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Leone continued to move up at The Breakers , but in 1994 it was still a surprise to him when he was offered the job of president at age 36 — a mere 20 years after his humble introduction to the industry at the Starlight Motor Court . “ This was like a dream come true ,” Leone says .
The reality , however , was that he needed a plan to improve The Breakers — and fast . Understanding many of the question marks that remained about his abilities as president , Leone rushed to make many changes — but he knew what was most important . “ I said , if we can become incredibly competent
As a teenager , Leone lived and worked at the 17-room Starlight Motor Court in Paris , Kentucky .
Leone credits The
Breakers ’ success chiefly to the work of his team members , including Chuck Carter , an attendant at one of the golf course bag rooms .
at hiring the right people , we can turn this thing around ,” Leone says . “ My mantra at that point was teamwork and speed . We have got to form the best team . We ’ ve got to work together and we ’ ve got to work fast . Within a year to 18 months , you could see this ship start to turn .”
Outstanding , friendly service The Breakers dates back in some form to the late 1800s , although its current iteration opened in 1926 . The 540-room resort , set on 140 acres ( 57 hectares ) in the heart of Palm Beach , is still owned by descendants of the property ’ s founder , Henry Flagler . The property boasts that it is debt-free , and US $ 20 million in capital expenditures annually help keep the facilities fresh . Projected occupancy for fiscal year 2013 is 80 %, with total revenue of US $ 200 million and a US $ 500 ADR .
Yet success has not come easy for The Breakers . “ We have found an unusual balance of being able to honor the past and charge into the future ,” Leone notes . “ The ultimate preservation is self-preservation — grab the future .”
Over the past decade , The Breakers has invested US $ 250 million in revitalization projects , but Leone hesitates to focus on the most tangible metrics when discussing the property ’ s success . “ It ’ s about the hiring ,” he explains , adding that the resort ’ s 2,000 employees are at least 30 % more than one might expect to find at a similarly sized property . “ Last year we interviewed or screened 15,000 people and hired 500 . Our mission in a line is outstanding , friendly service — to each other and our guests .”
“ The most unique thing about the property is the staff ,” confirms Dave Burke , who has served as vice president of sales and marketing since 1991 . “ That all comes from Paul . There ’ s no ego , and that permeates the company . It ’ s a great place to work — I ’ m here almost 23 years , and I still smile every morning when I come to work .”
The best is yet to come Leone understands that spending almost 30 years at one company — especially in the hotel industry — is unusual , but he says he has stayed at The Breakers because of the relationships he has with the board of directors and his colleagues on-property . “ To trust , respect and love the people you work with — I don ’ t think you come by that very easily ,” he says . “ There ’ s nothing I ’ d rather do , no people I ’ d rather work with .”
In addition to work keeping Leone busy , he keeps a schedule packed with daily church attendance ; activities that include golf , windsurfing and cycling ; and his family — wife Kathy ( whom he met at The Breakers , fittingly ) and four sons ages 20 to 14 . “ I ’ m like the Energizer bunny ,” Leone jokes . “ I don ’ t stop moving . I was built to work . One of my prayers is to work until the end .”
“ He embodies this spirit of never resting ,” Chandra agrees . “ We need to be better tomorrow than we are today . That ’ s a cliché , and people talk about it , but so many companies that achieve success run out of gas and coast for a while .”
Coasting is definitely not on the agenda here — for The Breakers or Leone . Kirk predicts , “ I think his best years are yet to come here .”
36 HOTELS November 2013 www . hotelsmag . com