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November 2006

The Most Famous Hotels in the World - Hotel Sacher Vienna

This legendary hotel opened during the reign of Emperor Franz Joseph and Elisabeth.

No other cake in the world sells better than theOriginal Sacher-Torte. The Hotel Sacher produces around 320,000 of this sweetest of Viennese ambassadors per year. On good days the order reaches 3,500. Hardly surprising, then, that The Most Famous Hotels in the World turned to the Austrian capital in1990 to research the unique history of the Sacher, and to discover the secrets of this legendary hotel which opened during the reign of Emperor Franz Joseph and Elisabeth. It was the year 1876, the same year that saw the inauguration of the Frankfurter Hof and the Oriental in Bangkok.


The Sacher is one of the last privately owned and run luxury hotels in the world, a living reflection of the ideas and standards of its owners. Doors are still pushed open by human hands and the wakeup call still comes from a real person.


Estimated over $1 billion invested in Moscow hotels over last 2 years


Experts estimate that over $1 billion through hotel development and transactions has been invested into the Moscow hotel market in the last 2 years, indicating clear evidence that international and domestic investor interest is intensifying, says Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels.  Other Russian cities are starting to attract similar attention as investors are looking at new emerging hotel markets outside the capital.
Mark Wynne-Smith, European CEO, Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, said: “Russia is achieving outstanding economic growth and its annual GDP figure is growing at an average rate of 6.4%.  This is driving both foreign and domestic investors to gain a foothold in the market. Foreign direct investment into the country topped $18 billion last year so we are seeing that investors are seriously looking at the market and the hotel sector is reaping the rewards.”
He continued: “Evidence of the appetite for hotel assets has been demonstrated in a number of ways over the last 18 months – investment firms have announced their intention to create funds for investment in the Russian hotel industry, such as the ‘Hotel Real Estate’ fund by Finam investment holding. Further evidence includes - European real estate lending institutions offering greater lending facilities for Russian hotel investments with strong support from their Russian counterparts, a significant number of prominent European and US developers and investors are seeking to establish a presence in Russia as well as key international hotel operators plus there have already been some high profile hotel deals.”


Chefs' qualifications should be given professional respect

I am writing to you to highlight the rising trend in working interviews/skills tests.
I cannot see the value of arriving in an unfamiliar kitchen, nervously seeking equipment and attempting to judge the efficiency of any ranges, ovens, pans, etc, possibly after a long journey
These sessions prove little other than a chef's eligibility for Ready, Steady, Cook.
Should we ask other trades to complete a demonstration of their skills? Perhaps a kitchen porter should wash a pan to be submitted to a judging panel, or a manager should deal with a suitably irate customer.
It is possible that no interviewing panel is sufficiently skilled to judge suitability through probing questions, or to judge character. Is a 20-minute slot enough to demonstrate several years' experience or be a reliable guide to gaining a post?
I feel this is the catering industry's vote of no confidence in its qualifications, as insistence on a skills test completely devalues any certification a candidate may hold. You can't trust them, obviously!
A probationary period seems more than adequate to assess someone's suitability. A chef's skills are about teamwork, character and organisational abilities. They are more than just a circus pony, so treat them with professional respect. This industry is hard enough as it is.

Beijing Olympics to help hotels earn record revenues

Beijing's hospitality market is expected to reach record revenues and occupancy rates in 2008 thanks to the Olympics.     
Industry organizations are making great efforts to improve service quality in the capital's hotels for the event, expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors, said a local government official. 
"Beijing's hospitality industry has experienced rapid growth in the last two years, and the momentum will continue in the lead-up to and even after the Olympics," said Xiong Yumei, deputy-director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Tourism (BMBT).     
Beijing's hotels enjoyed good business throughout 2005, with five-star hotels witnessing the highest average daily revenue 1,204 yuan (US$150), with an occupancy rate of 75.3 per cent since 1994. Top-level hotels also had the highest ever revenue per available room 907 yuan (US$113) according to a report released by Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, a leading worldwide service provider in the hotel and tourism sector.     
"Market growth is positive and encouraging, and as the 2008 Olympics draw near, more and more tourists both from home and abroad will come to Beijing," said Stephen C. T. Hsu, vice-chairman of China Tourism Hotel Association. "Hotel management standards and service quality will also be gradually upgraded over the next two years."     
In 2008, Beijing is expected to welcome more than 500,000 overseas and 1 million domestic travellers.     
"Those figures are conservative estimates last year more than 1.5 million domestic travelers visited Beijing during the major holiday periods alone," said Xiong.

