5 minute read
One on One Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills
Antonio Bugarin
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THE BASICS
Name: Antonio Bugarin Title: Acting general manager Company, city: Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills; Beverly Hills, California First job: My first job in the hotel industry was a bellperson at Hyatt Regency Guadalajara. Where to next: Hopefully a road trip through Spain and Portugal or France and Italy with my wife and daughters!
A LITTLE BIT MORE What actor or actress would play you
in a movie of your life? That’s a good question — most of the old-school actors are coming to a point where they aren’t doing movies anymore. No. 1 is Tom Hanks — every movie he does is a classic. But there’s also Dustin Hoffman and Al Pacino.
What would you be doing professionally if you
weren’t in your current industry? I grew up with a basketball under my arm and a football next to my bed, so I’d love to be a professional athlete.
What is your favorite book, movie or televi-
sion show? I read Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth during the pandemic, which I think helped me relate to the book even more.
What historical figure, dead or alive, would
you love to have dinner with? Personally, my father was historic in my life. I left home at a young age and he passed away, so I’d love to have one more dinner with him. More traditionally historic, Albert Einstein — I’d love to understand how his mind worked.
THE BUSINESS What is your most recent project, and what was
the inspiration behind it? Rebuilding the team after the pandemic; COVID-19 and its effects led many people to move to different states and industries. Now we’re putting the puzzle back together. What is your favorite aspect of the job? No day is the same as the next! The job and industry are so vast and interesting, and you learn so many different things.
What’s the biggest business risk you’ve ever taken?
Everything during the pandemic was a risk; deciding what to keep and what to pause, we made calculated decisions, examining every pro and con. Also, I’d spent my career working in Mexico, and I wanted international experience. Making the decision to come to Beverly Hills transformed my life and family.
Who is someone you admire professionally in the
travel industry? There’s a long list of great people in this industry that deserve recognition. One person who always intrigued me as a true hospitality leader was Jerry Inzerillo. We worked together at One&Only Palmilla, and I always enjoyed talking to him.
AS A TRAVELER
Tell us about a travel nightmare: Thankfully, I don’t have a lot. Once, when traveling with my family in Toronto, we never received our suitcases, and we were left with nothing. That was a nightmare, but from it, I developed a kit when I was working at a hotel in Los Cabos so other travelers didn’t have the same worry. The kit had pajamas, basic toiletries and a few other items. Share a comical travel experience: Once, while driving in Miami, my 4-year-old daughter got herself out of her booster seat. While it was dangerous, today we can look back and laugh at getting pulled over by a cop that noticed and gave us a $63 ticket.
What is your preferred method of travel — planes,
trains, automobiles, cruise ships — and why? Automobiles above everything — I enjoy driving, road trips and the freedom to be at my own pace.
What has been the best example of customer service you’ve experienced during your travels?
Unexpected things make a big difference. When traveling in Montréal, we dropped our bags off at the hotel early and set out for a day exploring. My daughter had a sticker of a cookie on her laptop. When we got back to the hotel, near her laptop was a beautiful cookie amenity.
Seoul’s Sustainable Unique Venues
Urban regeneration creates popular tourist spots in Seoul.
MANY PEOPLE FIND THE BEAUTY of hanok, a traditional Korean house, in its architectural features, such as roof tiles and wooden pillars, yet the hidden allure lies in the calm ambience as it invites nature into the building with windows and doors. Just like Koreans in old days considered creating harmony between nature and living space of great importance, the city of Seoul transformed a grown metropolis into a people-centered city through sustainable urban planning since the early 2010s. Renewing the city not only brought a better environment to the residents, but also contributed charming tourist spots for visitors.
UNIQUE VENUES Unique venues represent the styles, stories and sustainability of Seoul.
As the number of small- and medium-sized MICE events increases during the pandemic, providing participants with differentiated experience becomes ever more important and, as a result, there is growing interest in unique venues. The Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul Tourism Organization newly discovered 18 unique venues in 2021 on top of 53 existing ones that exist only in Seoul to satisfy eventgoers’ demand for differentiated experiences unique to the host city. They encompass places where MICE organizers and participants can link and communicate while experiencing the splendid scenery, culture, history and daily lives of Seoulites. Unique venues are capable of holding exhibitions, conferences, banquets and performances of various sizes.
SUMSEI Terrarium
SUMSEI Terrarium is an unusual MICE venue that presents an immersive nature exhibition.
With five floors of healing sensory experience, this artificial terrarium reminds us to treasure our environment and strive for sustainability. The simulated nature creates the perfect indoor space for sustainability-related and environmentally friendly events in Seoul. Sikmulgwan PH is a trendy invention of botanical garden as a café and an art gallery. While the open space on the first floor is dedicated to artwork and lush plants, the second floor’s café can be used for small meetings. Also, the third and fourth floors are available for diverse exhibitions and events. Seoul Book Bogo, Seoul Treasure Den for Books is a second-hand bookstore promoting Seoul’s independent bookstores and the independent publishing industry. The Den also serves as an event venue, hosting small lectures and meetings among the bookshelves and conferences, or events in a separate conference hall.
Sikmulgwan PH Seoul Book Bogo
SEOUL INDUSTRIAL TOUR GUIDE The Eco Space category of the Seoul Industrial Tour Guide provides a list of places to inspire urban planning if you prefer a more direct observation and experience. For example, Seoul Upcycling Plaza is the best place to experience firsthand how to use upcycling materials by participating in various workshops. You can browse the Material Bank for many ideas for upcycling different materials. The Seoul Industrial Tourism Guide can be downloaded from the Seoul Convention Bureau website at miceseoul.com/pdflibrary.
