WE ARE DELIGHTED TO HAVE HAD MARIA SANTOS ON OUR TEAM FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS. AS AN ONBOARDING SPECIALIST AND ACCOUNT MANAGER, SHE SUPPORTS US AND OUR CLIENTS DAILY WITH HER EXTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE AND DEDICATION.
Maria Santos – A versatile language and hospitality talent in the Hotel-Spider team
Maria's exciting career has taken her from Switzerland to Spain, always accompanied by her passion for languages and hospitality. With a background in the hotel industry and a deep understanding of online technology, she is motivated to help hotels optimize their online presence and achieve their business goals.
We sat down with her to learn more about her fascinating career and current projects.
PETS AND FAMILY CONNECTIONS
Maria lives with two special pets, lovebirds named Valentin and Valentina, who are also known as the inseparables. These colorful birds bring a lot of joy to Maria's home with their vibrant colors and cheerful nature. "They start chirping as soon as it gets light," Maria says with a smile. Despite sometimes starting the day earlier than she'd like, Maria is very fond of her little housemates.
Her relationship with her pets reflects Maria's loving and caring nature. Her connection to her homeland is just as strong as her bond with her birds. Although Maria has lived in southern Spain for 20 years, she still feels a strong connection to Switzerland. “Of course, I miss my friends and Swiss chocolate. But living in Spain, with the wonderful weather and the sea, has many advantages,” she says.
A LOVE FOR TRAVEL AND CULTURE
Besides her work at Hotel-Spider, Maria is also a passionate traveler. “My partner and I love to travel, often with family and friends. I plan our trips myself, researching flights, accommodation and activities. It's a great joy for me,”, she says.
Maria is also passionate about dance and movement. “I do flamenco, salsa and belly dancing. After a day in front of the computer, it feels good to move. I also love Pilates, yoga, aerobics and hiking,” she says.
AN EXCITING CAREER PATH
Maria was born in Bern, Switzerland and speaks five languages fluently: German, Spanish, English, French and Italian. “At home, my brother and I spoke Spanish with our parents, who are from Spain. In school, we spoke German and Swiss German. I learned Italian from my babysitter, who was Italian, and in school, I also learned French and English,” Maria explains.
From a young age, Maria knew she wanted a career that would involve her language skills. After finishing school, she decided to train at the Hotel Management School in Bern and then had the opportunity to work for a well-known hotel group. Her career took her through various positions until she moved to southern Spain in 2003.
Her language skills have proven to be a valuable asset in her career, allowing her to connect with clients from different cultures and effectively communicate the complexities of hotel technology.
Maria fondly remembers special customer experiences. One of them was a large project in Dubai: “We had to bring more than 20 hotels online in five days. It was a huge challenge given the short time frame, but everything went perfectly.”
Maria loves meeting people and enjoys attending major industry events such as the International Tourism Exchange (ITB) in Berlin. These experiences are extremely valuable to her, as they provide the opportunity to connect directly with partners and clients and build personal relationships.
These experiences demonstrate Maria's commitment and her ability to deliver excellent results, even under pressure. She enjoys visiting clients and providing on-site training to build personal connections.
RETURNING TO HOSPITALITY
Maria also gained valuable experience in other fields, including insurance and real estate, before eventually finding her way back to hospitality. These insights have given her a broader perspective and transferable skills that have proved useful for her ongoing work.
“I always knew I wanted to do something with languages and hospitality has always fascinated me. When I moved to Spain, I was fortunate to find a job through a friend at a technology company for hotels,” she says. Since then, she has established herself in the world of hotel technology.
This decision allowed her to combine her passion for languages with her growing interest in technology and begin a new chapter in her professional journey.
DEDICATION AND SUCCESS AT HOTEL-SPIDER
Maria joined Hotel-Spider in 2021 in a role which aligned perfectly with her passions and expertise. In this role, she has the opportunity to use her language skills, knowledge of online hotel technology and customer-oriented approach to help hotels implement Hotel-Spider solutions. “I help hotels to connect their websites to online platforms and solve technical challenges. If there are any technical problems, I contact our technicians, and we find solutions together,” Maria explains.
With her extensive experience and passion for hospitality, Maria has brought valuable knowledge and fresh ideas to the Hotel-Spider team. We look forward to continuing our work with Maria and are excited about her future achievements.
