Vol 6 Issue 2, September 2006 - School of Hotel & Tourism ...

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Distinguished Lecture Series
Keep Smiling!
Legendary hotelier Robert “Bob” H. Burns gave
students and staff an insight into his professional
life and the secrets behind his success as part of the
ongoing Distinguished Lecturer Series recently.
Mr Burns was the founder of Regent International
Hotels and is currently owner and developer of Grand
Hotel a Villa Feltrinelli in
Gargnano, Italy. He is best
known for setting new
benchmarks in luxury
hospitality.
The lecture took place as part
of Induction Day for the new
intake of students: Mr Burns
took the opportunity to give
the audience the benefit of his
wealth of experience as they
embark on the first step in
their careers in the hospitality
industry. His first piece of
advice was that they should identify early on what area
they wanted to specialise in, and to concentrate on that.
“You need to have a high degree of motivation,
especially when you will be working long hours,” he
added.
He also highlighted the importance of planning, and
illustrated the point with an example from his own
career. “We spent a year planning the bathrooms of the
first Regent hotel in Hong Kong,” he said, adding with a
laugh that as a result he was often referred to as the
“bathroom king” in the industry. The last laugh is on
him, however, as The Regent set new standards in the
five-star industry, which have become commonplace
since.
A lively Q&A session followed Mr Burns’ presentation.
One student asked what qualities they should possess to
succeed in the industry: “Be outgoing, don’t be shy, you
need to like being around people,” he said. He
offered advice on getting on in the industry: “Work
hard for your immediate boss, not the people above
him or her,”; and for difficult guests: “Keep smiling.
Remember they are always right – even when they are
wrong. And don’t delegate the task of talking to these
guests to your subordinates.”
A native of New York, Mr
Burns has spent six decades in
hotels – starting in the
kitchens and laundries of the
famous Waldorf Astoria in the
late 1940s, while attending
New York University. After
four years in the US Army, he
graduated from Michigan
State University’s School of
Hotel Management, followed
by an MBA at the University of
Michigan. He then joined
Sheraton Hotel’s
management-training programme. In 1960, he joined
Sheraton’s hotels in Hawaii, and within three years was
general manager of the Kahala Hilton in Hawaii.
Bob Burns is presented with a souvenir by Prof Chon.
He founded Regent International Hotels in Hong Kong
in 1970, building up one of the industry’s most
renowned five-star brands. Over 22 years, the group
opened 17 luxury hotels around the world, with flagship
The Regent Hong Kong winning many awards including
best hotel in the world. Mr Burns sold his interest in
Regent International Hotels to Four Seasons Hotels &
Resorts in 1992. He now owns and runs the exclusive
21-room Grand Hotel a Villa Feltrinelli – and the
audience was thrilled to see photos of this beautiful,
unique villa, into which Mr Burns has obviously put his
heart and soul.
An inspiration, indeed; especially at the start of one’s
career.
HORIZONS