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The Special Touch

“In today’s world people want a memorable, human experience. The
most enjoyable for a client is to receive a product or service that no
one else could experience—to make them feel unique. Once we
had a guest staying with us who cried when he discovered a frame
with his favourite Instagram picture in his room. He had taken it in
New Zealand and told one of our team members how memorable
was his stay there. We always try to exceed the expectations and
surprise guests—to make their stay unique and memorable.”

—Katja Henke, general manager of the Peninsula Paris Hotel in Paris, France

Quoted in Franck Demaury, “Meeting with Katja Henke, General Manager at Peninsula
Paris,” Luxury Design, October 5, 2016. www.luxury-design.com.

Rachel Banks, learning and development manager at the Savoy
Hotel in London, “as there is always great diversity in the work you
carry out, the people you work with and the guests that you meet.” 7
One aspect of their job that hospitality managers share is that
their days are jam packed. “It’s always busy,” says Rommel Go-
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pez, the director of guest relations at New York City’s historic Ho-
tel Edison. Each morning, Gopez arrives at the hotel around 6:30
a.m., and the fi rst thing he does is check his schedule for the day.
He reviews the facility’s arrivals and occupancy and looks to see
how many VIPs are staying. He checks his email, creates reports
(such as who the VIPs are and what has to be done for them),
and attends meetings. Throughout the day most of Gopez’s time
revolves around guests and employees, as he explains: “I’m in
the lobby talking to guests, showing rooms to guests, talking to
my team about what’s coming up and any other issues.” Gopez
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says that his day typically ends around 5:00 or 6:00 p.m.
Gopez is passionate about the hospitality business. There are
many reasons for this, such as having the privilege of getting to
know interesting people from all over the world. That goes along
with his fondness for traveling, as he explains: “I’ll talk to some-
one from one country and then think, ‘Oh, I should travel there
next.’ And when I do travel there, I already have a friend.” 10

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