Matthias transferred to this hotel in Hungary from Bern Hotels & Resorts, which operated InterContinental Hotels in Panama. Matthias held the role of Corporate Director Sales & Marketing in charge for the InterContinental Miramar, The InterContinental Playa Bonita Resort & Spa, Panama Crowne Plaza & Holiday Inn Gamboa Rainforest. Other former stations included the Ritz Carlton Cancun Mexico, Hilton London Metropole, Waldorf Astoria, New York and Marriott Hotel Munich.

Matthias has a Bachelor degree in Sales & Meeting management and holds an MBA in International Trade. He is married and has a baby boy.


1. When did you arrive in Hungary and what brought you here?
I arrived to Hungary in August 2009. I was working for InterContinetal Hotel in Panama for 3 years. I am originally from Germany and when the opportunity came to return to Europe with InterContinental Hotels I took it

2. Have you ever been an expatriate elsewhere?
Yes in New York USA, London UK, Cancun Mexico, Panama City, Panama and now in Budapest

3. What surprised you most about Hungary?
The mixture of Mediterranean and Eastern European Culture

4. Friends are in Budapest for a weekend - what must they absolutely see and do?
Visit Szentendre one of the most romantic little towns I have been in a long time. They definitely need to walk over the Chain Bridge in the evening and enjoy the view from the Pest side to the Royal Castle. Finally have a coffee at the Café Gerbeaud then take the subway from Vörösmarty to Hero's Square and visit the Széchenyi Bath

5. What is your favourite Hungarian food?
Cherry Strudel (meggyes rétes)

6. What is never missing from your refrigerator?
German White Sausages (Weiss Wurst), sweet mustard, Brezel and German Weizenbier. I have been living outside of Germany since 1996 but some things never change.

7. What is your favourite Hungarian word?
'Szia' because it can also be used in English Slang as 'See You' and therefore, easy to remember

8. What do you miss the most from home?
To understand the language

9. What career other than yours would you love to pursue?
To be a Diplomat

10. What's a job you would definitely never want?
Never had a job so far I did not like. (I told you I would be a great Diplomat)

11. Where did you spend your last vacation?
Vienna (Austria) and Bratislava (Slovakia) exploring neighbouring countries of Hungary

12. Where do you hope to spend your next one?
In Panama visiting friends and family

13. What was your favourite band, film, or hobby as a teen?
My favoured hobby was as a teen and still is as an adult, travelling. When I was 14 I visited Nigeria staying with a friend and his parents in Lagos and Plato State.

14. What can't you resist?
'Please check question 6. :)

15. Red wine or white?
Living in Panama and Mexico cold white. Winter and autumn in Budapest red

16. Book or movie?
In Panama with 30 C outside I liked to sit in a cinema with air conditioning watching a movie. Being in Budapest oon a cold autumn or winter day definitely a book.

17. Morning person or night person?
Night, I love to see the stars

18. Which social issue do you feel most strongly about?
Supporting people that have no food, water, cloth, shelter and medicine because access to this is a basic human right and future generations will judge us on what we did to help.

19. Buda side or Pest side?
Margaret Island (Question 9)

20. What would you say is your personal motto?
Don't do anything to others that you don't want to be done to your self.