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back to the hotel . We worked every night until one or two o ’ clock in the morning .”
Daughter Vicki recalls always seeing her parents working hard . “ But my mom was always there for every meeting , everything we kids did ,” she said . “ I don ’ t know how she did it . She probably never slept .”
Tollman ’ s response : “ Well , there ’ s lots to do and it ’ s amazing with how little sleep you can manage . That ’ s one thing I learned about being in any business , I suppose .”
Starting over In 1975 , the Tollmans left South Africa for London . “ We couldn ’ t take any money out , so you ’ d just make do ,” Tollman says . “ We got a loan from a friend and I remember walking to go to the grocery instead of taking the bus to save the money . You remember all of these things . I never complained because you knew that ’ s what you had to do . So , you just do it and get on with it .”
Getting on with it included an opportunity to buy the Montcalm hotel in London , where the family also began to live and even opened a thriving discotheque in the basement called Dial 9 . “ Everybody who came , all the bands ( including the Rolling Stones ), all the singers , they all enjoyed it . It was a wonderful place and was a great success from the beginning ,” she says .
During those days , Stanley went to the United States to start a travel company , and in 1984 the couple bought the Chesterfield hotel in London ’ s Mayfair district . That ’ s when Red Carnation was born and Bea developed the company ethos : “ No request is too large , no detail too small .”
The Chesterfield succeeded , again with a strong reputation for F & B , and the collection grew from there , first in the U . K . Within the past 20 years , they bought the hotels in South Africa again , including The Twelve Apostles in 2002 , and in 2007 the Oyster
If you let ( HIGH StANDARDS ) SlIp , you loSe youR pASSIoN … AND It ’ S HARD SometImeS . you juSt Get A bIt feD up foR oNe ReASoN oR ANotHeR . but i think it ’ S the paSSion that keepS uS on our toeS .
Box in Durban . Fast-forward to 2015 , when the Tollmans made one of their biggest acquisitions and detailed renovation projects , the iconic Ashford Castle in Ireland .
Today , the Tollmans ’ son , Brett , is CEO of The Travel Corp . Daughter Vicki is director of Red Carnation Hotels , overseeing guest experiences , sales , marketing and PR . Daughter Toni is director of design and projects at the hotels and Uniworld . The next generation of Tollman women has entered the business with Alexandra Tollman , Bea ’ s granddaughter , involved in international sales .
Comforting and generouS Bea has always focused on the kitchen , service and training at the hotels , while Stanley manages the business affairs of
BEATRICE TOLLMAN
the hotel group and parent company , The Travel Corp ., with some 40 brands that include everything from Uniworld river cruisers to travel agencies and a vineyard in South Africa .
“ My mom has signature dishes throughout all the hotels , from her delicious breads , to her chicken liver paté , to her curries , to hand-chopped sirloin ,” Vicki says . “ But then all the chefs also have the opportunity to be creative and have their signature dishes , as well .”
When Tollman is not in the kitchen , she is usually touring the properties and making sure staff training is ongoing and is focused on service delivery . Many general managers have been with the group for more than 20 years . “ Our hotels are most cherished for our teams ,” Vicki says . “ Our
30 hotelsmag . com November / December 2020