Inky Dario: At the Days’ helm
Inky Dario at the hotel lobby.
A person who is interested in and finds Iloilo and Ilonggos a great place and people, Dario said that he does not consider himself just visiting here. “This is where I am, so this is where I came from.”
After a time at the gym, he walks around the premises of Days Hotel many times a day. You see him conferring with the housekeeping staff during his walks. Although the staff is at hand to handle the tiny details in the guest rooms, Inky Dario, manager of Days Hotel Iloilo, believes that by being present, the guests’ needs and preferences are followed to the letter.
And he never gets tired of walking around. Well, half of his career (20 years)
in the food and hotel industry was spent doing such. “It’s part of my training. You see many things when you walk around. Problems get solved as soon as you see them,” he told The News Today.
But, walking isn’t the only thing that Dario is good at. He has the passion for giving Days Hotel’s patrons the value for their money. To ensure this, he makes it a point to be on top of things.
Inky with the Days Hotel Officers and
Staff. Front row: Mae Gengco and Jose
Irisari, Kitchen Managers. Back row:
Ronnie Simpas, The Promenade,
Restaurant Manager; Edzel Diaday,
Admin. & Compliance Officer; Rose
Beso, Housekeeping Manager; April
Orola, HR Officer; Kryztof Carillo, F&B
Manager; Honeybelle Portillo, Wellness
Club Spa and Gym Manager; Scott Sarria
- Manager; Joyce Calisa, Accountant;
and Inky Dario, General Manager.
In the morning, he calls for a “roll call” among his department heads. He finds this the most interesting part of the day. “This is where the batuhan ng ballpen and laughing together takes place,” he said. They discuss the things that transpired the previous day and if there are problems, they agree on its solution.
“Hotel management is really fun. You solve the problems together. We start our day as a team,” he said.
It is evident that Dario is a team player, customer focused, value focused and very democratic in his management style wherein he believes that information should flow freely. “Service is everyone’s business,” he insists.
The rest of the day, he takes care of the other aspects of business. “I look at the books and see how they can look better. And Facebook,” he said laughing, his sense of humor very evident since the start of the conversation.
“Anyway, I want to introduce new things to the hotel. We will emphasize the importance of value on our service and products. That the customers get what they pay for,” he said.
Inky in one of Days Hotel's modern rooms.
Days Hotel is known for being pricey but service is not about cost, he added. It’s about having a special place; a place of value. “People go to you because they understand your value,” he said.
“At Days Hotel, food is always fresh and flavorful. The rooms are kept clean and maintained within corporate standards. Safety is also of utmost concern. Security at the hotel is assured,” he added.
So, he’s a newbie in Iloilo who wants to introduce the world-class standards being practiced in Manila hotels nowadays. What can Iloilo show to him? “I’d like to see what Iloilo is all about. I’d like to see Guimaras, too. I’ve heard about it. I also want to see if there is aswang in Antique (Capiz). I just want to immerse myself here,” he said.
A person who is interested in and finds Iloilo and Ilonggos a great place and people, Dario said that he does not consider himself just visiting here. “This is where I am, so this is where I came from.”