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Managing a hotel like ‘running a small country’
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Many people don’t know what path they will take after graduating from university. David Katemopoulos, the new general manager of Le Meridien Xiamen, fits into this group.
A business major, Katemopoulos’ initial trial on the assembly line of his father’s watch-making company, unfortunately, turned out to be a mistake. But he was also lucky since it didn’t take him long to find something he really enjoyed.
“I’m very much interested in (running a) property which is pretty much like running a small country,” said Katemopoulos, now a hospitality veteran with three decades of experience in the industry. “Being the general manager of a five-star hotel is my ultimate goal and is what I really enjoy doing.”
Brought into the service industry by one of his friends at a travel agency after getting “fired” by his father, the Shanghai-born, Hong Kong-raised hotelier launched his hospitality career in 1983, when he joined the sales and marketing department at Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts in Hong Kong.
He had also worked for the Penninsula Group before hopping to Starwood Hotels and Resorts in 2001 as a pre-opening team member for the St Regis Shanghai, a luxury brand under the group which also manages W, Luxury Collection, Westin, Sheraton and other hotel brands.
With 13 years at Starwood under his belt, including extensive experience with opening luxury hotels, it is fair to say Katemopoulos is well versed about making a hotel successful from the start.
“There is a big difference between running an opened hotel and a pre-opening,” says Katemopoulos, who in October joined Le Meridien Xiamen for the second time as its general manager. He was there for about two-and-a-half years between 2009 and 2011 as general manager of the 342-room property during the hotel’s pre-opening and opening period.
“Positioning the property right, a focus on design and functionality, good alignment of positions, and staff training are some of the key elements to help a new hotel set off to a great start,” he tells Shanghai Daily.
“The six to 12-month period after the trial opening is very critical for a hotel. You need to make various adjustments and follow a very detailed check-list. After all, everything is in the details and every detail makes a difference.”
And what really makes a difference with today’s cosmopolitan travelers, many of whom are seasoned travelers with high expectations for service, is whether a hotel is able to create an emotional connection.
“Making guests feel recognized is very important,” he says.
While enjoying his work, particularly on occasions such as receiving positive feedback from guests or reading good financial results at the end of the month, Katemopoulos agreed that hiring the right people can be the biggest challenge for five-star hotels. He says this is particularly true in cities like Shanghai where job-hopping opportunities are more abundant and living costs are higher.
During his leisure time, the general manager likes playing golf, a sport he first developed an interest in six years ago when he lived on Hainan Island and was the GM at Sheraton Haikou Hotel.
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