PERSONALITIES
WE ARE SMALL AND CAN SPEND MORE TIME WITH OUR OWNERS . WITH KEMPINSKI , YOU ARE REALLY SOMEBODY SPECIAL … I COMPARED IT TO A PRIVATE BANK – WE MUST MAKE VERY CUSTOMIZED SOLUTIONS .
– BERNOLD SCHROEDER
The David Kempinski Tel Aviv opens in March 2022
I compared it to a private bank – we must make very customized solutions … This company is lean and owners know they can pick up the phone and call us … In some parts of the world , these very traditional business relationships are getting more and more important , and I think a few years ago in the hotel industry , they disappeared .”
His broader message is that Kempinski is in very good shape . “ There is stability and we will deliver … With Kempinski everything is a handshake deal – whatever we do with any stakeholder , we will deliver .”
Some proof of that comes from more recent performance , as Schroeder says business has come back strong and that internal research reveals there is a lot of trust between Kempinski leadership and property level teams .
While the first quarter of 2021 led to many sleepless nights for Schroeder , the second quarter provided a rapid turnaround . While many markets still have a long way to go , he says , business in cities like Munich and Istanbul was very robust , especially on weekends – higher then pre-pandemic results .
“ Leisure , leisure , leisure – people are going to the cities like Vienna , Berlin , Bangkok for domestic staycations from Thursday to Sunday ,” Schroeder says . “ Oman and Qatar are just reopening and Dubai is having a super year . I would have never thought that the World Expo would come in so strong .”
On the business travel side , Schroeder thinks results will be much stronger by the second half of next year .
That said , Schroeder is not resting , believing there must be continual reexamination of standards , as there are so many new groups shaking up the status quo that must be taken seriously . “ Luxury is today very often differently defined , and as brand you must have a certain
flexibility … Guests make different decisions about their stays and I ask our team to rethink a lot , which is taking us more toward wellness and health .”
Lastly , Schroeder says Kempinski is overcommunicating with all constituents , asking owners what they need and employees about how they are managing . “ This year , we had the highest employee engagement and employee satisfaction in company history ,” Schroeder says . “ We were also named number one , ahead of Marriott and Hyatt , and won the Forbes best Employer Award in the hospitality industry … And that is , for me , super important because we have a tremendous war for talent in Europe .”
In the end , it comes back to humility for Schroeder . “ I hope for some time now there is more peace and normal headaches … I love what I do . I ’ m positive and I ’ m always grateful .”
44 hotelsmag . com January / February 2022