Destination
The biggest and warmest smile in Oslo's hotel world
Palita Sivertsen welcomes everyone with a huge smile and happily takes pictures of the guests. After much back and forth in her career, she was given an opportunity at Comfort Hotel® Børsparken in Oslo. Now, she has won awards and recognition for her work.
The place is teeming with businessmen, pensioners, and young groups of boys on a trip to Oslo. Everyone wants eggs, bacon, coffee, and fruit. And everyone is getting ready for a new day in the bustling, springtime capital.
It's easy to lose control of breakfast, but that never happens at Comfort Hotel® Børsparken. Like a whirlwind, Palita flits between tables, pouring coffee, slicing fruit, serving pastries, and keeping an unwavering focus on everyone's needs.
Amidst her tasks, she shares her time with every single customer, giving them her full attention, based on her own philosophy.
"I smile with the customers every day. Smiling is good for the heart," Palita laughs. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Palita Sivertsen originally hails from the land of smiles – Thailand.
She met her husband online and in 2001, she moved to a snow-filled and cold Norway. Here, language quickly became a barrier. The solution was to write a Thai-Norwegian dictionary together with her husband.
The extensive, comprehensive work with a pink cover can now be found in all the major bookshops in the country.
After several years in various temporary positions in a job market that was both confusing and demanding, Palita finally landed a job at Børsparken through the OsloKollega employment agency. At Comfort Hotel® Børsparken, she quickly became popular.
"She looks after her colleagues as if they were her own guests," says Per Persson, Breakfast Manager.
Room for Everyone
Strawberry is committed to diversity and has a clear principle: Regardless of how much experience you have, where you are in life, your background, or who you love, there is a place for you at Strawberry.
Comfort Hotel® Børsparken has undoubtedly greatly benefited from this. In the lobby, a jovial and friendly rapport has developed between Palita and two Swedish ladies on an art excursion in Oslo. They're here to experience the National Museum and the Opera, but first, they happily pose for a picture. The photographer is Palita.
"I always go around asking if I should take pictures of the guests," she says.
Then Palita flies over to another table where the breakfast menu is meticulously explained. The atmosphere is impeccable, and she clears the cups and plates with one hand, while she uses the other to gesture and show the guests how to scan their QR code.
The Breakfast Manager, Per, is unequivocal when he describes Palita's dedicated effort.
"She is a workhorse, is dutiful, and is absolutely the best when it comes to
customer service. You couldn't ask for a better person."
Award Winner
The dust has settled after the breakfast buffet, and guests are heading out into the spring sun. Palita has just wheeled a tray of dirty coffee cups out to the kitchen and takes a well-deserved break.
She speaks passionately about her daughters Aurora and Linnea, sharing that the eldest is about to get her driving license while working as a swimming instructor. She is optimistic about the future.
She recently received the award for "Employee of the Quarter", which was celebrated with flowers and champagne.
"I'm going to stay here forever," she says with a wide smile... or a wide รอยยิ้ม , as the Thai-Norwegian dictionary would have it.
Comfort Hotel® Børsparken
Oslo
