Luxury Hotelier - February 2008 - (Page 24)

24| Properties Diamond in the G leneagles Chairman Peter Lederer’s management philosophy is much like the hotel he has served for the last 24 years: simple yet elegant. “What I never understand is why managers don’t treat their people the way they expect to be treated,” he says. “The brand is only as good as the people you meet, and my employees are the most important aspect of that. They are the only unique assets I have to develop, polish and deliver the brand. If the people are that important to you, then everything else flows from it.” And flow it does. Guests of Gleneagles Hotel, located in Perthshire, Scotland, will be impressed not just by the hotel’s regal history—having hosted the G8 Summit in 2005 and scheduled to host the 2014 Ryder Cup matches on its famed golf courses— but also every encounter with the hotel’s staff, who are witty and open to carrying on a conversation. Staff members are encouraged to go above and beyond to make guests’ stays extra memorable, whether with a champagne toast at a birthday dinner or a welcome bottle of wine for honeymooners. At Gleneagles, it’s easy to see why people matter most to Mr. Lederer. The hotel and its accompanying 850 acres are relatively secluded—about an hour’s drive from either Edinburgh or Glasgow airports—so in order to secure repeat visitors, the hotel must give guests a reason to return. With one look at the property, one might be quick to suggest Gleneagles as a wedding destination, but management prefers the hotel, with its award-winning hospitality and luxury accommodations, be known as a honeymoon destination— Peter Lederer something people will want to experience again. And so, in the ’90s, Gleneagles Hotel, currently owned by Diageo, the makers of Guinness and Johnnie Walker alcoholic beverages—which, as expected, are available in abundance at the hotel—turned its management structure upside down. Working with the United Kingdom’s Chartered Management Institute, a professional organization not specific to the hotel industry, Gleneagles constructed an accredited program that aims to raise business performance through management techniques. For instance, Gleneagles’ back halls are lined with motivational images. Rough At Scotland’s secluded Gleneagles Hotel, training keeps pace with property enhancements, resulting in customer service that is perfectly on par » BY JENNIFER MERRITT ALL PHOTOS: GLENEAGLES Luxury Hotelier | February 2008 | www.LuxuryHotelier.com http://www.LuxuryHotelier.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Luxury Hotelier - February 2008

Luxury Hotelier - February 2008 Editor's Letter Publisher's Letter Inform Network Forever Young Evolution for Jumeirah Insight Diamond in the Rough Amenities Televisions Art in Residence Yield Management Development Wine Lists Marketing to Locals Update Advertisers Index Editorial Index Source Listing Dossier

Luxury Hotelier - February 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.