Sholto Smith, General Manager Park Hyatt Siem Reap
During our stay at the Park Hyatt Siem Reap, we were delighted to meet with the General Manager, Mr Sholto Smith. As the hotel had only recently opened (following it's transition from Hotel de la Paix) we were interested in finding out more about the GM and the hotel, and about some of the challenges he faces.
Sholto has always loved travel. His parents are British but have for many years shared their domicile between the UK and Australia. Thus even as a child, Sholto travelled extensively and often. After leaving school in Australia, he spent a long stint in the UK before returning to study hotel Hotel Management in Western Australia and gained his first hotel job aged 20 with the Hyatt in Perth. Sholto speaks fondly of this time, when he worked as a waiter, which he found great fun, although very busy. Although working for Hyatt was serendipitous (other hotel chains did not reply to his unsolicited job application), he was very proud to work for such a prestigious company. We learnt that the Director of HR interviewed him 2-3 times, even though the job was only for a waiter, supporting our observation that Hyatt chooses its staff very carefully. From here, Sholto moved into Reservations and Sales at the Park Hyatt Sydney. From Sydney, he spent a brief period at the Park Hyatt in Melbourne for opening and 6 months in Sales & Marketing in Los Angeles, predominantly selling the Park Hyatt Melbourne. After a year working for another hotel chain in London (diplomatically, he wouldn't reveal which) he was offered a job in the Hyatt Regency Almaty, Kazakhstan and was there within a month. Sholto speaks with great excitement about the very different culture of Almaty and interacting with the locals but then again, he is enthusiastic about his work in general. It was fascinating to hear about Air Astana's gestation and birth in and around the Hyatt Almaty during his time there. This fledging airline, achieving plaudits in it's first ten years, started with just one plane in 2002 and now has 27 planes in service.
One of Sholto's great merits is his irrepressible positivity. It is clear why he was made Residence Manager of the Park Hyatt Melbourne at a relatively young age. The GM of this hotel was also Area Director, thus Sholto was, in effect, in charge and describes that he was basically told "there's your baby, here's your pram, off you go!" Now that he is General Manager in Siem Reap, his get-up-and-go attitude has been a huge asset - he was GM of the hotel for opening, but there had already been 2 previous GMs during the rebranding of the hotel from de la Paix to Park Hyatt. When asked about his management style, he says that listening is the most important part in order to give genuine hospitality, and that it is important to remember small details in order to make a guest feel welcome and their experience more real.
The Park Hyatt Siem Reap has just 104 rooms, ranging from the standard Park King rooms to the splendid Presidential Suite. During the closure of the hotel for a year, the de la Paix staff were employed and provided with training in the Hyatt way. Many were sent to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Saigon or other local Hyatts for 6 weeks to 3 months for holistic, empathetic training - Hyattisation by absorption as it were. During the opening phase a team of around 30 local Hyatt management supported the hotel, mainly from the Grand Hyatt in Singapore. We found it very revealing to hear of the pre-opening preparations for a new hotel, helping to explain how the Hyatt ethos is carried into new hotels.
At the time of this interview, the first big landmark for the hotel was the Angkor half marathon, when the hotel was at 100% occupancy for the first time, a huge test for any establishment, although we are sure that this will have been managed with aplomb. Now that the pool suites are finished, the hotel is going to consider what inclusions to add to the room rate, especially for the larger suites but also for other rooms - we spoke about tuk-tuk tours, food and spa treatments as possible complimentary inclusions, which would definitely add value, even if the room rate had to increase. Otherwise, as with any other new hotel, the real challenge is keeping momentum flowing. It is easier to inspire staff for an opening, harder to maintain this over the years. We look forward to seeing the developments of the hotel and hope that Sholto stays GM for the next few years. He mentioned he would love to return to East Europe, perhaps Russia. However, hopefully he will establish the hotel fully before taking on any more challenges. Clearly a great hotelier in the making.
Sholto has always loved travel. His parents are British but have for many years shared their domicile between the UK and Australia. Thus even as a child, Sholto travelled extensively and often. After leaving school in Australia, he spent a long stint in the UK before returning to study hotel Hotel Management in Western Australia and gained his first hotel job aged 20 with the Hyatt in Perth. Sholto speaks fondly of this time, when he worked as a waiter, which he found great fun, although very busy. Although working for Hyatt was serendipitous (other hotel chains did not reply to his unsolicited job application), he was very proud to work for such a prestigious company. We learnt that the Director of HR interviewed him 2-3 times, even though the job was only for a waiter, supporting our observation that Hyatt chooses its staff very carefully. From here, Sholto moved into Reservations and Sales at the Park Hyatt Sydney. From Sydney, he spent a brief period at the Park Hyatt in Melbourne for opening and 6 months in Sales & Marketing in Los Angeles, predominantly selling the Park Hyatt Melbourne. After a year working for another hotel chain in London (diplomatically, he wouldn't reveal which) he was offered a job in the Hyatt Regency Almaty, Kazakhstan and was there within a month. Sholto speaks with great excitement about the very different culture of Almaty and interacting with the locals but then again, he is enthusiastic about his work in general. It was fascinating to hear about Air Astana's gestation and birth in and around the Hyatt Almaty during his time there. This fledging airline, achieving plaudits in it's first ten years, started with just one plane in 2002 and now has 27 planes in service.
One of Sholto's great merits is his irrepressible positivity. It is clear why he was made Residence Manager of the Park Hyatt Melbourne at a relatively young age. The GM of this hotel was also Area Director, thus Sholto was, in effect, in charge and describes that he was basically told "there's your baby, here's your pram, off you go!" Now that he is General Manager in Siem Reap, his get-up-and-go attitude has been a huge asset - he was GM of the hotel for opening, but there had already been 2 previous GMs during the rebranding of the hotel from de la Paix to Park Hyatt. When asked about his management style, he says that listening is the most important part in order to give genuine hospitality, and that it is important to remember small details in order to make a guest feel welcome and their experience more real.
The Park Hyatt Siem Reap has just 104 rooms, ranging from the standard Park King rooms to the splendid Presidential Suite. During the closure of the hotel for a year, the de la Paix staff were employed and provided with training in the Hyatt way. Many were sent to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Saigon or other local Hyatts for 6 weeks to 3 months for holistic, empathetic training - Hyattisation by absorption as it were. During the opening phase a team of around 30 local Hyatt management supported the hotel, mainly from the Grand Hyatt in Singapore. We found it very revealing to hear of the pre-opening preparations for a new hotel, helping to explain how the Hyatt ethos is carried into new hotels.
At the time of this interview, the first big landmark for the hotel was the Angkor half marathon, when the hotel was at 100% occupancy for the first time, a huge test for any establishment, although we are sure that this will have been managed with aplomb. Now that the pool suites are finished, the hotel is going to consider what inclusions to add to the room rate, especially for the larger suites but also for other rooms - we spoke about tuk-tuk tours, food and spa treatments as possible complimentary inclusions, which would definitely add value, even if the room rate had to increase. Otherwise, as with any other new hotel, the real challenge is keeping momentum flowing. It is easier to inspire staff for an opening, harder to maintain this over the years. We look forward to seeing the developments of the hotel and hope that Sholto stays GM for the next few years. He mentioned he would love to return to East Europe, perhaps Russia. However, hopefully he will establish the hotel fully before taking on any more challenges. Clearly a great hotelier in the making.