Home INTERVIEWS Adnan Selmanagić: “A warm approach toward the guests is becoming crucial”

Adnan Selmanagić: “A warm approach toward the guests is becoming crucial”

Interview with Adnan Selmanagić, CEO of Nomad Hotel Bjelašnica

Feb 13, 2024

Ahead of the Meetings Star award ceremony, honouring the best regional hotels, destinations and most influential individuals in the meetings industry, we talked to the finalists of the esteemed competition. Adnan Selmanagić, CEO of Nomad Hotel Bjelašnica, shared why empathy towards guests is essential in the hospitality industry and why making the industry more appealing will attract new faces.

INTRO: Can you describe your hotel using only four words?

Nature in good company.

Q1: What differentiates your hotel from others?

People, the Bosnian hospitality approach and location.

Q2: What are the novelties of your hotel in 2024?

We have just started with our operations, and since we are a year-old hotel, everything is a novelty.

hotel_nomad — Photo: Nomad Hotel Bjelašnica

“In our Bosnian roots, it is the same when a guest comes to your house; you will do everything to make him comfortable and welcome, even sometimes go beyond your boundaries.”

Q3: As one of the leading experts in the industry, what are your thoughts on the ChatGPT craze? Is this another marketing hype or an actual tool that will make boring, routine jobs a lot easier?

AI will be a beneficial help tool for the professionals in our industry, but only a help tool, not a mastermind.

Q4: What skills should a 21st-century hotelier possess?

First and foremost, if we talk about mountain hotels, empathy towards the guests’ needs. All other things are the same in many hotels, but a warm approach toward the guests is becoming crucial.

Q5: We cannot avoid discussing the sustainable transformation of our industry. What must we do to create a world where more than nine billion people can live decently within planetary boundaries?

My opinion is that we should only use the natural resources we need for the beautiful life on our planet. Let’s end the overconsumption in all industries.

Q6: What is your definition of true hospitality?

In our Bosnian roots, it is the same when a guest comes to your house; you will do everything to make him comfortable and welcome, even sometimes going beyond your boundaries. Even if you see him for the first time.