THE

GEORG RAFAEL

FILE

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS : Left East Berlin at age 16 to run the elevator at Hotel Römerbad in Badenweiler , Germany ; came to America and trained at the Palmer House , Chicago , alongside Conrad Hilton ; named youngest InterContinental general manager in 1968 in Dusseldorf , Germany ; started Regent Hotels International in 1972 with Bob Burns and subsequently Adrian Zecha ; established Rafael Hotels in 1986 , eventually developing seven luxury hotels ; established

Georg Rafael Vineyards in 1996 ; sold Rafael Hotels in 2000 to Mandarin Oriental ; has been sitting on the board of Orient-Express Hotels since 2002 after establishing Rafael Group S . A . M . in Monaco to advise and assist global luxury hotel companies

BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY : “ The Art of Hospitality ” means everything to Rafael . It incorporates professionalism , the ability to make the customer most important and deal with

your colleagues on the same level . It is as simple as artfully executing the basics .

HOBBIES : Every morning while at his home in Hawaii , Rafael swims in the ocean at 7 a . m . He is a golfer , an oenophile and loves walking . He also invested in , and successfully rebuilt , what he says is now the most successful private English school in France .

ADVICE : It is important to find 10 minutes every day to speak

with guests . Be visible and reachable by more than email or text .

FUNNY ANECDOTE : “ I will never forget the owner of a hotel in the Black Forest of Germany who gave me my first break ,” Rafael recalls . “ Mr . Joner was cutting the beef for everyone at the table for lunch , and he taught me an early lesson . He said , ‘ Georg , never put the sauce all over the bloody meat — just over the tip of it .’”

24 HOTELS November 2012 www . hotelsmag . com

Joshua Roberts