Neil Castaldi: Experienced Hotel Manager

Neil Castaldi has 35 years of experience in the hotelmanagement sector. He was the Regional Director of Operations for Twin TierHospitality for three years before he moved on to manage the NottowayPlantation and Resort. He helped the company smartly invest $35 million intorenovating the grounds and providing more amenities and services to all guestswhile preserving the beautiful antebellum-era architecture. The NottowayPlantation is the largest antebellum-era plantation still intact in the South

Source: Neil Castaldi: Experienced Hotel Manager

Neil Castaldi – 3 Ways to Balance Family Time and Business

Family makes working hard worthwhile. Neil Castaldi is the CEO and managing partner of Nottoway Plantation & Resort. He also values family over everything else in his life. His career is important, and he works hard to earn personal and professional success. However, he does this work because he wants to support his family and make them proud. Though he works hard, he also always finds ways to spend time with his family.

Family time is important for any professional. Spending time with your family will help you relax and unwind. It is a great way to refresh and prepare yourself to go back to work and take on the next challenge that comes your way. One way to make time for family is to mark out one weekend a month. Choose a weekend that you will not have to work. If you pick it in advance, you will be able to work around that weekend in order to keep those few days free. Go on a short trip with your family, or plan a couple of fun events.

Another way to make time for family is to come home every evening for dinner. Even if you have to return to work, or continue to work from your home office, you will still be spending an hour with your family every evening. This will help you connect and maintain your relationships.

Your hard work should always be for the sake of your family. Therefore, you should always spend time with them, and make memories. Neil Castaldi always makes time for his family.

Neil Castaldi – What Does a Managing Partner Do?

Neil Castaldi is the managing partner of Nottoway Plantation & Resort. He is also the president and CEO of this hotel and manages most details surrounding the operation of the plantation. For several large businesses, there are managing partners and silent, or administrative partners. This involves dividing the tasks among experienced professionals in order to ensure that a business runs smoothly.

The title of managing partner is given to the highest formal title that can be given to a senior partner. This professional is also referred to as the CEO of the business. This role is given to the man or woman who is responsible for the day to day operations of the business. It is a job of great responsibility and is awarded to the person who has the most experience in the company and who is dedicated and hard working.

The managing partner is in charge of the business’s budget allocations and profit margins. It is this person’s responsibility to ensure that the company is making a profit and generating revenue. It is also this person’s responsibility to oversee the employees and ensure that there is a high morale amongst the team members.

A skillful managing partner is able to adapt to several roles and take on any challenge. This person is able to handle the marketing and advertising for a hotel or business, and work inside the hotel when it is necessary. Neil Castaldi is a highly skilled managing partner and CEO. He can take on any role and is well versed in every aspect of running a hotel.

Neil Castaldi – How to Become a Hospitality Professional

Neil Castaldi earned a degree in business from University of Naples Federico II. He then entered the hospitality industry and worked his way up to CEO. This career path is a great choice for anyone who enjoys being challenge on a daily basis, and working in a fast-paced environment. There are several different ways to become a skilled hospitality professional.

The hospitality industry is comprised of dozens of different fields such as hotels, restaurants, cruise lines, transportation services, or tourist destinations. The first step is to choose which field you would like to work in. Once you have chosen, you have two options. The first is to earn a degree in either hospitality or business from a university. This option is ideal if you hope to rise above the level of manager in a hotel or restaurant. However, you do not need to earn a degree immediately.

Experience is highly valued in the hospitality industry. Experience will give you the skills necessary to handle guests and to run an establishment. Just earning a degree will not teach you how to interact with the people you are managing, or how to provide five star customer service.

The second option is to start from the bottom of a hotel or restaurant and work your way up. Once you have gained years of experience, and know every aspect of running a hospitality establishment, you will have the skills you need to run your own hotel or restaurant. Neil Castaldi chose to earn a degree in business and then gain experience in hotel management. He is now the CEO of Nottoway Plantation & Resort.

Neil Castaldi – Do You Know What Historic Hotels of America Are?

Neil Castaldi is the managing partner and CEO of Nottoway Plantation & Resort in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This plantation is an elegant and opulent antebellum property that has been converted into a luxurious hotel and resort. He loves working with Historic Hotels of America properties and works hard to maintain historical integrity.

