GLOBAL UPDATE
ROYAL REVAMP
Café Royal in London dates back to 1865 , but the 159-room hotel has a new look these days . Once a haunt of such varied clientele as Oscar Wilde , Winston Churchill and Princess Diana , Café Royal closed in 2008 after it was acquired by The Set , which also includes Amsterdam ’ s Conservatorium Hotel and the yet-toopen Hotel Lutetia in Paris . Over the next several years David Chipperfield Architects led a transformation of the property , and it reopened in December 2012 .
Now Café Royal is focused on pairing many of its historical details with contemporary design and modern amenities . The hotel ’ s original Grill Room today is a Champagne and caviar lounge boasting restored ornate Louis XVI detailing , while Ten
Room is a new brasserie-style , allday dining restaurant . Six historic suites are opening this spring in addition to the Akasha Holistic Wellbeing Centre , which will feature a large lap pool and different areas corresponding to the four natural elements .
“ The main challenge was to integrate three buildings into one , as Café Royal hotel now comprises the original Café Royal and the two adjacent properties ,” explains Melissa Johnston , project director at David Chipperfield . “ Although the façade was the same Beaux-Arts architecture , the interiors were completely different , so we aimed to create the illusion that the three buildings had always worked seamlessly together , and now the outside mirrors the inside .”
Café Royal ’ s original Grill Room today is a Champagne and caviar lounge boasting restored ornate Louis XVI detailing .
OF THE
356
JOB CHANGES THE EXECUTIVES SURVEYED HAD MADE , MORE THAN
160
OCCURRED WITHIN ONE YEAR , WHILE LESS THAN 30 OCCURRED IN 5 OR MORE YEARS .
HOTEL
CAREER
RHYTHMS
The process of switching jobs — or “ jobhopping ” — among C-level hospitality executives is both predictable and potentially positive , according to a recent study by HVS Executive Search .
The study recommended that hiring supervisors not automatically assume frequent job changes reflect incompetence , poor job fit or proneness to distraction but rather consider that the individual ’ s career path reflects an entrepreneurial mindset . The analysis , which examined the time lapses between job changes for 43 C-level hospitality executives , found the timing of career moves within and across companies followed a predictable rhythm . Researchers found the timing of job-hopping was literally musical in nature , with a more steady rhythm for traditional “ organization men ” and a more erratic rhythm for opportunistic and entrepreneurial “ trailblazers .”
The study found that out of the 356 job changes the executives surveyed had made , more than 160 occurred within one year , while 100 occurred within two years . Less than 30 occurred in five or more years .
Different values drive the two different career types — organization men seek organizations that reward loyalty and growth , while trailblazers seek opportunities for greater autonomy , diversity of tasks and transferable skill development . In terms of coaching , the organization men may be more responsive to structured learning environments like books and seminars , while trailblazers may respond better to more idiosyncratic methods such as mentoring , job-shadowing and trial-and-error .
ARE JOB- HOPPERS GOOD CANDIDATES ?
HVS Executive Search ’ s recent study on job changes among C-level hospitality executives found frequent “ job-hopping ” on a resume shows entrepreneurial drive rather than incompetence , poor job fit or proneness to distraction . Do you agree ?
• Yes
• No
Watch HOTELSMag . com during the first week of May for the results of this survey .
Scan the QR code below or visit http :// hotelsm . ag / XFC4S0 to answer the question .
16 HOTELS April 2013 www . hotelsmag . com