The Science of Service General Managers Keep Area Hotels Running Seamlessly by Serena Lei As you sleep soundly behind that polite Please Do Not Disturb sign or read the newspaper in your white monogrammed robe, the general manager of your hotel is arriving to work. Typically, at 8 a.m., the GM is meeting with the heads of each departmentófront desk, reservations, marketing, accounting, operations, food and beverage, security, engineering, human resources and housekeepingóand running through the business of the day, including any special events, meetings, or VIP guests to which they must attend. They may do a walkthrough or meet you at the complimentary continental breakfast to ensure, personally, that everything is in the right order. The beauty of a pleasant stay is the smooth, nearly effortless way a hotel can make you feel at home. Anyone who has ever worked in the hospitality industry knows, however, that effortless service only comes with a great deal of effort. International Businessman The Willard Inter-Continental Washington is an intimidating and opulent hotel. This is not to say that the staff isnít friendlyóin fact, the service is universally firs t-classóbut the hotel carries such historic weight and significance that few of us could rightly call the Willard a ìhome away from home,î unless your home has marble columns. After all, the Willard was coined the ìresidence of presidentsî because of the prestige of its guests, from U.S. presidents as far back as Franklin Pierce in 1853, to foreign dignitaries and heads of state (see related story). ìIf you want to be successful in this job, you have to travel,î said Jean-Jacques Reibel, general manager of the Willard since 1997. And Reibel is well traveled. He has worked in management at other Inter-Continental properties in Miami, New Orleans, San Francisco, Boston, Paris and London. He is professional and diplomatic and was described to me by a member of his staff as ìhandsome as sin.î ìA modern GM has to be a businessman or woman,î Reibel said, noting that the job requires someone who can make quick decisions, be observant, and can earn the respect of the employees. Reibel listed, in detail, the many facets of his position, from accounting and marketing strategies, to the details of managing a bar and restaurant, to the responsibility of handling million-dollar renovations. ìTwelve major departments report to you and expect you to understand them and help them find solutions,î he said. For Reibel, the key is employee morale. Happy employees will give good service to your customers, who will in turn speak well of the hotel, which will bring in profits. He has a hands-on approach to the hotel but does not micromanage. ìWe have a common philosophy and culture, but I want [the staff] to bring their own identity and their own touch to the hotel. People work better when they know they are trusted and that itís okay to make mistakes.î Reibel makes it a point to consult his waiters, doormen and desk clerks for a direct gauge of customer satisfaction. ìYou can never be too pretentious to think you are better than everyone else. You will forget that the competition also has some great ideas. Be aware of customer demands. Listen to the front line.î One of Reibelís favorite memories at the Willard was during the recent filming of ìMinority Report.î The streets around the hotel were closed and the restaurant was turned into a ballroom. Steven Spielberg, Tom Cruise and President Bill Clinton, a guest of Spielbergís, sat together on the set. ìIt was incredible to see so much power in one room,î Reibel said. A foreign delegation arrived that same week, and Reibel said the pulse of the hotel rose because of the collective excitement of guests and employees. All of the GMs that The Washington Diplomat spoke with had at least one thing in common: They were social creatures and attracted to the hospitality industry early on. Reibel concurs: ìI love to travel and I love to meet people. You have to genuinely like people to do this job.î The Willard Inter-Continental Washington is located at 1401 Pennsylvania Ave., NW. For more information, please call (202) 628-9100 or visit www.washington.interconti.com. The Big Kahuna Although the Willard is a hotel of gilded mirrors and crystal chandeliers, Hotel Rouge is a hotel of red Naugahyde headboards (yes, Naugahyde, and proud of it) and zebra-striped bathrobes. The boutique hotel opened in December 2001, taking over an architecturally boring apartment house and dousing it in pop art, Miami glitz and lots of red. Already the Hotel Rouge has hosted a charity pajama party that brought in Allen Iverson, Warren Sapp, and rappers Redman and Method Man. The key to this hotel is to have fun and enjoy its tongue-in-cheek details. Their tagline: What is your pleasure? Nick Gregoryís title on his Hotel Rouge business card reads ìBig Kahuna.î In case there is any confusion, ìGeneral Managerî is written at the bottom. Gregory is genuinely thrilled with his newly opened hotel: ìI think this is the coolest, hippest business-friendly hotel in Washington, D.C,î and he gets a kick out of showing off some of Hotel Rougeís clever accessories. Gregory began valet parking in a Colorado hotel for ìgreat beer-drinking money.î He started working in a Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group (management company of Hotel Rouge) hotel as a doorman, discovered his knack for managing people, and continued up the ladder. ìI noticed a stark difference in how [Kimpton] structured their management,î Gregory said. ìThis was a free, creative company that Ö really allowed you to empower yourself.î He has worked for Kimpton for 11 years, specializing in opening new hotels. ìIt comes down to a good team. My mom gave me the best professional advice Iíve ever had from anyone and that was ëDonít be afraid to hire somebody stronger than you,íî Gregory said. ìIn this industry, itís all about the personality. I feel people are born to serve or they are born to be served. Itís just something that has to come from your soul.