Hermann Elger says there are no shortcuts to a successful hotel career and the native of Mexico City has learned his lessons well, having spent more than 18 years with Ritz-Carlton, then Montage and lastly the St. Regis in New York before this past August becoming managing director of Baccarat Hotel New York. Elger shares some of his secrets and passions.
Favorite minibar indulgence? Truffle potato chips
Best idea ever stolen? A bunch of them, but I prefer not to consider them stolen. Instead they were borrowed to flatter those who created them.
What most people don’t know about you? I love skiing backwards.
Favorite app? Nest
Historical figure you’d like to host? King Louis the XV, who commissioned the Baccarat factory in France over 250 years ago. I would love to see what he thinks of Baccarat New York.
If not a hotelier? Cabinet maker
Biggest business lesson? There is no shortcut to advancing your career as a luxury hotelier. A hotelier’s success is based on instinct and experience, both of which can only be developed over time.
Celebrity you’d most like to meet and why? Anthony Hopkins because he has mastered his craft on-screen and conducts himself like a gentleman off-screen.
What personal skill/experience makes you unique as a hotelier? I believe it is my experience with a wide range of companies in locations all over the world.
What you do better than anyone else you know? Fold shirts