"I'm 47 years old and fluent in six languages. I was born in Hamburg, but moved a lot while growing up, which gave me a passion for internationalism, if such a thing exists. I spent time in Montreal and Ottawa, Canada; Caracas, Venezuela; Cali, Colombia; and Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo, Brazil, before finishing high school in Germany.
I studied economics at Technical University in Berlin and simultaneously completed a hotel management apprenticeship. In 1992, I enrolled in the InterContinental Fast Track programme which involved sitting an MBA with Henley Management and Brunel University in Britain. My first chance as a general manager came in January 2000. Since then, I've taken the helm of five luxury hotels. This includes joining Belmond in autumn 2009 as the general manager of Belmond La Residencia in Mallorca.
In the luxury travel market, there is a clear trend of savouring unique experiences, delivered in magical settings. Operators can't just focus on the confines of their property and must engage with the local community to provide bespoke opportunities for guests. This is one thing Belmond does well. This can be an unforgettable dinner for two at a temple in Bali, or participating in a private blessing ceremony with monks at Belmond La Residence Phou Vao in Laos. We also recently gained permission for Belmond La Residence d'Angkor to run a one-week fitness retreat within the Angkor Wat temple complex.
As more wealth is created, the zest for luxury travel continues to grow. As experiences can be afforded by one, they will be joined by others. A discerning guest will need to be impressed, and operators will have to work hard to provide the unique and keep guests coming back.
I've had some interesting experiences. For Eid Mubarak [Islamic phrase used during festivals], I was invited to the sheikh's palace in Qatar. On the morning of a party, I received a call that his royal highness wanted the party to begin earlier, so I had to rush out without breakfast. I was told it was a custom to come with a cake about one metre square in size. Where do you find something like that with almost no time to spare? We managed it, but combined with terrible traffic that day, we were very late and embarrassed when we arrived. The sheikh was very gracious and waved away our apologies and insisted we join him for coffee.