INTERVIEW KUNO FASEL KUNO FASEL INTERVIEW
Como Hotels & Resorts’ urban properties include the Halkin London (ABOVE RIGHT), The Metropolitan
London (RIGHT) and the Metropolitan Bangkok (ABOVE)
“We’ve bought land on Hokkaido in Japan to build time seemed ridiculous to me growing up – which is Thus Fasel segued into Christina Ong’s world of chic
a ski-in, ski-out resort. I’m standing by to look at a why after helping to run our hotel near Freiburg after minimalism and obsession with design detail which
potential property in Italy. We’re adding a lodge to school with my eight brothers and sisters, I told my characterises Como across the brands, from London
our Uma Paro property in Bhutan, and a new top floor mother: ‘This isn’t for me’.” to Parrot Cay in the Caribbean, Cocoa Island in the
here in Park Lane to make the spa five times bigger But at 18, he had an epiphany within the space of Maldives, the Metropolitan Bangkok, the two Uma
and add two suites, a yoga room and a gym. The three months: “I hated the commercial apprenticeship rustic-chic properties in Asia and the lavish Begawan
views from the 11th floor are spectacular,” he reports. I’d opted for, which saw me working in the office Giri estate in Bali. While Ong keeps her beady eye on
“Negotiations are under way to manage a new hotel of a department store. I wanted to be back out every vase, coaster and menu card to make sure they
in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. We’ve bought a small there, giving service to people, making them happy.” reflect her personal vision for each brand, Fasel’s brief
resort northwest of Melbourne where I’ve suggested Training at the famous Lausanne hotel school covers everything else, from managing and training
we should invest in a spa and make a new Como followed, and the Sixties saw Fasel in London for the 1700 staff worldwide, to vetting potential new
property. We’ve already started managing the spa at first time: “We were sent out from Lausanne as the property acquisitions.
Kandooma in the Maldives. More spa management future hoteliers of the world – but when I arrived
contracts are likely in the development of our Como at The Ritz, they made me a busboy,” he laughs. He Mostly, though, it’s firefighting. When we meet, he
Shambhala brand. But we’re also actively looking to made it through promotion to Palm Court waiter, has already been on the phone for hours with Parrot
expand the Metropolitan brand with more city hotels then to reservations clerk, before leaving the following Cay, where hurricane damage is causing concern, and
and the Uma brand.” year for Canada – “that’s where we were told all the Metropolitan Bangkok, where managers are biting
the opportunities were at hotel school” – where their nails over whether political agitators will close
A sprightly 66, Fasel jokes more than once during he first met Ong Beng Seng 25 years ago. “He had down the airport. He’s in London now for meetings,
our conversation: “I’m too old for all this,” and recalls just bought the Four Seasons Montreal, where I was and soon it will be time to return to Bali and Bhutan
how his original trepidations about the industry as General Manager. When he sold it a few years later, he to see which butlers should next be selected for a
a small boy in Switzerland have held true - working said: ‘Kuno, do you want to come with me? You can two-year rotation to the Caribbean, which lacks the
at the sharp end in hotels is a 24/7 commitment. manage the Metropolitan and Halkin in London and service culture, he feels, for homegrown buttling of a
“Working when everyone else was off having a good other hotels as they come online.” sufficiently high standard.
030 JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2009 INTERVIEW INTERVIEW JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2009 031
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27