Editors’ Note

A graduate of the University of Madrid, Alberto del Hoyo managed major hotels around the world, including the Regent Beverly Wilshire twice, before assuming his present post in 1997.

Property Brief

Built in 1912 and set amid 12 landscaped acres, The Beverly Hills Hotel and Bungalows (www.thebeverlyhillshotel.com) features 204 guest rooms, suites, and private bungalows, as well as the celebrity-favorite The Polo Lounge. Long known as the “Pink Palace,” the hotel is a member of the Dorchester Collection.

Was 2007 a strong year for The Beverly Hills Hotel?

It was a banner year, and not only for the Beverly Hills Hotel, but also for every hotel in Southern California. Throughout the year and especially the summer, we hit record occupancies and had a very high average rate. Our market penetration has been unbelievable.

Do you think that growth will continue?

As long as the economy keeps going well, the sky is the limit.

Do you have any improvements planned for the property?

The renovations are continuous. We just changed the carpet in the lobby. All the rooms are in impeccable condition, because we invest in them on a yearly basis. They are very pristine. We opened a new bar in July, NINETEEN12, named in honor of the year the hotel first opened. It will boost our standing in the community, because we already have The Polo Lounge.

The Polo Lounge is a destination restaurant. About 85 percent of the people who dine there are not guests of the hotel – they are from the community. So we have been very successful in bringing the community to our food and beverage facilities.

What makes The Beverly Hills Hotel unique in a competitive market?

The most important thing to have is the best employees, and we do have them. I don’t micromanage; I act more as a coach. I let our people do their jobs. That’s the philosophy.

Many of your employees have been with you for years. Why is the property so effective in retaining talent?

Our employees are happy because they are treated well and they make very good money. They know how to treat people and they know our clients – their likes and preferences – because they have been with the hotel for so many years.

Is a full-fledged spa a requirement for today’s luxury properties?

In today’s world, a luxury hotel has to have a spa. We are very fortunate to have teamed up with La Prairie, which is the top end of the market and addresses our clients’ needs very well. We’ve had success with our spa.

Do you offer facilities for small boardroom meetings as well as for larger events?

We have all of them, and we are very successful in banquet services. Anybody who is anybody gets married at the hotel. Our ballrooms are used mostly for social gatherings, but we also have some corporate business.

The Beverly Hills Hotel also offers some great programs for children.

Yes we do. We cater to families, especially in the summer, when we operate like a full-fledged resort. We put a tremendous emphasis on family.

The hotel offers unique accommodations, such as bungalows. Are they popular with your VIP clientele?

Yes. Our bungalows are very expensive, but, believe it or not, the demand for those accommodations is higher than it is for our regular rooms.

You have been with The Beverly Hills Hotel for many years. Is it still as exciting a place to work as it was when you first joined the property?

Every day is exciting. It’s a unique hotel – one of a kind. It’s very different from properties that are part of a luxury hotel chain. At properties like The Beverly Hills Hotel, the manager has to be much more visible to the guests. In a corporate hotel, everything is done by the book. At The Beverly Hills Hotel, we have a book, of course, but we can do anything for our clients without following corporate rules and regulations. As long as it’s legal, we’ll do it.

Do you think the word “luxury” is overused in describing hotels today?

What makes a great hotel? Is it the location, the service, or the facility? To me, the most important thing is for a hotel to have great clients. That’s the kind of hotel we have.

Does today’s General Manager have to be a bit of a generalist, with expertise in all of the areas of a hotel’s operation, from food and beverage to room renovations, technology, finances, and so on?

We have to know what it takes to do the job in order to coach properly. But I hire the best people and let them do their jobs. To me, that’s the best way to manage.

What are your priorities for the property in the coming year?

We always try to keep up the service and do things better. That is our number-one chore, day in and day out. I also expect the opening of the new bar, NINETEEN12, to keep us busy. We expect it to be the most successful bar in the city.

Do you ever think about slowing down?

Never.

Can you imagine having a career outside of hotel management?

No.

So you always knew you wanted to be a hotelier.

Yes. I always knew. I have still many years to go.