THE GREG MEADOWS FILE

CAREER : Started in the kitchen as a trainee manager at The Savoy , London . Stops along the way included The Beau Rivage Palace in Lausanne , Switzerland ; the Grosvenor House and Park Lane hotels in London ; and a five-year stint as resident manager at The Oriental in Bangkok . Meadows

opened the Conrad in Hong Kong and Bangkok and worked at the Delta Grand Pacific in Bangkok , in addition to his two stints at The Sukhothai .

MENTORS : The first was Olive Barnett , assistant to Sir Hugh Wontner at The Savoy , who gave Meadows his first chance ,

and she guided him in his early career . The second was Douglas Barrington , the proprietor of The Lygon Arms in the scenic Cotswolds . Legendary Kurt Wachtveitl at The Oriental was the other .

THE SUKHOTHAI : A 21-yearold luxury hotel in the heart of Bangkok named

after the old capital city and designed by Kerry Hill and Ed Tuttle . Lots of Thai silks , teak and granite throughout give a Thai feel that is retained to this day . An oasis in the middle of a busy , noisy city . Among recent changes is the refurbishment of standard rooms , and suites will be started next year .

The restaurant and spa will also get a refresh in 2013 .

NEXT FOR MEADOWS : After replacing a hip , getting his golf game going again and continuing to do his thing at The Sukhothai , “ I am happy doing what I am doing , and there are always new mountains to climb ,” he says .

30 HOTELS November 2012 www . hotelsmag . com