When hospitality becomes a lifeline: Armen Melkonian’s story
December 3, 2025
Armen Melkonian was forced to flee war-torn Syria and then Lebanon, until he rebuilt his life from scratch in the Netherlands through UNHCR’s resettlement programme. He opens up about finding safety as a member of the LGBTIQ+ community, the challenges of acclimatizing to a foreign culture and how his experiences shaped a deeply personal approach to service. To Armen, hospitality starts with something small – a greeting, a moment of acknowledgment, the thing that tells someone they’re no longer invisible.
Armen Melkonian was forced to flee war-torn Syria and then Lebanon, until he rebuilt his life from scratch in the Netherlands through UNHCR’s resettlement programme. He opens up about finding safety as a member of the LGBTIQ+ community, the challenges of acclimatizing to a foreign culture and how his experiences shaped a deeply personal approach to service. To Armen, hospitality starts with something small – a greeting, a moment of acknowledgment, the thing that tells someone they’re no longer invisible.
Armen Melkonian fled Syria as an LGBTIQ+ refugee and rebuilt his life in the Netherlands. He now works at Hotelschool The Hague and advocates for inclusion with UNHCR.
Learn more about the podcast here: https://hubs.ly/Q0350wrf0
#hoteltech #hospitalitypodcast #mews #hotelmanagementsystem #pms #hotelrevenue
00:00 - The meaning of hospitality
03:05 - Hospitality across cultures and borders
05:55 - When hospitality meets survival
07:57 - Leaving Syria, Lebanon, and reaching UNHCR
12:38 - Rebuilding a life in the Netherlands
20:23 - Hospitality as recognition and safety
24:47 - On advocacy and creating a sense of belonging
Matt Talks Hospitality is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so