AICR Austria Committee Members
Nikola Farkas
President AICR Austria - The Amauris Vienna
When I was a child, I always wanted to become a chef – until I first stepped into an industrial kitchen. Since then, I have only cooked at home. I completed my education as a Tourism Management Assistant at HLTW13 in Vienna, focusing on hotel and restaurant management. My love for the Front Office developed during an internship at the Radisson BLU in Berlin, and since then, I cannot imagine working in any other industry or department. Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to showcase my skills at prestigious establishments such as Hotel Sacher in Vienna, for which I had the honor in 2020 of bringing the David Campbell Trophy to Austria for the very first time. Currently, I am working in front office management for the luxury boutique hotel “The Amauris Vienna” and could not be happier. A key aspect that I am passionate about is nurturing our young talents at the Front Office, particularly through initiatives like the "Austria’s Best Receptionist Competition." This commitment, along with the incredible network it provides, makes me immensely proud to serve as the President of AICR Austria.
Sandra Hösl
Vice President AICR Austria - InterContinental Vienna
Since I left the Kindergarten I was interested in the hospitality industry. My grandparents run a restaurant in Vienna and my mother used to work for them. Serving guests and make them happy was a passion I grew up with. During schooldays I started to work in restaurants and bars already. After my graduation I worked a short period in a travel agency but I realized that a nine-to-five job did not make me happy. 2008 I had the option to start at the InterContinentalVienna, a few days passed and I knew that I am at the right place. Every day a new experience, new people and great colleagues are just a few of the reasons why a Hotel like the InterContinental Vienna is the best place to work. In 2013 I joined the AICR Vienna and was a quiet member of this fabulous association. After getting more comfortable with my position at work I started to be a more active part of the AICR Vienna. When Hani El-Sharkawi asked in 2014 who would like to help organising the international Congress 2016 in Vienna I was hooked. Since them I am more than happy to be part of this great association.
Helmut Sommer
Treasurer AICR Austria - Hospitality Business Development Officer - Gitone BeteiligungsgmbH
I have been in the hospitality since 1989, with a few breaks in between, thinking that other industries might be "better". With advanced age, I have to admit that I simply love being surrounded by colleagues and guests and having the joyful delight of having a vast variety of tasks on a daily, even hourly basis. I joined AICR Austria in 2004 and took over the treasury from our longest serving AICR member, Andreas Plischke-Delabro in 2009. Hospitality is my world, AICR is much more than a networking platform to me, it is a possibility of being surrounded by professionals who share the same passion - the wellbeing of our guests, regardless of city, country, hotel or brand.
Marie Dobson
Secretary i/c of Development & Education AICR Austria - Park Hyatt Vienna
At first there was my interest for languages, after investing so many years of studying them at the Tourism School, I also wanted to use them! After various internships throughout different departments in hotels, I knew Reception is the place to be for me! Not only could I use the languages, but more so did I and still do enjoy the interactions with different personalities and cultures on a daily basis. After I won the 2012 "Receptionist of the Year" Austria, I represented AICR Austria during the "David Campbell Trophy" during the International Congress 2013 and was hooked. With the help of this amazing network of like-minded people I went to the UK to work in London and eventually moved on to Scotland where I looked after the Front Office as Assistant Front of House Manager. Now I am back in my beloved Vienna. The daily thrill of providing the best service based of different expectations of our guests makes me enjoy the challenges that come with it. It is also important for me to pass this passion for hospitality onto generations to come. Therefor the AICR is the perfect network for our industry.
Sophia Anker
Secretary i/c of Social Media AICR Austria - hotelkit
Since I was a child I always enjoyed travelling around during our holidays and discover different countries and cultures. I was the child who was standing behind the bar helping the staff by polishing the glasses or preparing my own dessert – that’s how my journey has begun. I was always getting more and more interested in the tourism industry, so I made the decision to visit a school which is focused on it. I visited the tourism school “Villa Blanka” in Innsbruck and finished my high school diploma in Hotel Management in June 2017. Afterwards I moved to Vienna and started to work as a receptionist at the renowned “Grand Hotel Wien”. After one year I had the pleasure to represent the hotel at the “ROTY – Receptionist of the year” and so I became part of AICR – which is not only a networking group, no it is much more – the AICR is a wonderful group of inspiring people, who are sharing their passion for the hotel industry as no other.
Daniel Fleischhacker
Secretary i/c of Western AICR Austria - Hotel Sacher Salzburg
I graduated from the Tourism Schools of Bad Gleichenberg, Austria, in 2011, having nurtured a passion for the world of hoteliers and gastronomy since my early childhood. My enthusiasm for hosting and creating memorable experiences was evident from a young age, as I eagerly took on the role of the host at family gatherings and among friends. At 19, I took a bold step and ventured abroad to expand my horizons and gain hands-on experience in the international hospitality sector. Over the years, I have had the privilege of working with the prestigious Kempinski Hotel group, where I honed my skills in the Front Office. My career has taken me to diverse and vibrant locations, including two enriching years in Dubai, followed by two years in China, where I worked in Yinchuan and Shanghai. This was followed by three years in the picturesque region of Tyrol and two years on the breathtaking Seychelles islands. Since 2020, I have returned to Austria completely and am now working as Head of Experience at the esteemed Hotel Sacher Salzburg. In this role, I am dedicated to crafting exceptional experiences for our guests, drawing on my extensive international experience and deep-rooted passion for hospitality.
Denise Bingler
Secretary i/c of Member Acquisition AICR Austria
During my education at the Secondary School, I took my first steps into the tourism sector. Due to my personal interest in this industry, I decided to enroll in a professional degree program at the tourism school MODUL in Vienna. Upon finishing a 2-year program with a Diploma in Hospitality and Tourism, I expanded my skills and experience while working within several areas of the Hotel Industry in Vienna as well as abroad for more than 6 years. I joined the AICR network in 2017 and I am still more than happy to be part of this family which has given me the opportunity to meet people all around the world who have the unconditional passion, patience, ambition and motivation necessary to be successful in this industry. In the beginning of 2020, I embraced the challenge to become an entrepreneur to implement ideas in order to ensure that professionals within the hotel industry can devote their time and passion to hospitality in a meaningful way.