Historic Hotels of America was founded by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The purpose of this program is to recognize and celebrate historic buildings and hotels throughout the country. This program was started in 1989, and has 32 charter members. Only the finest historic hotels are counted within this program and offer tourists amazing destinations all across the country.Neil Castaldi has experience and education in hospitality.

Over 200 hotels are considered a part of Historic Hotels of America. Each of these hotels have maintained their historic authenticity and are a celebration of local culture. The majority of these establishments are privately owned and operated. While others are operated by some of the world’s finest hospitality brands and companies. These hotels are meant to represent American history as well as the local histories and cultures of their cities.

Hoteliers have to go through a strict process in order to have their hotel added to the Historic Hotels of America’s list. The hotel must be over 50 years old. It needs to be designated as a National Historic Landmark by the United States Secretary of the Interior. A hotel can also gain membership if it is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Finally it must be recognized as having historical significance. Nottoway Plantation & Resort, the hotel that Neil Castaldi is the CEO of, is a historic hotel and a member of Historic Hotels of America.

Many Working Parts in the Hospitality Field – Neil Castaldi

Neil Castaldi’s academic preparation for a life in hospitality consisted of his business degree from the University of Naples in Naples, Italy.  His degree gave him the needed background in bookkeeping, accounting, marketing and related business skills to set him on the road to success.  It was his next steps which gave him an education in the hard knocks of hospitality: his work in the luxury cruise industry.  It was to Neil Castaldi’s benefit that he learned hospitality from the ground up, starting in rooms and maintenance, and branching out into other facets of guest services on luxury high seas cruises.  “It was run like the military,” Neil recalled.  “We had inspections.”

Hospitality is an umbrella term for guest services in a number of different service fields, including theme parks, lodging, event planning, transportation, cruise lines, resorts, casinos and other aspects of the tourism industry.  Disposable income and leisure time are necessities for the public which supports this multibillion dollar enterprise, which Neil Castaldi’s creative ability with concept themes successfully attracts.  Within only one hospitality facility like an amusement park, hotel or restaurant exist various other functions: maintenance, servers, housekeepers, porters, kitchen workers, bartenders, marketers, human resources, and management are just a few of the working parts managed by Neil Castaldi.

The number one priority of managers in hospitality is the vacancy rate.  Restauranteurs, hoteliers, resort operations VP’s and owners, must strive constantly to maximize the usage rate in their venues.  Maximizing customers is a priority, and any service, product or promotion which increases usage rate is a sought after commodity.  Managers like Neil Castaldi are very concerned with how to increase their competitive advantage in attracting and keeping customers, and forces like location, support for the physical plant in terms of upkeep and the services provided therein, and the creative themes and approaches designed by marketing professionals take a high precedence over lesser concerns.  A separate but vital part of hospitality are the employed personnel who work with customers.   Professionalism and authenticity is communicated from the organization to the customer through these employees, who when successful give the hospitality venue a clear advantage.

Resorts and resort towns have now become a moniker for self-contained commercial hospitality, where relaxation and recreation are catered to in a variety of ways.  Pools and lakes for swimming and water recreation, food, drink, lodging, sports, entertainment and shopping amenities are all included at one location; thus the term all-inclusive is often applied.

Neil Castaldi – Hospitality Tricks: Good Management

Doing well in the hospitality industry, according to Robert Rauch, President of RAR Hospitality is partially achieved by being able to have an effective management team. Leadership plays an important role in any industry, but is especially important to hospitality because it sets the tempo and feel of a resort or hotel, which often determines a guest’s experience. A good leader and manager will show their team of employees better ways to interact with customers, handle their complaints and concerns, as well as work on their own personal flaws. In fact, part of being a good leader and manager is about being able to admit flaws and weaknesses. This demonstrates to the employees that if the management still needs improvement, they are likely to need it as well.

A good leader and manager is someone that demonstrates, not demands. Robert Rauch says that you have to, “walk the talk” to be a good leader. This just means that a manager can’t just tell their employees what to do, they need to show them. One good example to improve overall quality of a resort is to establish good connections with the guests. Managers should take a personal and vested interest in each guest. This will make a guest feel valued and welcome, which improves the overall quality of their experience. A good manager will also be patient and share their knowledge of the facility with the guests. Anything to improve a guest’s experience is likely to be good for business.

