“I am truly blessed because of the people working here at Grand Hyatt Rio de Janeiro,” said Christophe Lorvo, general manager of the only significant new hotel that has, unlike some competitors, managed to open, and fully, before the Olympics.
Exactly 35 days after its opening on March 28, Lorvo’s property is already buzzing, and not only with world media and top travel agents in town after last week’s annual Travelweek São Paulo by ILTM, but also with groups. Last Saturday, he had a full house, partly because it was Brazil’s Mother’s Day on Sunday. He knows he will also be running 100% at Olympics time.
“The hotel, owned by Hyatt, has 436 rooms and suites,” Lorvo explained. “We outsource some stewarding and all security, and we have 396 colleagues who will also offer, as requested, services to the adjacent 82 residential units, nearly all pre-sold, coming on line this October.”
Lorvo said his team took its time hiring as they were looking for personality with care, empathy and team spirit. “Yes, a few come from other hotels and some are Brazilians who had been working overseas, say flying for the Dubai-based airline Emirates, and they leaped at the chance of coming back home,” he said. Only three of the entire team were not hired locally, namely this passionate Frenchman, his French Chef Yvan Didelot and the Portuguese Director of F&B Miguel Garçao.
The rest of the team were sourced via social media and, after a first assessment, hundreds were invited last December to a nearby arts center decorated in Grand Hyatt style. “We asked everyone to bring a photo of an important moment in their lives and at some point during the interview day they broke into groups of six to eight to share those ‘Moments of More,’ a Grand Hyatt attribute,” Lorvo recalled. “It was tremendous networking, as it was later, when the contractors had handed over the building, and we invited groups of about 100 to sessions in what would be the staff restaurant. I interviewed every one of the final list, one-to-one, and, looking back, the greatest challenge was finding English-speaking servers.”
Already fitted for uniforms – light, bright, not a hint of black, and everyone has a choice of matching items, so they can vary their look day to day – line staff came on duty five weeks before the opening. They have since been invited to stay, with family members, overnight. “It is important that everyone shares our pride,” Lorvo said.
Overnighters were suitably impressed by the soft Yabu Pushelberg designs with lots of local woods and pale stones, and hints of the blue of Barra da Tijuca beach’s Atlantic Ocean, in front of the hotel, and, behind it, Marapendi lagoon. Already small electric boats ply criss-cross routes across the lagoon, taking some people to nearby Hansen Golf Club, which will host the Olympics golf.
Ah, the Olympics. Grand Hyatt Rio de Janeiro has given 90% of its inventory to the Brazilian Games Organizing Committee, RIO2016, and it will have three major sponsors. The remaining 10%, not surprisingly, has a long waitlist. “Companies and major travel advisors have taken rooms for the duration, which they will allocate in blocks of about three days,” said the Frenchman who admitted he had a little bit of space for Hyatt head office and other dignitaries.
Unlike previous Olympics, where hotel restaurants have remained empty as sponsors entertained in ballrooms, Grand Hyatt Rio de Janeiro’s restaurants already have over 25,000 covers pre-booked during the main Olympics. “Many local entities are hosting cocktails,” Lorvo explained.
Sadly, Christophe Lorvo will not himself be competing, though he is an experienced marathoner, triathlete – and balloonist. Born in Paris, he became a hotelier because of a fascination with world cultures. After graduating from Lycée hôtelier de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines he was working his way up Le Méridien until he visited a friend at Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine, California, and this led to joining the 1992 opening of Hyatt Regency Charles de Gaulle. He has been with Hyatt ever since, in Guam, Buenos Aires, London, Paris and Tokyo. In Rio, he is also area vice president with responsibility for all Brazil, plus Argentina, Chile and Uruguay.