Thomas Kochs is the General Manager of the legendary London hotel, Claridge’s. He is devoted to this luxury hotel and expects the same of his staff. Thomas is very conscious about the responsibilities placed on his shoulders – he must preserve the heritage of this historical hotel and at the same time, guide it into the 21st century without losing its Golden Era glamour and charms.
You studied Business Economics in Germany. When did you become aware that you would like to work in the hotel industry?
I used to work in hotels when I was a teenager. Mostly because I really enjoyed it, although the pocket money was of course very helpful. I made my final decision when I was 21. At the time I was torn between studying medicine and becoming an hotelier. In fact, the two professions share some similarities. For example, both professions focus on caring for people and making people feel better. After I had studied medicine for one semester, I knew I wouldn’t be a doctor. I knew I really wanted to be an hotelier. So, I stopped and found an apprenticeship in the Steinberger Hotel and at the time, Steinberger offered the best apprenticeship you could get. It turned out that I loved the experience!
Besides Germany, it seems that you’ve worked mostly in England. What has attracted you to stay in England?
It was entirely coincidental. It only shows that no matter how much you plan it, life can take you anywhere. There is no one way to achieve what you want in the hotel industry. I worked a little bit in Germany. Then I did my apprenticeship and finished my studies. By the time I was 28 or 29, I had done all my line staff positions. I wanted to work either in New York or in London. I received three job offers; and I landed in London. What better city to work in than London?
Claridge’s is well known for its high-profile clientele. Do you see yourself as a high-profile GM?
I must say, it’s not in my nature to make a statement like that. I am here because I enjoy looking after this hotel. I admire working with our team, our guests and our brand, Claridge’s. My drive is not to be high profile, as it does not give me the ultimate kick. Of course, our hotel is rather famous, it is located in London, and I am a social person. In my capacity, this is a part of my role.
We do have incredible guests, who are high profile. Therefore, I would say that I am running an important hotel in a big city, but with both feet on the ground. At the same time, I am very much aware that eventually, someone else will take over my position. I am a custodian here and want to make sure that in our tenure we make the hotel better and better every day. So, I think it is important that the relation of the social side is in proportion with the numerous other elements of the job. It’s a part of it, but it’s by no means everything.
It seems that Claridge’s tries to capture the spirit of The Great Gatsby. Being the GM of this hotel, do you sometimes feel like a modern F. Scott Fitzgerald from the roaring 1920s/30s?
I could not help but smile when I saw this question. I obviously don’t feel like Scott Fitzgerald, but I like the fact that you called it “modern”. This question is quite interesting: What is it about this hotel that makes people think about The Great Gatsby? Somehow, there is an aura of the Golden Twenties that lingers on at this property and this brand. It’s a fascinating phenomenon. What we are really doing is capturing the illusion of the bygone era that we all love, but have never experienced. I mean, I have never lived in the 1920s/30s, and I don’t personally know what this era was like. But we all love something about that time.
We are very respectful of our history and heritage. We carefully select what we want to celebrate and that is all things glamorous, inspirational, enchanting and fresh in the Golden Days. Let’s not forget that our traditions today were innovations at that time; they were just so good that they have stood the test of time.
Claridge’s exterior
You came up through the F&B career path. What did you learn from F&B that helped you to become a luxury hotel GM?
F&B teaches you about improvisation, finding solutions, hard work and attention to details. It shows how you can make a difference serving your guests.
As far as you are concerned, what is the single most important issue in F&B?
I always find that having a really clear definition of what you want to achieve is the most important issue. F&B often tries to please everyone, but having a more defined perspective and being a visionary is a better approach.
In your opinion, is establishing a Michelin-star restaurant or hiring a celebrity chef to run the hotel restaurant(s) a good way to generate hotel business?
I think so — if it fits with your hotel and your brand. Gordon Ramsay was with Claridge’s for 12 years and it worked out wonderfully! Look at where he is now. He is arguably one of the most celebrated chefs in the world. After 12 years, we closed our restaurant and we recently opened a new one. We had to appoint a new chef. It was important for us to choose a British chef, with palate, soul and interest. In the end, we made a decision to go with Simon Rogan, who is also an acclaimed chef and has two Michelin stars under his belt.
What is the biggest challenge in running a world-renowned luxury hotel?
We are running a solid operation. Our biggest challenges are:
- Always being one step ahead;
- Having the courage to be the leader and not the follower in our industry;
- Surrounding ourselves with capable people, because it is not a one-man show; it is a team effort.
Recruitment and selection is a challenge also. Not everyone is born luxury. I mean, you most likely are not a refined person when you are in your 20s. Life and work experiences do not go through a fast track. You grow with luxury, and you must learn. Over time, you become refined. That is a challenge, but an interesting one!
Top-rated hotels often have the need to guard their guests’ privacy. How did you balance the publicity generated from the filming of the BBC documentary Inside Claridge’s, and the need to protect your guests’ privacy?
