SPECIAL REPORT : HOTELIER OF THE WORLD
INDEPENDENT HOTELIER OF THE WORLD
MAN FOR BIG MOMENTS
Independent Hotelier of the World Hans Bruland has been prepared all his hotel life , and has a knack for delivering when it counts .
by JEFF WEINSTEIN , EDITOR IN CHIEF
Starting as a teen experiencing his first morsel of wanderlust at his aunt and uncle ’ s bakery in a nearby small German town , there have been many opportunities for Hans Bruland to show he could deliver – and not just pastry cakes . He delivered while learning and building confidence during his early hotel days in Europe , then throughout his Westin career that included pivotal moments at the St . Francis in San Francisco , and then again for All Nippon Airways in Washington , D . C ., Vienna and beyond . His latest and perhaps greatest accomplishment now stands at 14 years and counting : running The Hay-Adams across from The White House in Washington , D . C ., where the precise hotelier started by quickly and adeptly applying the necessary polish – both inside and out – to boost a shabby chic reputation into one of restored glory .
Even now , 50 years into his hospitality career , Bruland ’ s hotel and the daily responsibilities that come with it remain his passion and focus . At 65 , Bruland admits , he is still married to the hotel business .
“ Nothing excites me more than going in every morning ,” says Bruland , who , like many great hoteliers before him , seemed to know at a very young he would become a hotel lifer . “ It ’ s the ability ultimately to be responsible , look at the environment and the quality that it represents , the recognition that you get for it and the chance to give the people working with you an opportunity for growth … My
32 HOTELS November 2015 www . hotelsmag . com