Big interview Crafting a legacy
After taking over the reins in 2018, David Orr was well aware of the legacy he inherited when he joined Resident Hotel’s brand The Resident. As CEO, the change in leadership marked an evolution of design direction for the hotel and has sought to build on that reputation ever since. Phoebe Galbraith speaks to Orr as he discusses his career in the industry and his expectations for the future.
B
rought up on the west coast of Scotland, David Orr describes his beginnings in the industry as a “slightly frustrated property developer” with an unusual penchant for cricket – for a Scot anyway. “Commercial property and hotels were always kind of in my family background,” says The Resident CEO. “It became more and more clear that I wanted to try and be involved in combining commercial buildings or property environment and development and design with hotels.”
The fruits of Orr’s labour resulted in City Inn (rebranded as Mint Hotels in 2010 and acquired by Blackstone Group in 2011) of which he was co-founder and CEO. “We opened our first hotel in 1999 in Bristol, which was called the City Inn Bristol,” he adds. “The starting point was creating a premium budget brand that was a bit different to other budget brands at the time.” Looking back, it really was an interesting and exciting time to get started in the business according to Orr. Having started from scratch, every moment was a learning opportunity for him as he tried and succeeded in bringing his vision to life that emphasised the guest and employees and brought a difference to the norms of operations. “[I was] very lucky to have amazing people working with me all the way,” he admits. “I particularly enjoyed really opening up all the opportunities for people’s
careers, because I find that incredibly fulfilling.”
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Hotel Management International /
www.hmi-online.com
Hotel Management International /
www.hmi-online.com
Resident Hotel
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