Get to know the House Managers in Aachen
Janine
Meet Hannah and Helga and get to know their hobbies, passions and plans for the future.
In 2021 THE FIZZ opened four new houses in Germany and The Netherlands. One of them in the very West of Germany and close to the French border, was THE FIZZ in Aachen. A total of 165 fully furnished and sunshine covered apartments were waiting to be filled with life and joy. Since April 2021 on, Hannah and Helga were taking care of our new FIZZies as house and assistant house managers. They always had an open ear for them, cared for their everyday problems and made them feel cozy in their second home in THE FIZZ family. We took a closer look at them and asked what their everyday life looks like and what they like most about their work.
What made you decide to work for THE FIZZ?
Hannah:
After I worked in the Hotel industry and at a cruise ship for many years, I was looking for a new professional challenge ashore. As a House Manager at THE FIZZ, I have the possibility to combine my administrative business and my social skills. As a former student, I know how important it is to have pleasant living environment to successfully complete university. THE FIZZ offers many opportunities for students to have a great time. This point inspired me from the very beginning.
Helga:
This job has everything I am interested in: a bit of finance, a bit of event management, a bit of administration and a bit of customer service. So, it’s a perfect combination for me.
What was your passion before working as a house manager at THE FIZZ Aachen?
Hannah:
Like many of my previous colleagues, I started my career at the hotel industry. After I successfully completed my dual bachelor’s degree with focus on hotel and tourism management and my hotel training in a big four star hotel close to Bonn, I worked in the event and conference sector of the hotel. But I always had a passion for travelling and so I started working in the administration sector for AIDA Cruises in 2019.
During the next years, I’ve been to many different countries, have crossed the Suez Canal, had hot chocolate at the North Cape, celebrated New Years in Abu Dhabi, enjoyed the beautiful landscape of Iceland, met great people and saw the most beautiful sunsets at sea. At the reception and later in the position as a Guest Purser I was responsible for all questions and needs of the guest.
Helga:
There are many areas I worked in. Noteworthy, though, are the hotel industry, gastronomy, and taxation. I gained experience in Hungary, in Spain, in Italy and also tried to start a new chapter in Mexico. Well, the latest didn’t work out, so here I am. 🙂
What are your responsibilities as House Managers of THE FIZZ Aachen?
Hannah:
In general, a House Manager and the whole team are responsible for everything which includes the building and the tenants. We are the contact persons for all service providers and facility management. Furthermore, we make viewings, prepare move ins, and move outs and organize the back office. Besides of that, we are also there to answer questions of the students and help them with daily problems. A really fun part of our work is to organize community events for our tenants and integrate them into our THE FIZZ family.
Helga:
We are the first contact persons for the residents while they are far away from their families and homes. We accompany them from their first day to their last at our house and try to help them with their daily issues. I see our main task as building and maintaining an environment where everybody feels good. Besides, we have a lot of administrative and organizational work, like the move ins and move outs, viewings, keeping contact with several service providers and documenting everything.
What is the most fascinating part of your work and what are you looking forward to?
Hannah:
The job as a House manager at The FIZZ is very varied and interesting. Each day includes different tasks and I get in touch with many people from different countries and cultures. In the future I am looking forward to organizing community events again such as barbecues and movie nights.
Helga:
I really like the diversity of the tasks. No two days are ever the same. I am very excited about the events we are going to organize and getting to know our tenants a bit better. In addition, we have a super team we can anytime rely on.
What are you usually doing in your free time?
Hannah:
Besides travelling, I like it to be outside. I go running three to four times a week and participate in running events and semi-marathons on a regular basis. Especially with friends and family it is always fun to run together. When I don’t do sports, I spend lots of time in the kitchen, making big cakes and creating meals and all kind of deserts. Christmas is a special time for me, because I start kind of early making tons of Christmas cookies.
Helga:
I am passionate about tennis. I started playing at the age of 6. It can completely switch me off mentally. However, I had to look for other hobbies because of the pandemic, that’s how drawing/painting became a new one. Furthermore, I like everything that has to do with creativity, like baking or decorating. That’s why I’m all the more pleased that we have often baked waffles for our tenants, which they really liked.
What restaurants and bars or leisure activities can you recommend to the FIZZies in Aachen? Is there something special to spend their time at?
Hannah:
Because THE FIZZ Aachen is located directly in the city, there are many restaurants and bars just around the corner. If you like pizza, the restaurant Vabene! is definitely worth a visit. Around Christmas you shouldn’t miss out the famous Aachen Christmas Market in front of beautiful scenery. During this time the Aachen Cathedral and the town hall are transformed into a Christmas village and a meeting place for Aachen citizens and visitors to the city.
Helga:
Aachen has really a lot to offer. It has many beautiful parks, bike trails and routes for the nature lovers. The city centre is very charming, especially in the evening (and in the Christmas season of course). Having a nice dinner or just a drink with friends on the terrace of a local restaurant „Am Markt“ is always an option. If you feel like eating a good hamburger and/or drinking some fancy cocktails, “Tijuana” cannot disappoint you. For Mexican food I would go to “Sausalitos” and “Alex” has the best breakfast in town.
Anything left to say?
Hannah:
We are looking forward to meeting you at THE FIZZ Aachen!
Helga:
Let’s rock it! 😉