THE VEGA HOTEL STORY

Hundreds of the most diverse festive events, from award ceremonies, symposiums and business meetings, to conferences and working meetings of local and national public organizations or authorities

Tens of thousands of customers, tourists or business representatives from hundreds of local, national or foreign companies. An excellently organized hotel and business infrastructure. A very attractive position and panorama, in one of the most beautiful areas of Galati, Faleza, on the banks of the Danube…

All these, and many others, have only one name in common: Vega Hotel. This year, in May, Vega celebrated 20 years of existence and added another star to its firmament, the fourth.

We asked Anca Lefter, the general manager of Vega Hotel, what the 20 years since the inauguration have meant for her. “There were years with everything, with very beautiful, pleasant moments, but also with challenges, because after 18 years I went through the experience of closing the hotel for the first time. It happened in 2020, during the pandemic, when the hotel was closed for a month. Then we reopened it, but with very big bans and very strict conditions. But that episode also had a very good part, because then we rebranded, created the Vega Hotels brand and improved our activity,” says Anca Lefter.

She graduated in tourism and commercial management in Cluj in 2000 and has a degree in marketing. He did a two-year internship in the Continental Hotels, in Bucharest, Sibiu, Cluj. “It was an internship that was very useful to me, as were the knowledge and courage of youth.”

I asked her if she would do anything differently than before, if she had to start over, but with the experience she has now. “I wouldn’t do it any other way. Everything was in its time, it was as it was meant to be. Because lack of experience also has its beautiful side…”.

With an initial classification of three stars, Vega Hotel opened in May 2003, separated as an independent business from the Vega ’93 “empire” built by Corneliu Istrate. It was the first hotel completely built in Galati, since its foundation, after 1989. It was joined, nine years later, by Faleza Hotel, bought from the Ministry of Tourism. Taking over and bringing the hotel to the three-star standard meant a financial effort of almost five million euros. Since 2020, the two hotels have been united under the Vega Hotels brand. In May 2023 Vega Hotel was classified as four stars.

The positive feedbacks, the most beautiful moments

“The best moments are when we receive feedback from our customers with congratulations to the team. In HoReCa, the most important person is the person who comes into contact with the customer. The customer wants to meet a friendly and professional staff, and that’s how it is at Hotel Vega. I can say that I was a nursery for England and other European countries in terms of waiters, receptionists. We invested in our colleagues, in trainings, in training courses”, says general manager Anca Lefter.

“I’m glad we’re getting better and better” – Over 350,000 customers

Construction of Hotel Vega began in 2001 and was completed in May 2003 when it opened. Among the first customers were delegates and business partners of the Damen Shipyard, the ArcelorMittal Steel Plant, but also from other companies and agencies.

At the time of opening, Hotel Vega had three stars. As of May 2023, it is classified as four stars.

In the period 2007-2022, 40% of Vega Hotel’s customers were of Romanian nationality, and 60% of foreign nationalities. In other words, 148,000 Romanian customers and 222,000 foreigners stayed. During this period, Vega Hotel had 308,163 occupied rooms, and the number of overnight stays per month was 1,541.

The hotel has an accommodation capacity of 138 places. In nine types of rooms: Business Double (3 stars), Business Double Danube view (4 stars), Business Superior balcony (4 stars), Business Superior top floor (4 stars), Deluxe double Danube view (4 stars), Family Deluxe (4 stars), Business Suite Danube view (4 stars), Sky Suite balcony and Danube view (4 stars), Presidential Suite panoramic Danube view (4 stars).