LAGNIAPPE
What do you do better than anyone else you know ?
Improvising . With such an international clientele , being in a mountain resort that is quite a long way from major hubs and being heavily dependent on Mother Nature , I have learned to think on my feet and make significant decisions on the spot .
What makes you unique as a hotelier ?
My father managed the Kulm Hotel for 30 years , and I was born in the hotel ; that has allowed me to understand what it means to be a hotelier from a very young age , living the Grand Hotel culture and cultivating relationships with families who have been visiting for decades — generations , even !
What part of your job requires the most creative thinking ?
Leading a legendary hotel that is over 160 years old successfully into the 21st century . The Kulm Hotel has always been a trend-setter , and we constantly need to find inventive ways to communicate that . In the last two years , we ’ ve done that through , for example , the creation of the Trojan Horse , which is an art installation , event space and bar .
If not a hotelier ...?
While overseeing the diverse renovations at the Grand Hotel Kronenhof and the Kulm Hotel St . Moritz in the last 10 years , I discovered a real passion for architecture and construction .
What surprising skill have you learned on the job ?
I can very quickly read and analyze building and floor plans .
What do most people not know about you ?
I have never read a book from beginning to end since I completed my official schooling . I become slightly restless and would rather spend my time “ making it happen ” somewhere in the hotel .
HEINZ HUNKELER
GENERAL MANAGER , KULM HOTEL , ST . MORITZ , SWITZERLAND
A lifelong hotelier helming a historic alpine resort , Heinz Hunkeler was a co-creator of a modern Trojan Horse sculpture by local artist Curdin Guler to celebrate the equestrian traditions of the Engadine Valley . The 45-foot-tall ( 14-meter ) horse ’ s hollow body serves as a private lounge for up to 10 people .
What would you like to have more time for ?
Apart from my family , probably traditional hunting , which has been practiced here in the Grisons for centuries , and kite surfing , which I do here in the Engadine Valley in the summer , when the Maloja wind whips across Lake Silvaplana .
Do you have a personal goal for the year ?
I would like to spend more time with my family , especially my three young children ( my wife works with me , so I ’ m fortunate to spend a lot of time with her ). Being a mountain boy , I would also like to climb one of the highest ranges in the region , the 4,049-meter Piz Bernina Biancograt .
64 hotelsmag . com May 2016