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About Susanne Hatje, general manager, Mandarin Oriental Mayfair
Susanne Hatje speaks highly of the “incredible opportunities” she has been given for her development as a hotelier since joining Mandarin Oriental 24 years ago. It was not an intentional move to the company; she was the general manager of the Grand Hotel Rafael in Munich when Mandarin Oriental bought the property as part of its acquisition of the four-strong Rafael Group. “I felt very privileged that the company believed in me and kept me on to oversee the rebranding of the hotel,” she says. Hatje was born and brought up in
Hamburg, Germany, and joined the hotel industry in 1988 as an apprentice at Atlantic Hotel Kempinski in Hamburg. She completed hospitality management programmes at New York’s Cornell University and Australia’s Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). Since joining the Mandarin Oriental
ing successfully filled all 235 required posi- tions several weeks in advance of the opening. “There is no doubt that Brexit and the result- ing visa restrictions have added an extra layer to the issue, but recruitment in hospitality is not just a challenge in London, it is a challenge worldwide,” she says. “We’ve been helped by the fact that there was
already an awareness of the Mandarin Orien- tal brand in the city through our Hyde Park hotel, where we were able to hold several suc- cessful recruitment days. We offered candi- dates lunch and introduced them to four or five existing team members, which enabled them to gain experience of the company’s culture.” Further staff will be recruited during the summer in the run-up to the launch of the Italian restaurant, located on the ground floor, and ABar Rooftop. But what will be the biggest challenge for
Hatje and her team now that Mandarin Ori- ental Mayfair is finally open to guests? “Providing consistent high-end service
while innovating and adjusting to the ever- changing needs of travellers,” she says. “We don’t necessarily yet know what these
existing Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, includ- ing Jamie Dumas, director of food and bev- erage, Peter Wharmby, head concierge, and Michelle Matthews, assistant director of spa. While Hatje was warned that she would face
a major problem recruiting staff in London, she has been pleasantly surprised, after hav-
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new demands will be, but if we can’t cater to them, we shouldn’t be in the luxury business. Travellers are better educated and well-travelled than ever before, with trends influenced by technology and social media. They will always want to try out new offerings, but they also want to be comfortable and safe. You can’t take a risk with the comfort of your sleep.”
July 2024 | The Caterer | 17
family, she has worked as launch general manager of the Mandarin Oriental Boston and the Landmark in Hong Kong, as well as resort manager at Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hawaii (now the Kahala Hotel & Resort). Prior to taking up the reins at the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair nearly three years ago, she was general manager of the Mandarin Oriental New York. “As a European working in hospitality,
I think London is always on your bucket list – it certainly was the case for me and I jumped at the chance when Mandarin Oriental offered me the chance to come here,” she says. “A big bonus is that the hotel is located just around the corner from the new Bond Street station on the Elizabeth line, which means I can get to Heathrow in 24 minutes and take a flight back home to Germany in no time at all.”
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