Christian Hempel,national league gymnast of SC Berlin sports club, is being trained in the hotel trade

The reputation of the hotel among sportspeople is excellent and Christian knew of it through the SC Berlin club already before he came into personal contact. Even now, the familiar logo is not far away: there is a poster advertising for the gymnastics national league and it goes without saying where the gests are going to stay.

Sportspeople always have a good home here, what you get for your money is beyond comparison in Berlin. Sometimes you cant help the feeling that some of the sports groups come here just for the excellent cuisine, year after year … At the Columbus Hotel, the staff care for their guests or partners. Take the 1997 World Championships of Rhythmic Gymnastics, for instance, when the four-fold World Champion Yelena Vitrichenko from the Ukraine stayed here. After she won the titles, she did not "only" receive an ordinary bunch of flowers but she was presented with a beautiful bouquet decorated with the respective gold-plated apparatus – such as the rope and the ball for every world championship title. And of course, the gymnasts from the different countries were each welcomed in their own national language! It is such gestures that will make not only satisfied customers but also friends. And word of such hospitality spreads quickly, especially among sportspeople. Even though the exterior may put off a few of the well-travelled individual guests at first sight, as it is one of the pre-fabricated concrete slab facades, the conclusion upon departing is, "I’ll come back" in most of the cases.
That is the best compliment for a crew for whom friendliness is an authentic sentiment and the smile is genuine. "I can only confirm that from the staff’s point of view", says the new apprentice Christian, who is being trained in the hotel trade here. "The way in which I was received here was super. The atmosphere is right, the people are easy-going and very helpful so that I can continue with my sports."

Training for active sportspeople

"The Hotel for Sportspeople in Berlin" is the sub-title of the hotel name and this is taken seriously by the crew supporting the hotel owner Monika Rink also in another sense: her hotel is offering vocational training on special terms for Berlin sportspeople. By the way, "I am a bit surprised", says the boss, "that this offer is not being used more, as it is open to all sports clubs and associations. Up until now, Christian is the only competitive sportsman we have got as a trainee."
Altogether 11 young people are being trained here, with four of them in their first year. "We have got a special training agreement with Christian negotiated with the Berlin Trade and Industry Chamber and the SC Berlin sports club", says Ms Rink, "this enables him to train for his sport and go in for competitions. For instance, he has got shortened working hours and also the option of extending his training period, if he doesn’t manage it within the compulsory three years."
However, this is what Christian wants to achieve, come what may, even though the strain of the first days is quite unfamiliar. "It is a really big change. This morning I had training at the sports club and now I am on late shift – I am quite exhausted when I come home in the evenings!" His parents' flat in the borough of Marzahn is not too far away though for Berlin distances. However, there is a young lady for whom he will cover any distance, for instance, to the airport. Before we learn more about his girlfriend, he tells us more about "his" hotel enthusiastically. "While I was waiting there, I saw an overview of Berlin hotels. And only a few were booked out, Columbus was one of them!"

Management in the spirit of the hotel

He was soon able to learn for himself what "booked out" really means. "It was my first late shift and totally quiet. Suddenly, three group returned within half an hour and all wanted to have a drink at the hotel bar – I was all over the place…" But still it was fun, Christian says looking back. He is now going through the various departments of the hotel and can rely on the advice and support of his colleagues. Asked where his professional career is to lead to in the end, he gives us a typical Hempel answer: "Hempel-Chain is what I would call it … But honestly, I want to specialise in Marketing and Management and possibly maintain the link between the hotel and sports later." Quite in the spirit of this hotel.

 Sonja Schmeißer

Hotel Kolumbus

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