î Gregory stresses open communication and employee morale. Once a week, he meets with front-line employees to find out directly what they need in order to make their jobs better. ìThatís the keyómaking sure that the GM is more of the conductor, whereas the individual discipline should be the master in their area. ìWhat I love most is to be able to be part of the concept of the Rougeógrow it and watch it become successful, and along with that Ö to watch somebody grow from position to position, rising up the ladder,î Gregory said. ìPlus, thereís nothing like being at an ownerís meeting and proving how good you are by strong financial results. Thereís a big high on that one, too,î he added. Gregory is optimistic and driven with the earnest enthusiasm of someone who truly loves his job. ìFor better or for worse, all the responsibilities, all the wins and losses go to you, but wow, what a fantastic thing.î The Hotel Rouge is located at 1315 16th St., NW. For more information, please call (202) 232-8000 or visit www.rouge-dc.com. Customer Is Sometimes Right Even if you are not a fan of the heavy-handed design at Hotel Rouge, these types of boutique hotels are bringing some much-needed punch to the Washington hospitality industry. And they are aiming at some of Washingtonís older, more established hotels, which may deserve a wake-up call. Although Hotel Washington is located in a prestigious areaónext to the White Houseóthe charm seems to have faded from this historic hotel. The lobby itself feels somewhat dated, and the hotel was hit hard by the decline in tourism over the past year. Still, the hotel holds a rich and eclectic history. It was built in 1917 and can claim to be the oldest continuously operating hotel in Washington, D.C. It is the official ìhomeî of the Hillary Clinton Fan Club and the residence of the national turkey for one night each year before the president declares Thanksgiving Day weekend. The Hotel Washington has also been host to several major movies, including ìContact,î ìGodfather, Part IIî and ìArlington Road.î The delegation from Egypt returns each year, as do diplomats from Nigeria, Ecuador, Turkey, Germany and the Middle East. Elvis Presley also came to stay at the hotel (Room 506, for any Elvis fans). Hotel Washington boasts unparalleled service, citing employees who remain so loyal to the hotel that they stay for their entire careers, even returning to work after retirement. Wally Harb, general manager of the Hotel Washington, started working for the hotel in 1984 as a banquet runner in the kitchen. He learned about the hotel business through subsequent jobs in housekeeping, front desk, and food and beverage services until h e was promoted to general manager five years ago. Harb was drawn to the business, he said, ìfor the challenge, for the glamour. You get to meet peopleóit is a very exciting profession.î Harb, who typically works a 12-hour day, is suspicious of managers with nothing but a degreeóthis is a business where you need to learn the details and the service from experience, he said. His hard work earned him a managerial position, but he often feels he has to prove his in-depth knowledge to new employees. ìPeople test how much I know, and I know they are testing me. This doesnít come out of college, this comes out of working every single day with different personalities. Suppose someone would challenge me, itís happened, and if you donít know [the answer], you fail Ö as a manager,î he said. ìNine out of 10 times they are not successful at their tests.î Hotel Washington is particularly proud of their loyal employees. ìThis company is built on trust and loyaltyÖ. Our bosses in Texas really care. They know who Wally Harb is, how far Wally Harb went, what kind of family Wally Harb has. They are there for you,î Harb noted. When asked what he loves most about his job, he answered: ìTo have 216 employees who love to see you in the morning, and they are running to you, before you run to them, to say good morning Ö to have 216 voices say ëgood morningí before you approach them Ö you have to gain their respect.î Harb, like other GMs, loves the challenge of turning an outraged customer into a satisfied customer. ìIn this business, you say the customer is always right, but not in all the cases. You need to listen and observe what the customer is really saying,î Harb explained. He cited the Hotel Washingtonís many longtime, regular guests as proof of his successes. ìI have customers that say, ëMy god, we are home away from home.íî The Hotel Washington is located on Pennsylvania Avenue at 15th Street, NW. For more information, please call (202) 638-5900 or visit www.hotelwashington.com. The Innkeeper At a slight 54 rooms, the Morrison-Clark Historic Inn & Restaurant is a small but charming property, with an eclectic mix of Oriental furniture and Italian Carrera marble fireplaces. The inn is actually two Victorian homes, from the Morrison and Clark families, joined together. The Womenís Army and Navy League converted the Morrison home into an inn in 1923 and eventually incorporated the Clark home. Originally dedicated to accommodate military men, the Morrison-Clark Inn was renovated and opened to the public by 1987. The inn emphasizes personal serviceóa more manageable claim in a smaller hotel. On a weekday afternoon, the staff serves Steel Magnolia drinks (a kind of white Cosmopolitan) for a neighborhood get-together called the Big Easy on the Veranda, with all the friendly Southern charm included. The Morrison-Clark Inn shares their general manager, Hugh MacIntosh, with their sister property, The Henley Park Hotel. As assistant general manager of Morrison-Clark, Maryalice Giroux is the one who handles the day-to-day operations, focusing her full attention on the inn. It helps that she is currently living in the hotel until she finds a permanent residence again, but she also admits to thriving on the long hours. She works very closely with the staff, guests, special events and the restaurant, as well as sales and marketing. ìBecause it is a small hotel, Iíd like to say that I live and breathe the property,î Giroux said. Giroux often greets customers when they check in. She has an engaging laugh and a warm, down-to-earth quality that immediately puts people at ease. ìI believe that when a guest comes here, every sense should be engaged. You should walk in and smell a beautiful and fresh place. You should see a beautiful room. The textures of the fabrics and curtains should be energizing, the food amazing, the music Ö,î she gestured as if pointing out the obvious. ìEverything should be engaged Ö so that it is a complete experience.