Bars are his passion. “But I’m also a foodie, and love to eat,” laughs Matthias Bansen, who has worked at Europa-Park since 1996 and is now jointly responsible for the gastronomy side of all the hotels along with Frank Müller; that’s 12 restaurants, six bars and all banqueting halls and conference rooms. Bansen’s favourite places are in Spain and Portugal. “That has developed over the years. I know the “El Andaluz” like the back of my hand,” says Bansen. He takes care of HR, economic efficiency and gastronomy concepts.

The 48 year old from Hesse completed vocational training at the Steigenberger Airport Hotel in Frankfurt to become a hotelier. “Big corporations aren’t my thing – I’d rather work in a family business with short communication channels and quick decisions. Here we do everything with a lot of passion, and are always recreating ourselves – that excites me every day,” says Bansen, who after some years travelling abroad and then completing further training in business economics is now at home in Baden.

He rarely sits at his desk – he’s usually out and about in the hotels. Quality is very important to him: whether it’s a glass of whisky or some Gambas al Aijoli, every drink and every piece of food must be first-class! “The Don Quichotte is popular among park visitors, because during the day we offer good and quick food there, whereas in the evenings hotel guests want something different,” says the expert. “In the Castillo restaurant, the latest thing is that the chef comes directly to the table with big meat skewers in a Brazilian rodizio style,” explains Bansen.