THE INTERVIEW : GREG MEADOWS
GREG MEADOWS KNOWS ALL TOO WELL THAT WHILE BELLS AND WHISTLES ARE GREAT , THEY REMAIN SECONDARY TO INTUITIVE SERVICE , AND THAT IS THE WAY HE AND HIS TEAM RUN THE SUKHOTHAI IN BANGKOK .
By Jeff Weinstein , editor in chief
The roll of the general manager is changing . These days , most are tied to their desks , slaves to the report about the report on comp set performance , and not spending nearly enough time in front of guests . Greg Meadows , general manager of The Sukhothai in Bangkok , sees it all too often and does not agree with the approach .
Fortunately , Meadows says , he works for owners who appreciate his high-touch mentality and trust him to act effectively in his role as manager of their luxury hotel asset . The proof remains in the pudding for Meadows , who says 40 % of his customers are repeat guests satisfied with the hotel ’ s personal service and thoughtful amenities .
“ I put my stamp on a hotel through service ,” says the 64-year-old Meadows , who is now on his second stint with the hotel and has a nomad ’ s luxury global hotel resume . “ I am close to my staff and guests , and I don ’ t compromise on standards . I try to get that across every day and try to instill passion into what everybody does — that you really care about the hotel and feel valued for your contribution . It is my key role to bring the passion out that is usually there in people if they are allowed to express it .”
Maybe that makes Meadows old school , but he cultivated the philosophy when in his first job shoveling coal into one of the kitchen ovens as a trainee in 1967 at The Savoy in London Chef Silviano Trompetto told him each morning to read The Times of London because “ knowledge is power , my boy .” To this day , Meadows likes to recall this first person who impressed upon him the need to know what is going on in the world .
With stops as a waiter in La Rotonde at the Beau Rivage Palace in Lausanne , Switzerland ; at the Grosvenor House in London ; The Oriental in Bangkok under legend Kurt Wachtveitl ; at Conrads in Hong Kong and Bangkok ; and even at the The St . James ’ Club , Antigua , Meadows has held true to his discipline to first and foremost be visible and take care of the guest . He does so today back at The Sukhotahi .
Recently , HOTELS asked Meadows what else was close to his heart about the business and for his opinions about the industry , in general , today .
HOTELS : Who or what influences and inspires you ?
Entrance to The Sukhothai , Bangkok
Greg Meadows : You might be surprised to hear this , but it is people like Steve Wynn , Georg Rafael , Adrian Zecha and Kurt Wachtveitl . They are all passionate individuals and passionate about hotelkeeping , the properties they are involved in and giving great service to the guests . All of them have done that , and the future of the industry will be in future people like this . I hope they are out there , as they have the greatest influence on the industry . If you have been associated with them in the past , their passion and expertise rubs off on you .
When I was working for Kurt he was in the lobby at noon and 6 p . m . each day . He walked around the restaurant all day , had dinner in the hotel at 9 p . m . and was in the hotel early the next morning . That is not the way most
www . hotelsmag . com November 2012 HOTELS 31