A coffee with ...

Markus Griesenbeck wears glasses and sits at a table on a terrace wearing a white suit shirt. In front of him is a cappuccino, next to it his smartphone. The blue sky is reflected in the window next to him.

... Markus Griesenbeck
(CEO, ATLANTIC Hotels)

Markus Griesenbeck wears glasses and sits at a table on a terrace wearing a white suit shirt. In front of him is a cappuccino, next to it his smartphone. The blue sky is reflected in the window next to him.

Dear Markus,
Thank you very much for taking the time to share insights into your life. We couldn't imagine a better 'captain'. We're glad you're here!

Please give us some insight into your career.
MG: When I think back on it, it's a nice story: I graduated from high school in 1984 and then completed compulsory military service in Wuppertal. After that, I decided to train as a hotel manager at the Maritim in Hamm. I completed my apprenticeship early, and in my final year I was offered the chance to participate in a junior management programme. 

To improve my English, I then moved to the UK for six months. During this time, I completed internships in various hotels. Back then, I was approached about returning to the Maritim Group, so I started working as a receptionist at the Maritim Grafschaft hotel in Schmallenberg. I later managed reservations and worked in event sales and food and beverage services. Following a management meeting with the owners, the Gommolla family, I was offered the position of deputy director. However, I declined the offer as I didn't feel ready. I wanted to gain more experience in the food and beverage sector, so I became deputy manager at the Bremer Ratskeller, which was then run by Maritim. At the age of 27, I became a hotel manager at the Maritim Bremen, followed by a three-year management position in Magdeburg. 

I was ready for a change, so in 1999 I became involved in the construction of the ATLANTIC Hotel Universum. The hotel is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary. I still clearly remember my interview with Joachim Linnemann (who sadly passed away) and Kurt Zech in the Fokker Room of the ATLANTIC Hotel Airport. I was hired as hotel manager for the ATLANTIC Hotel Universum on November 1st 1999. While I had been responsible for a 500-room hotel in Magdeburg, only 150 rooms were planned for the ATLANTIC Hotel Universum. While one might think this was an exciting step backwards, the vision of a hotel group was already in sight. We now have 20 hotels and several more projects in the pipeline.

In 2005, I appointed Ariane Manako as the hotel manager at the ATLANTIC Hotel Universum while I became the hotel manager at the ATLANTIC Hotel Galopprennbahn. More and more tasks were added to my remit. Today, I am the CEO responsible for the operating companies of the ATLANTIC Hotels Group's hotels.

Describe your job at the ATLANTIC Hotels Group.
MG: Every day is different and brings different challenges. As CEO, I am responsible for our operating companies and maintain contact with the management teams within the group. In 2008, we realised that we could no longer manage hotel openings without central structures and IT, so we founded ATLANTIC Hotels Management GmbH.

Describe yourself in three words
MG: Strong — honest — empathetic. 

Where were you born and raised? 
MG: In Remscheid, between Wuppertal and Solingen. I lived there with my parents and older brother. At weekends, the question was often: 'Should we go to Cologne or Düsseldorf to do something fun?' 

What motivates you?
MG: I love my four wonderful children. Every time I see them and every experience I have with one or more of them makes me happy.

What do you do to relax?
MG: For me, relaxation means coming home. I like being there. I also enjoy driving, especially in my convertible. Social gatherings are important to me, too.

Photographed from above, Markus Griesenbeck can be seen sitting at a gray table wearing a white shirt. His hands are folded on the table. In front of him is a cappuccino, a small plate of brownies, and a green plant. His smartphone is also on the table.

You interact with many different people. What is important to you in terms of communication, interaction and behaviour? 
MG: I like to look my conversation partner in the eye and listen. This results in open and honest communication. Of course, it's good to reach a positive conclusion together. On the other hand, there are also difficult conversations where you can and should find a good way forward together. Even if it doesn't seem that way to others, I am approachable by everyone in the company. 

What vision for the hotel group drives you?
MG: You need a vision. First, we must do our job particularly well. How can we stand out in an increasingly competitive hotel market? Our employees' openness, courtesy and friendliness towards guests are highly praised. That is hospitality. 

Our vision stems from the company's growth. As well as hospitality, we must also excel in the digital world. Our corporate vision is to be recognised as a leading hotel group throughout Germany. We have achieved that. Now, we could become more international. 

Could you give us advice for self-management?
MG: We are all individuals. I believe that everyone has to take care of themselves and be mindful. Personally, I find an organised office helpful.

When I'm not working, I...
MG: ...relax and enjoy life.

Bremen is...
MG: ...home, because it's simply a beautiful, historic city with a lot to offer. Not too big and not too small.
 

// Publication: September 1, 2025 //

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A visualized skyline of all ATLANTIC Hotels locations. All of the hotel group's facades are visualized together in blue and grey tones.

Get to know more employees over a coffee:

Dark-haired Madlin smiles at the camera in her kitchen uniform. She is sitting on a brown sofa. In front of her is a cup of coffee crema on the table, next to it is a knife.

Madlin Klumbies
(Chef de Partie)

ATLANTIC Hotel Galopprennbahn

Hotel manager Florian Schönwetter wears a suit and sits smiling at a wooden restaurant table with a light-colored table runner. His arms are resting on the backs of the chairs. On the table is a cappuccino and a latte macchiato - each with a brownie on the saucer - and a small vase with a flower. A mobile phone rests on a blue notebook. The Wilhelmshaven harbor basin can be seen in the background under a blue sky.

Florian Schönwetter
(General Manager)


ATLANTIC Hotel Wilhelmshaven

Dark-haired Nina Neuhoff sits smiling in a light-colored suit in a striped beach chair. In front of her is a wooden table with a tray holding a latte macchiato, a vase with a pink flower, and a sugar bowl. There is also a potted plant with purple flowers on the table.

Nina Neuhoff
(Deputy reservations manager)


Severins*s Resort & Spa

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