receptionistās night shift. The interview process ran smoothly and soon I joined the MEININGER community. Almost 4 years at reception boosted my confidence, improved my language skills, and awarded me with countless funny stories based on my daily contact with guests. My evolution was fast. Shortly, I became a full-time Front Desk Manager and a multi-tasking machine with a single goal: to provide the best services possible and inside tips to our guests.
Which positions & teams have you worked in, so far?
After I finished my masterās, I applied for a position in the Marketing department at the headquarters, and I joined the Marketing team as a Content Coordinator in January 2017. Later, I was promoted to Junior SEO Manager and now Iām a Senior Digital Marketing Manager.
Knowing first-hand the issues, needs and challenges that Operations is daily dealing with has proven a huge advantage that helped me prioritize and sort out my to-do list. Also, having a wide network of friends and contacts within the company simplified my daily work and fast-tracked the progress of my projects. Knowing people does make a difference!
In which cities have you worked for MEININGER Hotels?
As a receptionist, Iāve worked at 4 of our 6 hotels in Berlin. Sometimes, you might be relocated because somebodyās sick, or because another hotel needs extra support.
What have the last few years been like for you, here?
The Covid pandemic had a significant effect on the total number of employees we had. Especially the Marketing team got smaller during that time while the workload increased. Keeping up with priorities and needs was a great challenge. After the amount of hard work that we put in, I can proudly say that we successfully managed to conquer all challenges.
The one and only positive outcome of the pandemic was everyone having the flexible option of remote work. Seems like the productivity levels while working from home can be higher than always working at the office, at least for me.
What are your biggest personal accomplishments?
Thatās a tough one… I cannot think of just one specific personal accomplishment since my job requires me to constantly improve and optimize the online presence of MEININGER Hotels. In addition, everything I do is part of a team effort with common objectives. Some highlights are that we have a much faster website, now, with good performance and a high conversion rate. I also played a crucial role in launching the new Manage-my-booking section which enables guests to easily cancel or modify their reservations online. On top of that, we successfully activated 8 new hotel pages within the last 2 years and performed various activities to digitalize the in-stay experience at the hotels.
How would you describe your work at MEININGER Hotels (in 3 words)?
Self-improving, diverse and challenging.
How would you describe your teamās dynamic?
Being able to rely on your colleagues and feeling confident that they will deliver the best result possible is a huge plus. In our team, thereās healthy competition and focus on self-improvement with no conflicts and tension among us. Everything is balanced and peaceful, and offer each other constructive feedback constantly.
What keeps you motivated at work?
I kind of feel responsible for every single piece of information you may find online about MEININGER Hotels. This keeps me on my feet and motivates me to constantly improve and optimize our website: the main source of revenue. The memories of my time as receptionist are still fresh and remind me of the need to provide the best digital experience possible to our guests. Some exciting and demanding projects, which are on the way and will transform the online experience, are what I would call… my energy drink!
Thanks for sharing your insights, Anastasios!
āØ Read more M-Explorersā stories on the MEININGER Hotels blog or check out our job openings.
