Anniversary spotlight: Robin Czullay celebrates 10 years with HotelPartner 

In today’s edition of our anniversary spotlight, we celebrate a special milestone: Robin Czullay, one of our most dedicated and experienced employees, is celebrating 10 years with HotelPartner. Since joining the company in November 2014, Robin has made a significant contribution to the success of the company, not only through his professional expertise, but also through his continuous development and passion. Robin’s journey at HotelPartner has been characterised by dynamism, team spirit and an unparalleled commitment to our common goals.

In this interview, Robin gives an exciting insight into his career at HotelPartner, shares valuable tips for new colleagues and lets us in on some of his most memorable moments. Find out more about his career, his vision for the future and why the Golden Rider motivates him every day!

Robin, can you give us a brief overview of your career at HotelPartner?

I joined HotelPartner in November 2014. I spent my first three weeks in the Bern office with Rainer, Marcel and Olivers to familiarise myself with the company. It was a very intense time, and I later took care of the music at a farewell party for Oliver’s brother, as I used to be a DJ.

When I returned to Hamburg, I started working with Pascal, initially under him and Brita. From the beginning my focus was on the Swiss portfolio. Over time, I was promoted to Senior and later Chief. In the meantime, I also managed the Austrian market together with Melanie Saliger. I was also in charge of the UK business before it was handed over to someone else in 2022 as the portfolio there grew.

During this time I experienced many dynamic phases. I always felt listened to and was able to make an active contribution to the organisation.

What advice would you give to a new colleague on their first day at HotelPartner?

Be prepared to learn everything from scratch when you join us. Our system, our markets, us – you are practically starting from scratch. This willingness to learn is crucial, even if it means you have to do some homework at the beginning to sort out your notes, study the articles in the knowledge base or familiarise yourself with the system in the training environment.

If you had a theme song that played every time you came into the office, what would it be and why?

“Der Goldene Reiter” by Joachim Witt. I like the energy of the song and I like to dance to it.

When you look back on your time here, what has been your most important personal contribution?

I wouldn’t put it down to one particular project, I can’t name anything. Over the years, I’ve committed to loyalty, positivity, and continuous improvement. My goal is to elevate our services while providing a steady, calming presence for my colleagues during hectic times. The dynamic experiences and strong team spirit at HotelPartner have shaped my growth, and I’m dedicated to giving back to the team that has supported me.

Can you think of a particular project that has helped you grow during your time at HotelPartner?

Through my long affiliation with HotelPartner and the growing trust placed in me, I have steadily grown with my responsibilities. I am particularly proud of the results of the Look & Feel Task Force, which I was privileged to support until recently. Together with Melanie we have achieved a lot, such as the dashboard, the V2 booking analysis and the booking centre.

How have your colleagues contributed to your positive experience here and is there any collaboration you would like to highlight?

I was lucky enough to work directly with Rainer and Oliver in the early years and benefit from their experience. They were very patient and forgiving – instead of being punished for mistakes, we looked ahead together and thought about how things could be done better. I still have that attitude today: we have a culture of making mistakes, where we can talk openly and don’t hold grudges. There is a lot of mutual trust and, despite the size we have now reached, there is a family atmosphere. The IT department has always shown great patience with my many questions and has played a key role in helping me to better understand large parts of the system and its dependencies. I don’t want to highlight any particular relationship with individual colleagues as we all pull together as a team. A big thank you is due to my wonderful wife, who over the years has given me as much support as possible for customer visits, necessary weekend work, trade fairs, overtime or sick children, even though she works herself.

If your anniversary was a public holiday, how would we celebrate you?

I enjoy socialising, good food and lively parties where I like to DJ. I like to see everyone dancing and having a good time.

Even after 10 years, there may still be things your team doesn’t know about you! Would you like to take us behind the scenes?

I once made it into the German “Bild” newspaper. Unfortunately, the subtitle and the supposed quote at the end were taken out of context in “Bild” style and became a bit embarrassing. You won’t find the 2000s article in their online archive, but I was happy to dig it out of the attic for you:

Which idea or project would you still like to realise at HotelPartner and why?  

I’ve been talking about it for years: the New York office. Maybe I’ll even move there myself. It is my wish to see this project come to fruition and be successful.

How do you see your professional future at HotelPartner?  

I think I’ve already come a long way and am at a point where I don’t want to move up any further, which doesn’t mean that I won’t continue to develop. I really enjoy working in the area of system development. When my input is implemented and we have new tools that improve customer performance or increase our efficiency, I am happy to have made a contribution. I feel very strong and comfortable in the area of customer relations and would like to consolidate these. I am extremely satisfied with my current position and look forward to continuing to be active in these areas.

If you could wish for something from HotelPartner, what would it be?

To be able to spend 2 months travelling to all the most beautiful hotels and regions in our portfolio with my wife.

Thank you for 10 years of loyalty, commitment and inspiration at HotelPartner. We look forward to many more successful years with you!