Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on July 2010
Where are you from and how long have you been in Japan?
I was born and raised in Paris and came to Tokyo last May.
Did you always want to be in the hotel industry?
When I was 8, I wanted to be a chef, but from the time I was 11, I wanted to be in the hotel business. I used to walk past the Plaza Athenee Avenue Montaigne in Paris and dream of working in the industry. I actually worked there as my first hotel job—I served coffee and tea in the gallery.
As a GM who moves around a lot, do you find it easy to hit the ground running?
It takes time, but if you work closely with your team, you get comfortable quickly. You have to read the culture and not look for something you are not going to find in the country you’re in. I take Japanese lessons two hours a week, which is an additional opportunity for me to better understand the culture.
What is the percentage of foreign guests?
On weekdays, around 60 percent. On weekends, 70 percent are Japanese. One noticeable trend is that we are getting a lot more guests from China.
How is the food and beverage division doing?
With ten restaurants and bars, as well as large banquet facilities, food and beverage generates more revenue than other divisions. Our restaurants, such as The French Kitchen, The Oak Door, Chinaroom and Keyakizaka, have become very well established and recognized.
What time do you start your day?
I get up early at around 5:30am. and I am usually in the gym from 6:30am to 7:30am. Then, from 8am, I start checking operations in restaurants and our Grand Club. Meetings start after 9am. Throughout the rest of the day, I am in and out. I usually have a business lunch with top executives. In the evening, I may go to one or two events or entertain guests in the hotel.
What about weekends?
I try and keep weekends for my wife and three children. I live close by and if I do come in on weekends, I usually greet VIPs and check on operations.
Do you try to get to know your guests?
My first job as a GM was in an 86-room hotel, and I started to organize a weekly cocktail event. When I was at the Park Hyatt Buenos Aires in Argentina, there were 165 rooms, but I continued that custom. I did the same thing in Madeleine [Paris] and we do it here, too. Every week, we invite 30-40 guests for champagne and cocktails, and I attend with my executives. We receive great feedback at these events.
Do you ever check out your competition?
I have known many of my fellow GMs for many years and we occasionally get together. It is very important to see what is happening in the market, and what other hotels and restaurants are doing. I attend a lot of functions outside the hotel, and whenever I am traveling internationally, I check all hotel brands.
How do you like to relax when you’re not working?
I enjoy running, cycling, reading and spending time with my family. I like to travel within Japan to destinations such as Kyoto, Hakone, Nozawa Onsen and Okinawa, or do short trips within the region to places like Guam, Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong.
