Special RepoRt : Hotelier of tHe World
philosophy is people always come first because without their loyalty and trust , I cannot expect to build a culture that is sustainable .”
It is , perhaps , this classic style and career track that led Bruland ’ s contemporaries , the readers of HOTELS , to choose the vice president and general manager of The Hay-Adams as the 2015 Independent Hotelier of the World award winner .
“ Hans Bruland certainly deserves the highest accolades ,” says Frank Saul , II , chairman of the owning company of The Hay-Adams . “ He is a supremely talented general manager and the respect and affection that our ‘ regulars ’ at The Hay-Adams have for him is legendary .”
Formative years Bruland describes himself as being very passionate about his work , not surprisingly a perfectionist , consistent , tough but also personal and encouraging as a leader .
Bruland ’ s CV began taking shape as early as a child growing up in Lippborg / Westphalia , Germany , when bored with his home life during school holidays he was able to spend extended periods with relatives who owned several bakeries and pastry shops in an adjacent northern Germany city – Dortmund / Westphalia .
“ Early hours at work , slicing prunes for the plum cakes , delivering baked goods on the weekends was part of routine ,” Bruland says . “ The little income from tips , the relationships I formed with families working for my uncle and aunt , the suppliers and customer I got to know intimately was rewarding , and ultimately it shaped my social interactions and desire to work in the hospitality industry .”
Having a mother who was an excellent cook and a father who managed a large retirement home , Bruland says his entry into the hospitality was a natural path to pursue . He entered an apprenticeship in the culinary arts in the late 1960 ’ s in Muenster , Germany , and following graduation and a short seasonal stint in Bavaria , Bruland was fortunate enough to win an assignment as a management trainee at the newly established Esso Motor Hotel company in Nuremberg , Germany . It was there where he met his first mentor , the hotel ’ s GM Otto Lissfeld , who helped Bruland gain increasing responsibility at similar assignments in Amsterdam and outside London . Within a few years , Bruland had graduated to guest services and front office positions at the Prince de Galle in Paris .
Colleagues , friends and a desire for further growth brought Bruland in the early 1970 ’ s to Johannesburg and the Carlton Hotel , which was managed by Westin Hotels and Resorts , the company which would propel his career forward . Less than a year later as part of the pre-opening team of the Westin in Edmonton , Alberta , Canada , Bruland met his wife , Josie ,
In 1990 , Bruland ’ s first day in the office as GM at the Westin in Washington , D . C .
“ My philosophy is people always come first because without their loyalty and trust , i cannot expect to build a culture that is sustainable .” – Hans Bruland and even more professional fulfillment with initial management responsibilities in F & B . Further along the way with Westin , he took positions in
Manila as the opening F & B director , as well similar titles in Chicago and at the Century Plaza in Los Angeles .
A reflective Bruland told HOTELS about his many mentors and what they meant to him , including Jim Durham , his regional vice president with Westin in Kansas City , “ who believed in me and was very supportive of my ascent of the corporate ladder .”
Then there was Bob Wilhelm , his last managing director at the Westin St . Francis in San Francisco , who provided Bruland with his final test before he could write his ticket as a general manager . Bruland recalls Wilhelm giving him a big test , organizing and leading the check-in , check-out process of IBM ' s annual convention , consisting of
34 HOTELS November 2015 www . hotelsmag . com