The Nottoway Plantation of Neil Castaldi is a historical resort that has a great team of managers.

Aldo Read: Neil Castaldi – Trends in Hospitality : Mobile Social Media

Neil Castaldi: Skills to Develop to be Successful in the Hospitality Industry

The hospitality industry includes all hotels and inns. If you want to get into the fast-paced and challenging hotel industry for a career, you have to develop a few skills that will pay dividends throughout your entire career in the hospitality industry.

These skills will also play in your everyday life as well:

  • Ensuring customer satisfaction is a commitment that all hospitality staff has to master quickly to build a successful career in the industry. Even the corporate executives who run hotels have long since committed to helping customers get what they want at their hotels.
  • Communication skills. Communicating is a useful skill to have in any industry, but in the hospitality industry, it is even more important to communicate with co-workers, those below you in the company organization, and with customers to ensure excellent service.
  • How to use a computer. Knowing basic functions using software is a key skill that many hotel managers value in their workers because of the new emphasis on using Information Technology to manage hotel operations and key in on customer’s needs at all times.
  • Not so much a skill as a state of mind, you have to go into the hospitality industry with enthusiasm and a work ethic that will get you noticed. If you can’t get excited about doing your work well and helping people, you’re in the wrong business.

Neil Castaldi has enjoyed 35 years working in the hospitality industry. He is the General Manager of the Nottoway Plantation, in southern Louisiana.

neil castaldi

Recommended Read: Neil Castaldi: Three Skills Every Hospitality Professional Has to Possess

Neil Castaldi: Three Skills Every Hospitality Professional Has to Possess

Working in the hospitality industry provides people with a rewarding career and, if they are skilled and they stick with it, a nice living. In order to make it to the big bucks, however, you have to be willing to be an excellent customer service representative, and cater to all guests’ needs.

Many people think that they care about customers and that they provide them with excellent care, but when the going gets tough, they fold. If you want to succeed in the hospitality business, you have to come in with enthusiasm for helping people, and these three skills:

  • Interpersonal skills. No guest wants to try to pierce through your hard outer shell to get to the real you. You have to present understanding and friendliness to all customers, and be able and willing to work with your coworkers.
  • The best hospitality workers—and the ones that get promotions—are those who can step up and command projects. This skill allows you to contribute to the company’s overall success.
  • As a hospitality employee, you’ll have to stay on top of all of the many tasks and duties you’ll be asked to perform. You have to work on multiple projects at once and stay ahead of all of them.

Neil Castaldi has over 35 years of experience in the hospitality sector. He has owned several hotels and restaurants in his career, and today works as the General Manager and Vice President of Operations for the Nottoway Plantation, a beautiful antebellum-era resort in southern Louisiana.

Recommended Read: Neil Castaldi : How to Manage Effectively

Neil Castaldi – P and L Management: Allocating Resources

P and L Managers have a large influence in how their company allocates their resources. Profit and Loss Managers have to analyze the benefits and costs of every project their companies take on. These professionals are usually executive leaders on the corporate level who have the skills to analyze each expense line by line to determine whether they are worth what their companies pay. P and L Managers are in every industry; their companies pay them to ensure that their budgets are being used efficiently. For every company, every small expense matters, especially companies that provide specialized services to the public.

Hospitality companies, for example, usually have high overhead costs. These companies often hire P and L Managers to help them comb through their rolling expenses to find ways to improve profits and cut costs. Restaurants have to continually buy more food for their kitchens, hire new staff when needed, and improve their facilities from time to time. Depending on their clientele, these businesses have to invest smartly in their infrastructure to attract their target audience. For them, creating the best individualized atmosphere is what matters most. They need their budgets to go into creating this atmosphere for their target customers.

nottoway plantation neil castaldi

Neil Castaldi is a P and L Manager working for Nottoway Plantation, a large property in southern Louisiana that acts as a hotel and special events venue for the people of that area. Castaldi presided over a huge renovation project on the Nottoway grounds that cost over $35 million.

Also Read: Nottoway Plantation of Neil Castaldi : Core Concepts