Words from the Wise – Geoffrey Gelardi
Business secrets from Geoffrey Gelardi, managing director, the Lanesborough, and vice-president, St Regis Hotels and Resorts
Treat others as you would expect to be treated
My management style is based on this piece of advice. I have high expectations of myself, but it is also something that is very important from a guest's perspective. I always ask my staff the question that if they were to pay an average of £600 for one night's stay at the Lanesborough, how would they expect to be treated?
Never stay still and always look to improve
This is one of the key elements of success. The moment you think you have reached the top is the moment you have lost it. It is important to embrace change and keep up with technology. For instance, we have just introduced Apple TV into all of our bedrooms, which is a state-of-the-art system enabling all programmes in HD and 3D, and a better selection of movies. It's an intuitive operating system, which is easy to use.
Do not nickel and dime people
By this I mean do not penny-pinch. Many hotels charge you for every little extra, but I do not know how they can justify it. At the Lanesborough we try to include a lot of things in the room price. For instance, there is a laptop in every bedroom and internet access has been free for five years. It will only be a matter of time before we start to include telephone calls.
Enjoy what you do
Create an enjoyable working environment for your employees. The longevity of employees is vital to the success of a hotel of this nature, where guest needs are paramount. More than 20 of our 300 staff have been with us for the past 20 years, including the head chef, doorman, number two concierge and cloakroom assistant. With a return guest ratio of 60%, it is vital that we know their history and recognise them as they come through the door.
Listen to guests and employees
In 2008 the Lanesborough was named the Hotel Innovator of the Year at the Luxury Travel Advisor Awards of Excellence. Most of the new innovations we introduced came from feedback we'd received from our guests and employees. For instance, it was a guest who suggested that we introduce laptops to our rooms as it would be nice not to have to carry around a laptop of their own.
WHAT IS THE BEST DECISION YOU HAVE TAKEN?
Not to become a corporate hotelier. I have been offered a number of positions over the years in the corporate office and although they have been interesting propositions, I enjoy the day-to-day, hands-on approach to running a hotel too much to move. I enjoy the variation of being in the hotel every day and being able to get out there and make sure things are being done exactly as I would like them to be done.
CV HIGHLIGHTS
â- Appointed managing director of the Hotel Bel Air in Los Angeles in 1981.
â- Moved to the Sorrento Hotel in Seattle in 1985.
â- Arrived at the Lanesborough in 1990 to take up his current position.
â- 2010: named Top General Manager of a Luxury Hotel in the Luxury Travel Advisor Awards of Excellence at the Luxury Travel Expo in Las Vegas
