Faced to face with Martin Landolt

Martin Landolt General Manager of the Ramada D’MA Bangkok, A long time resident of Thailand, a gentleman who has seen the industry grow form the kitchen side to being a general Manager, we shall let Martin tell his story for us.

Give us a brief history of your career and what made you decide to become a General Manager?

In 1971 I started my Cooks(chef) Apprenticeship in Glarus, Switzerland, at the same time I entered the hotel school in Zurich, by 1973 I passed the Cooks (chef) apprenticeship with the 3rd. highest score. A half year later I passed the hotel school in Zurich. So with the tender age of 20 years I had two job licences in my pocket that where certified by the Swiss Government. So my life as a hotelier could start.
My first year as a professional I started in Zurich fallowed by a stint in a ski resort (Braunwald), Mövenpick, England (Sheraton Hyde park), Malmoe Sweden, Bermuda, Washington DC. (USA), Dusit Thani Bangkok, Sheraton Kuwait, Davos (Switzerland). Back to Thailand (Dusit Group) to open Dusit Laguna (Phuket), Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Pattaya, Hat Yai, Santiburi (Kho Samui). After I left the Dusit Group I open Embassy Suites Bangkok, Thavorn Beach Village, after this openings I joined the Regent Cha am, Fortune Hotel Bangkok. After completing the contract at Fortune I joined Six Senses, followed by D’MA Pavillion Hotel that later in 2008 joined Ramada and became the Ramada D’MA Bangkok.
Why I became General Manager, once the management asked me to move from kitchen to Food & Beverage (during the Dusit group time). This was the start to make use of the hotel school gained knowledge to activate and put in action.

Who has been the most influential person in your career?

Khun Kla Kitchakarn

What is your Managerial philosophy, and how this changed over the years, from country to country?
Today I see staff as an investment and not anymore as an expense, like it is still in many places.
You should treat the staff the same way as you like to be treated! If you are good to staff, staff will be good to you and the hotel! But you still need to keep a gap in order that there is still a invisible line of respect between staff and management! In the past the general Manager was the almighty, but today even a General Manager should be a more easily approachable person, then do not forget even a General Manager is at the end only an employee!
Here in Thailand much of the management’s time is spent in follow up on assigned duties while in western places you will be handed in the reports on assigned works.

What would you consider to be the qualities that make a General Manager who they are today?

In my opinion a good General Manager should be a very good all-rounder who knows all departments and not only is specialized to one field i.e. Sales or Front Office! Manny owner believe if they hire a General Manager out of the sales or Front Office the hotel can save in the sales department and still have a full hotel! But the owners very seldom think how much money can get wasted in the other areas i.e. Back of the house, Room Division, F&B, Kitchen, and Engineering.
So what they believe to save and gain by hiring a sale/Front office as General Manager they will lose sometime many folds in other areas of the hotel. Due Front Office / sales General Manager has not much experience/knowledge in non-sales/front office related areas of the hotel. Many of today’s General Manager are young and creative, but lack in experience, and experience is a very vital ingredient in the general Managers work.

How would you evaluate, schooling against Aprentiship in today world, and compare this to your time?

In my time as you can read on the top we had to work, learn and attend business school and in my case Hotel School at the same time it was tough but it gave me lots of very vital knowledge, from witch I still today benefit. I myself do not believe in only school, books, books are very good, but practical experience is an un-replaceable knowledge this knowledge is real, school, books are only theoretical. So for me only an apprenticeship is the real way to go for learning a job, not by copying as in many places outside of Europe is practised. By copying dose not teach you the basics and fundamentals of the job!

What has been your proudest moment in your career and why?

My proudest moment in my career was in 1982, when my menu proposal was selected for the Gala dinner at the grand Palace for 2500 dignitaries that attended the 200 year celebration of Bangkok!

Consider what has been your weakness that has proved to be guidance towards your strength in the course of your career?

My weakness was and is still today sometimes that I’m not making a decision fast enough or speak at the required moment, I do consider first the pros & cons , so I loss opportunities, because I think through the details first and look at the benefits for the hotel first! I still believe thinking fast is good, but not always it depends on speed, it depends on the final result! Do not forget a lot of the General Managers decisions depend a lot of employees and their families income!

In the Hospitality circle what would you like to be known or remembered as or for?

I like to be remembered as a person that from day one on of my working life, until today, of never having taken any kick back or commission!

In your life time has there been a particular food item, you would not consider eating or have had a second thought to try?
Durian

We all have dreams and goals for the future, what ones would you say that you have yet to accomplish?

My Dream: to be a good role model of a hotelier, to accomplish to be able to work till 65 years of age.