I will never compromise or jeopardize our guests’ or our employees’ safety and privacy. All of the guests who were shown in the BBC documentary volunteered to participate. Normally, we never talk about any of our guests unless someone walks into our lobby quite publicly so that everyone can see him/her. In that case, it is public knowledge.
Also, all of our employees have signed a confidentiality agreement.
As the GM, should you be important to your front line employees? Why?
I sure hope I am. I’d be very sad if I wasn’t important to our front line employees. I want to be a part of the team. Everyone has his/her own role. As the hotel manager, my role is to set the tune for this hotel. At the same time, I wholeheartedly believe that no one in this building is more important than others. Everyone has an important job to do and they all contribute in their own way. For example, if you are responsible for polishing silver, it couldn’t be done without you. If you are responsible for cleaning rooms, it couldn’t be done without you. Everyone contributes. That is how I connect with our front line employees.
What do you expect from your employees? What pleases you the most?
I’m quite demanding. I expect our employees to be genuine, sincere and to give all they can. They need to put their heart and soul into their job. When they think they’ve given their all, I encourage them to give a little bit more and then they will realize what they can really do. All this hard work is so rewarding.
What displeases you the most?
Laziness!
What is the single most important concern your employees have?
Everybody should be focused and interested in doing their best for Claridge’s. You do that by looking after your guests and your fellow employees. I think that is what everyone in Claridge’s should be concerned about.
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Actually, my strengths and weaknesses are for others to say.
If you must make a choice, what would you choose? Doing the right things or doing the things right?
Ideally, you want to do both. If you think about this question, one doesn’t exclude the other. Integrity is very important to me. So, doing the right things right.
As the GM of this hotel, I am responsible for dealing with a 200-year old building. Restoration is important and a big responsibility. I don’t just look after guests and staff, but our assets as well. For many years, not enough was done about the renovation of the building, because it would have been too costly, too loud and disruptive. But in the long run, it is the right thing to do. Now, we are finally focusing on property care. I think that we should maintain the back of the property for the staff the same way we do with the front of the property. So, yes, doing the right thing is crucial.
What has been your proudest moment?
Emotions are more and more allowed in management positions. You can allow yourself to be proud as you progress. I have to say that when I got my contract to be the GM of Claridge’s, I was very proud. It was my dream to be the GM of a meaningful hotel in a great city. When I achieved it, it was a proud moment!
And there have been other occasions when people have really had to push themselves and have made it. Those are proud moments as well. During the Olympics, for example, we opened a pop-up restaurant in our ballroom. Our managers and staff didn’t have the time to practice and rehearse like they would before opening a proper restaurant. They had one trial run and the next day, they were open for lunch. On top of that, we were one of the dignitary hotels; the hotel was incredibly busy. Suddenly, it was like we were running two operations. In 10 days, our pop-up restaurant had 3,500 covers. We were completely sold out! Our F&B Director and the staff from all departments pulled themselves together. They had a very short time to train people. Yet, they achieved huge successes. I was so very proud of them that I almost cried! I thought I was working with the best team in the world!
Most top GMs are highly motivated individuals. What keeps you motivated?
I am easily motivated because I am a quite curious person. I like to do things better; I always ask, how can we do better, because I am not easily satisfied. Making things better; fixing things that are not right and doing the unexpected is motivating. Ultimately, it is the people around me that motivate me. This conversation with you is motivating….
Life is too short to tolerate __________________________________.
Should I say bad wine? 🙂
The things I dislike are unfairness, intolerance, disrespect and dishonesty!
What advice would you offer to those who are inspired to become a GM one day?
Try to find one thing in your life that you really want to do. You need to think really, really hard about it. If you love it, go for it; work hard, take every opportunity that is thrown your way. Making some sacrifices here and there won’t do any harm. It’s a wonderful industry. You will get what you really want if you really love doing it!
Also, people should not be afraid to work in hotels and to take on staff jobs in order to find out what’s going on in every department. You can’t become a GM if you only have a university degree and one year practical experience.
What’s next?
I don’t know where life will take me. All I can say is that it’s a big world. I am happy with where I am. Time will tell and there will come a time when I will know that it’s time for my next job. I don’t have that feeling yet with Claridge’s.
About the author
Lily Lin, MBA, Ph.D., is the author of recently published book, “Interviewing Successful Hotel Managers”. http://wearehoteliers.com/book/
Her work experiences include:
- 20+ years senior lecturer & course designer at Hotelschool The Hague in the Netherlands;
- Adjunct professor, MBA and bachelor programs at various American, Dutch and German universities;
- Hotel management consulting;
- Vice President of Marketing;
- International marketing manager;
Lily Lin graduated with summa cum laude (highest honors) from the University of Maryland (USA) with a B.S. degree in Business Administration and a B.A. in Psychology. She received her MBA from the California State University (USA) and Ph.D. in Strategic Marketing and TQM from the Amsterdam University (The Netherlands). She also completed the Cornell University, Revenue Management certificate program. She speaks English, Chinese and German.