î The small scale of the inn allows Giroux to spend more time with her guests. ìMy priority is the guest,î she said, ìand getting the word out about the remarkable little property we have here.î The Morrison-Clark has its share of repeat customers, including one guest who has been back 64 times. Diplomats often come to Morrison-Clark, and Giroux attributes their regular presence to a ìEuropean styleî and ìthe way we look after people. ìThere are quite a few names I could be dropping,î Giroux teased, but she maintains her guestsí anonymity. One of her favorite memories is of a couple that bought the entire staff individual Christmas presents. She recently returned from an 18-month period of traveling, where she said she experienced a range of hotel styles and philosophies. Girouxís advice: ìBe passionateî about your property, about your job, and about the service. The Morrison-Clark Historic Inn and Restaurant is located on Massachusetts Avenue and 11th Street, NW. For more information, please call (202) 898-1200 or visit www.MorrisonClark.com. Serena Lei is a contributing writer to The Washington Diplomat. Giving the Red Carpet Treatment Shirin Kooros, director of sales at the Willard Inter-Continental Washington, is a petite, attractive woman who speaks five languages, dresses impeccably, and will find a way to bring you anything you need, without batting an eye, if you are a dignitary in her hotel. ìWe had a delegation where the principal wanted Burger King,î she said, ìso we get the Burger King, the donuts, whatever you need, delivered on a silver platter.î The Willard is prepared to accommodate heads of state and foreign dignitaries with more than just a red carpet greeting. ìYou have to be very flexible because the diplomats are under a lot of pressure because of time and travel,î said Jean-Jacques Reibel, general manager of the Willard. ìI donít feel any requests are out of contextÖ. They just want to be comfortable, secure, have privacy, and we can offer that.î As director of sales, Kooros, along with three other sales managers, establishes relationships with embassies in Washington, D.C., and introduces them to the hotel. ìThe exciting part, and the part that the staff really enjoys Ö is all the exceptional things you have to do,î Kooros said. ìGetting television stations installed, maintaining the language communication, getting the right newspapers.î If a delegation needs to refurbish an entire suite, for example, the staff will go so far as to remove furniture, lay new carpet, buy entire sets of silverware and china, convert a sleeping room into a dining room, and even run cables to privately connect rooms on different floors. If a delegation brings their own chefs, the Willard will accommodate them in their kitchen. ìWeíve had as many as a dozen chefs from their side in our kitchen,î Kooros said, ìand we will restructure how we process our work, so that they are comfortable working in the kitchen with us.î The hotel has designed one floor specifically for large delegations, with added security and two command centers for the Secret Service. The Presidential Suite and the slightly smaller Capital and Federal suites are also on this floor. The suites have separate entrances to allow for service into the kitchen without disturbing the main rooms. Also, the floor is accessible from the back entrance to allow for a discreet exit, if necessary. When pressed for specific names and embassies, Kooros declined, explaining that priva cy and confidentiality are part of what an embassy expects. Kooros spoke quickly, with charm and energy, but chose the meaning of her words carefully. It is a diplomatic skill amplified by the cultural sensitivity developed from having lived in several other countries. ìYou have to be very open-minded,î Kooros said. ìYou have to empathize with where the person is coming from Ö and to understand the ever-changing nature of the business.î Kooros must sometimes negotiate between the Secret Service and the delegationís own security. If members of the press accompany the delegation, she must negotiate their access without offending either party. One of the challenges in providing for a diplomat, noted Kooros, is determining what is an ìunwritten expectation.î As an example, she cited a delegation that did not drink alcohol and asked that the mini-bars be emptied. ìHowever, the labor involved is that kind of unseen expense that a hotel has to deal with. Taking the alcohol out, storing it, and then returning it.î Discussions about the cost of taking away an unwanted benefit is an issue that needs to be handled with care. However, Kooros firmly believes that any situation can be accommodated, mediated and resolved: ìYou always, always, come to an agreement.î Kooros began her 16-year career at the Willard by working at the front desk after graduating from Georgetown University. Driving past the hotel with her parents, she was attracted to the beauty of the architecture and immediately wished she could someday work at the Willard. Although she admitted that the last-minute nature of the job can be a challenge, Kooros thoroughly seems to enjoy her work. ìThe greatest memories you have from working in a hotel are working with a delegation because it is amazing what you can do together to make the delegations happy,î she said. óSerena Lei