Job Of The Month
(small selection)
all jobs available
here

Financial Controller, Paris France

General Manager, London

Executive Chef, Australia

Room Division Manager, Mauritius

Personnal Manager, UAE

Restaurant General Manager, London

Chef De Cuisine, Glasgow UK

Marketing & Communications Manager, Dubai

Deputy Hotel Manager, Spain

Financial Controller, Poland

Restaurant Manager, Spain

SPA Manager, Cairo

Hotel General Manager, London

Staff Movements

Philippe Orrico joins the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong as Chef de Cuisine at Pierre Gagnaire. He joins from Sketch, Gagnaire's joint-venture in London and was previously at Pierre Gagnaire Paris.
Fabrice Blondeau has joined Raffles Singapore at Executive Assistant Manager. He was most recently with Hyatt International as Executive Assistant Manager Food and Beverage at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo and previously Regional Director South West Europe and North Africa for the company. In addition, he spent a year overseeing food and beverage at the Park Hyatt Vendôme.
Michael Anthony has been named Executive Chef at New York's Gramercy Tavern, replacing Tom Colicchio. Anthony had left his job as Executive Chef at Blue Hill at Stone Barns earlier this year with the intent of opening his own restaurant.
Stefano Gegnacorsi is the new General Manager of Rocco Forte's Hotel Savoy in Florence taking over for Davide Bertilaccio who is moving to Geneva to assume the role of General Manager at Rocco Forte's Le Richemond. Gegnacorsi had been General Manager at the Palazzo Sasso on the Amalfi Coast for the last five years and previously worked for Rocco Forte's Hotel de Russie in Rome as Hotel Manager.
Yanis Laboureau has joined Cotton House in Mustique as Assistant Food and Beverage Manager. Since 2001 he had held various food and beverage management positions at Le Mèridien Bora Bora.
Xavier Rugeroni, until now a Regional Director for Meridien in Southern France and Malta, becomes Starwood's Director of Operations for Southern France (including Monaco).
Florent Gateau has returned to Rosewood as Managing Director of Acqualina, taking over from David Kurland. He was most recently the Resident Manager at the Setai in Miami, a property he opened, following his initial seven years with Rosewood in various positions at the Mansion on Turtle Creek and Las Ventanas al Paraiso.
Sebastien Silvestri has joined the Island Hotel in Newport Beach as Director of Restaurants and Lounges. He comes from Las Vegas' Bellagio, where he toiled as the General Manager of Sensi. In addition, he has held the position of Food and Beverage Director at the Bora Bora Lagoon Resort and that of Food and Beverage Manager at the Mansion on Turtle Creek.
Bruno Giordano has been named Executive Chef at Le Sport in St. Lucia. He was previously the Executive Chef at the Bora Bora Lagoon Resort, the Hotel Monasterio del Cusco in Peru and, most recently, El Encanto in Santa Barbara, all Orient-Express properties.
Albert Mertz rejoins the Mandarin Oriental Miami as Hotel Manager after a brief stint as the Chief Operating Officer at the Barish Group in New York. He had previously served in a similar role at the hotel from 2000 to 2004, before being appointed General Manager at the Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya.
Lausanne graduate Christian Clerc, General Manager of the Four Seasons Punta Mita since November 2003, has been promoted to Regional Vice President with responsibility over Mexico.
Stephane Clasquin has joined Ortolan in Los Angeles as Restaurant Manager. He was most recently the Maitre d'Hotel and Restaurant Manager at L'Orangerie. Clasquin had previously overseen Linq, One Pico at Shutters on the Beach and Citronelle all in the Los Angeles area.
Guy Genoud has been appointed Assistant General Manager at the Brown in Louisville. He was most recently the Director of Food and Beverage at the Hilton Rye Town and was previously the Assistant Director of Food and Beverage at the Atlanta Hilton and Towers.
Philippe Buttin has joined Le Bernardin as Head Sommelier. He was most recently working with Chef/Owner JoÎl Antunes at his namesake restaurant in Atlanta as Head Sommelier, Beverage Manager and Assistant Manager. Previously Buttin had been an Assistant Sommelier at Mirabelle in London.
Bernard de Villële has joined Thistle Hotels as Area General Manager overseeing three hotels in London. He was most recently with Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces as Vice President U.K. Operations and General Manager of the Crowne Plaza London St. James Hotel and Suites and 51 Buckingham Gate Luxury Suites and Apartments. De Villële had previously been the General Manager at La Samanna on St. Martin.
Rezidor SAS Hospitality has appointed Thorsten Kirschke as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Kirschke has worked for Rezidor SAS for the past twelve years. His most recent position was Area Vice President Germany, Austria, South East Europe, Switzerland, Italy and Poland.
Gilles Gabel is the new Executive Assistant Manager of the InterContinental Budapest, replacing Duncan Clements, who has left the company. Gabel comes from the Millennium Seoul Hilton where he was the Executive Assistant Manager after joining them in 2004 as the Director of Food and Beverage. In addition, Gabel has been with InterContinental in Sharm el Sheikh, Abidjan and Riyadh.
The InterContinental Paris Le Grand Hotel has named Laurent Gabard Director of Sales and Marketing. For the past three years, he had been with InterContinental in Beirut, as the Regional Director of Sales and Marketing.
Cornell graduate Henrik Mansson has joined Movenpick Hotels and Resorts as Senior Vice President Human Resources, replacing Richard Oehler who has been named Senior Vice President Operational Standards and Systems for the company. Mansson was most recently the Director of Human Resources at Elior in the United Kingdom and previously spent three years as Head of Human Resources and Quality for the European hotels of the Le Mèridien Group.

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