What is your full name and age?
Joseph Della Gatta… and 54 is the new 20 right?
What is your current Job Position?
I am the General Manager at one of the most iconic Resorts, the InterContinental Hua Hin Resort.
How long have you lived in Hua Hin or been coming to Hua Hin?
Hua Hin has come to be a very special place for my family and I. In all the years that my family and I have lived in Thailand, Hua Hin would have to be one of the places that we most often find ourselves frequenting to on holiday, and it’s surreal to finally be graced with the opportunity to work here!
What did you know about Hua Hin before you moved here?
I always knew Hua Hin as a year-round incredible destination to visit, with many amazing beaches, breathtaking mountains, viewpoints, Temples, night markets, water parks, and a culinary delight destination satisfying an array of palates from fine dining, fine wine, to local seafood restaurants with an emphasis on local products.
What do you like most about your profession?
I have always had the thought of a career that is challenging, interesting, and makes a difference in people’s lives on a daily basis. What swung the pendulum to hospitality was the travelling and the love of learning and experiencing new cultures.
During my career, I’ve met guests from all over the world, from all walks of life who have now become my lifelong friends because of the level of attention and care that the team has delivered. I find it very gratifying when a guest tells me that they’ve has the most memorable vacation because I know that my team and I have played a part in their lives and delivered something priceless.
Over my career I’ve been fortunate to have incredible mentors that have helped me on my hospitality journey and shaped me into the hotelier I am today. I am now in a position to pay it forward and I find it very enriching to share my knowledge and experience with the next generation of hoteliers. Personally for me, the greatest success for me as a General Manager is seeing the individual growth, progression and success of the team members.
What do you like least about your profession?
For every positive that comes with traveling and being based in some of the world’s most exotic destinations, there’s a negative, and for me that would have to be leaving my teams behind.
I recently left the Maldives, and the goodbyes never get any easier. In an industry like ours where all team members play an equally important role, you tend to become a family and rely on each other for everything and anything. So as excited as I was to return to Thailand, it was upsetting to have to leave behind a very dedicated team.
What do you like most about Hua Hin?
Being based in Bangkok, you’re amidst so many people that you hardly actually see anyone. So, to be in a resort destination such as Hua Hin, you’re offered the best of both worlds. It’s far enough from Bangkok to feel off the beaten path, but close enough to share the cultural, social, and opportunity-rich haven that the big city offers–whilst also being a lot more laid back allowing me to really open my heart to the people and environment around me.
What is your favorite restaurant and why? (please don’t promote your own restaurants.)
My favorite restaurants are those that embrace local produce and sustain the local economy…In Hua Hin with so many to choose from, one of my favorites would undoubtedly be the Sopa Seafood Restaurant. This restaurant has some of the freshest seafood that I have ever tasted as they source their seafood daily from local fisherman. It’s a place where I can go with my family to enjoy our time and food together, surrounded by that same sense of community that I cherish so dearly.
What do you like to do in your free time and why?
My day begins with time for myself at 5.00 am with a great workout, which is how I clear my head in preparation for the day ahead. Scuba diving and fishing are some of my greatest passions, and to be able to do so with my two sons are some of my favorite things to do; I love spending as much time as I can with my family. Enjoying a great meal with friends, guests and repeat guests is also pretty high up on the list.
What would you recommend to newcomers to do in Hua Hin and why?
With so many attractions in Hua Hin, this is a tough question. If I had to pick one, the first would be be to visit one of Thailand’s most famous temples right here in Hua Hin – Wat Huay Mongkol Temple. Not only being architecturally astonishing, the Temple has an enormous statue of one of Thailand’s most famous monks, named Luang Phor Thuad and when at the temple wish for, good luck, health, fortune and happiness.
Tell us a surprising fact that the public might not know about you?
When deciding on my career I wanted to choose a career involving people and play a part of connecting and making a difference to their lives, hence I Initially I wanted to go into Nursing, but decided to venture into hospitality and be able travel the world.
What is the most outlandish thing you have ever done and why?
Singing is not my forte and yet somehow, someone managed to convince me to sing karaoke and in doing so, four universal truths were revealed. Firstly, I really can’t sing. Secondly, nobody really cared because neither could they. Thirdly, when people say they’re on the way, it means that they haven’t left the house yet. Fourthly, it was just pure, plain, unadulterated fun, and that you shouldn’t let your insecurities stop you from pursuing something because people care a lot less than you think.