Today, we are excited to meet Thomas Kerschbaumer, Director of Rooms at Sofitel Philippines Plaza. Born in South Tyrol/Italy, Thomas is an intrepid traveller and has worked for some of the best hotels and resorts in Asia. Here’s what he had to say about his love for Asia, his insights on the ever-changing demands of luxury travellers and how he manages to keep his team motivated and exceed the expectations of high-end guests.
Thomas, first of all, we would like to know more about your love for living and working in Asia.
I was always fascinated with the Orient since a young age—the culture, the food the history, you name it. So when the opportunity arose for an 8-month internship as part of my senior year in the University, I knew it had to be somewhere in Asia. Back in 2004, it was not that common for students to venture to the Far East and I knew going beyond the norm would give me an advantage in my career apart from boosting my portfolio.
I was quickly accepted into the Management Trainee Program with the HNA Group, one of the most active global investment companies. As part of my program, I was trained and placed in four different hotels all over China. This gave me one of the most exciting life experiences to date. Though I was only 22 years old back then, my involvement working for my family’s hotel while growing up gave me the necessary confidence and know-how to excel in my new position. The local Asian Hotel Industry did not possess the amount of sophistication and knowledge in Food & Beverage or fine lodging per se, and therefore I felt validated and appreciated by each company for sharing my expertise and skills with the local work force.
Validation and appreciation ultimately turned into self-actualization, the main driving force behind my whole existence as a hotelier. It made me aware of my talent hence my purpose, which is to share my experience and let others grow through my leadership.
When you look back on the last 15 years working in luxury hotels how have the demands of sophisticated traveller changed?
Understanding tomorrow’s travellers has always been a key enigma for us hoteliers. What applied yesterday may no longer apply tomorrow. Back in the day, it was enough to offer sophisticated travellers ultimate luxury mainly on the infrastructure along with professional service.
This trend soon became standard and expected by seasoned travellers who wanted more authenticity or something new that they had not seen before. Nowadays, sophisticated travellers are looking for experiences that give them meaning, moments that provide emotions to hold on to. You certainly won’t get an emotional connection with an ultra-luxurious room just because of the velvet carpet or 50 inch LED TV. Thanks to TripAdvisor and the like, luxury clients have become more independent, better informed and way harder to please. As hoteliers, we have to find ways to constantly tap into our guests’ feelings with genuine authentic service. We veer away from “clinical processes” and deliver service from the heart.
Do you see a difference between Asian luxury guests and guests from other countries?
Absolutely. Generally, I would say that the Asian culture has a big influence on the way guests behave. Face value, prestige and status symbol are much more important for the Asian guest than for the Western guest. Likewise, their need for prestige will influence the purchasing decisions. On the flip side, staying in a luxury hotel for a Western guest might be more of a choice to guarantee them a safe and secure environment with all the comfort they are accustomed to.
In your position as Director of Rooms at Sofitel Philippines Plaza you manage a team of 350 Ambassadors. What are your biggest challenges and what do you feel is crucial to keep a team motivated?
I don’t really consider anything a challenge in a negative sense as everything is part of leading a team, which is something I love. What does occupy a lot of my time is mediating grievances amongst departments or single individuals. Frictions and conflict are normal in society, therefore a team with 350 individuals from all parts of the world and various social backgrounds, has its fair share of issues. Bringing teams together, making them understand the hotel’s vision, aligning the ever-changing corporate guidelines, channelling communication correctly and overseeing the operational aspect of a busy hotel are just a few of the other tasks that make up my day!
However, motivating my team is the single most important task as it makes all of the above much easier if I have highly engaged members. As a Division Head, I aim to create a circle of trust - a safe place where all team members feel valued and welcomed. Inspired by the author Simon Sinek, I came to realize that only in an environment where there is trust and mutual respect, one individual can excel and motivate him or herself.
Keeping an open door policy (I literally removed my office door to set an example) and walking around the departments and speaking to colleagues on a daily basis allow me to connect better with my team. Sometimes a simple and sincere “Hello, how are you today” can make a difference and break down the hierarchical barrier. As does taking an interest in what my team members do as individuals outside of work helps us to connect and relate to each other better.
We at MA people specialise in crafting innovative hotel concepts and brands: what makes a hotel experience a truly outstanding one for you personally?
For me, it’s all about service and attitude. I don’t need a professional concierge or front desk agent that can perform their tasks in a blink of an eye. I would be pleased with the speed of service of course but I won’t be wowed. I much rather prefer staff that sincerely care and thank me for staying with them, staff that makes me feel at home even though it’s my first time at their property.
Allow me to share a personal experience to elaborate the point better: I don’t remember how many floors the Hotel in Kuala Lumpur last week had. Nor do I remember the size of their TV neither the colour of the carpet. However, I do remember the bellman, Zack, who carried up my Rip Curl duffel bag and noticed that I might be into surfing or wakeboarding. He wasn’t a well-spoken guy in terms of English, but it impressed on me that he was genuine and attentive. He encouraged me to visit the Sunway Lagoon Water Park that offers an incredible (in his words) wave pool that gives the closest experience to real surfing. True enough, I did visit the park the next day and boy was I amazed. The tip that I left at the counter for Zack was returned to me the next day with a little note saying “Knowing you enjoyed it is already priceless. Regards, Zack”.
My final message to all hoteliers and owners out there: Invest in to a great product that gives all of your target travellers the necessary luxury they crave. Ultimately, however, you shouldn’t overlook or underinvest in your management team. You only need a handful of good leaders to create a fruitful and happy working environment for hundreds of employees. As we all know, happy employees equal happy guests.
About Thomas Kerschbaumer:
Thomas studied Tourism Management at the Free University of Bolzano/Italy following which he took on a variety of management positions in China and Singapore. Since 2014 he is working for the Sofitel brand, first as Front Office Manager at the renowned and iconic Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi and since 2016 as Director of Rooms at the Sofitel Plaza Philippines.
ke time for prosecco ke it happenke it meaningfulke good coffeeke it matterke funny jokeske it kindke it simpleke it countJoin our inclusive MAp community NOW! You’ll get access to free resources, webinars, expert talks, and learn more about the latest industry and sustainability news.
