VIaLE FILE
THE CV : Entry-level jobs at small hotel enterprises like Relais & Chateaux and the Frantour Group ; Hotel de Crillon in Paris ; joined IHG in late 2003 at the InterContinental Carlton in Cannes and then at the InterContinental Paris Le Grand ; GM in 2012 at the InterContinental Porto Palacio das Cardosas , Portugal ; area general manager with additional responsibility for the Crowne Plaza Porto
PHILOSOPHy : Viale views himself as a brand ambassador , eager to be out and about the hotels and , in the process , conveying some of the passion for the business that drew him to hospitality in the first place .
MEnTORS : Thierry Garnier , Sofitel Cannes ; Gilles Beluze , revenue management accor ; and IHG ' s Didier Boidin , who gave Viale a chance to move from revenue management to operations . " He is one of the most inspiring leaders I have ever worked for ," Viale says .
in the U . S . was another eye opener . “ The U . S . was far ahead of Europe at the time in terms of technology — whether back-ofthe-house , distribution or guest-facing — so it was exciting to feel you were there at the beginning ," he recalls .
In hindsight , sales and revenue management exposure was pivotal for Viale . Entry-level jobs at Relais & Chateaux and the Frantour Group provided valuable real world experience . Eventually , however , it whetted his appetite to work in larger luxury hotels with more services . “ Even from the sales and marketing side
Facade of the InterContinental Porto Palacio das Cardosas , Portugarl , an adaptive reuse of an 18th century former bank building located in the city ’ s historic center .
of the business , my passion for hospitality only deepened ,” he says .
Not surprisingly , given that Viale ’ s base of operations was Western Europe , there was no shortage of hotels that could be described as iconic . Accordingly , he found himself working at " treasures " on the order of Hotel de Crillon in Paris and , once he joined IHG in late 2003 , the InterContinental Carlton in Cannes and the InterContinental Paris Le Grand . “ Just to think about their history and the significant people who have stayed there over the decades has been special . They ’ re such compelling examples of the luxury experience ,” he says .
While Viale had considered jumping to operations at different points , it wasn ’ t until early 2012 when “ all the stars aligned ” and he accepted the general manager ’ s position at the InterContinental Porto Palacio das Cardosas in Portugal , a timeless adaptive reuse of an 18th century former bank building located in the city ’ s historic center .
Joining soon after the opening , Viale participated in building the team and positioning the hotel in the local market . Porto , Portugal ’ s second largest city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site , is best known as the home of port wine . “ One of the beauties of the GM ’ s job is leading the team , mentoring young people , helping guide them as they build their careers ,” he said . “ It ’ s actually the part of the job I like the most .”
Subsequently , IHG named Viale area general manager , assigning him responsibility for a sister IHG brand hotel , the Crowne Plaza Porto .
Another challenge for him in managing two very different properties was “ to acknowledge their differences at the same time keeping in mind each speaks to the heritage and character of Porto in its own way .”
Flatly rejecting the old-fashioned notion of the general manager as remote and isolated , closeted behind closed doors , Viale views himself as a brand ambassador , eager “ to be out and about the hotels , greeting guests , making them feel welcome , eliciting their feedback ” and , in the process , conveying some of the passion for the business that drew him to hospitality in the first place .
48 HOTELS April 2016 www . hotelsmag . com