Phil Barnes

I am glad to start my little project here on LinkedIn with no less a person than Mr. Philip M. Barnes. When I met Mr. Barnes for the first time, he was the Managing Director at the prestigious The Savoy Hotel in London and Regional Vice President (2016 - 2020). In 2020, he moved to the Fairmont Century Plaza as General Manager and Regional Vice President Southern California. Mr. Barnes has been part of Fairmont before Fairmont even knew that they are Fairmont. This was during his time as the Regional VP for BC Delta Hotels and General Manager of Delta Vancouver Airport Hotel from 1998 to 2004.

In 1999, Canadian Pacific Hotels acquired a majority of the shares of Fairmont Hotels; with Canadian Pacific later renaming its entire hotel division as Fairmont Hotels and Resorts in 2001.

Before I go through his entire CV, please check his impressive Vita yourself here on LinkedIn. It is definitely worth a read.

I had the great pleasure to spend my last 2 years with him in London and was impressed with his leadership from day one. "I believe that our industry is all about one thing……people." Everybody who worked with Mr. Barnes can definitely quote one sentence that is part of almost every meeting. "I am not paying you, it is our guests that are paying our salaries."

However, the most important advice Mr. Barnes gave me is something different. It is simple but extremely powerful and helped me a lot during the last couple of months: "Be the driver, don`t be the passenger."

Question 1: Where did you start your career?

Philip Barnes: "I started my career at the Copthorne Hotel in Sussex, England, which at the time was a privately owned Hotel. My first job was as a General Assistant, which meant I cleaned out the bars every morning and re-stocked them, covered the bartenders' meal breaks, helped out in the restaurants and front office, and basically did anything I was asked to do. Years later when I was RVP in Dubai my GM from that Hotel came to see me, and told me his first memory of me was putting empty bottles in crates because you had to carefully put them in to get them to fit properly, and he also remembered that I put them in with all the labels facing up! I guess I’ve always been a stickler for detail."

Question 2: What means hospitality to you?

PB: "I have always felt that hospitality is literally what the word means:- the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. I get no greater joy than reading a note from a guest talking about how a colleague made them feel special and welcome in many ways. Similarly, I loved it at the Savoy how everyone on the team would refer to working there as being part of a family—that’s also hospitality."

Question 3: Can you please share an anecdote you experienced, that shows the variety and beauty of our industry?

PB: "I believe that our industry is all about one thing……people. I’ve been in Hotels that had beautiful bricks and mortar, but no soul. Conversely, I’ve been in tired Hotels physically that felt so great. The difference is all in the people who work there and how passionate they are about what they do. I’ve been blessed in my career, as I am now, to work with fantastic people who make our industry so special. There are two doorpersons I’ve worked with in the world who are prime examples of what I mean, Patrick at the Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver, and Tony at the Savoy. They are both fantastic ambassadors for their Hotels with a permanent smile and warm welcome for everyone, which is why I always say the doorperson is far more important to the guest than the GM, as they see and welcome everyone!"

Question 4: Have you had a mentor in your career? Who was it and did she/he give you any advice you still follow?

PB: "I was very blessed when I was GM of the Shangri-La in Singapore to report to the Chairman of the Board (it was a publicly-traded company) Goh Soo Siah. Soo Siah had run Robert Kwok’s real estate development for years and when we met, he was quick to tell me he knew little about Hotels. Over the next six months, we spent hours talking with each asking questions of one and other, and at a time when most owners did not see the ROI on investing in colleague areas, he gave me millions to upgrade back of house areas and colleague housing as he completely understood the value of the colleagues. Having said that, one day after we had developed a warm and sincere friendship, he walked into my office and asked if he paid me enough? Needless to say, I responded very positively and asked him why he had asked, to which he replied with a smile, well if I pay you enough, why do I have to pay for the Kleenex from housekeeping on your desk? He went on to say if you work in a bank, you don’t take money from the till. That was a lesson that has stayed with me forever and many leaders I have worked with who want to invest in changes have been asked, would you spend that if it was your own personal money?"

Question 5: What would you like to say to a hospitality student/ a hospitality professional who recently started their career, right now?

PB: "It’s a tough time for young people in every industry, but as I said to the team at the Savoy as we were heading towards closure, this too shall pass so stay positive and look forward. Passion, enthusiasm, energy, and commitment have driven my career, and in order to have those you have to be in an environment where learning and development are encouraged, and you can question and understand why decisions are being made. I have said on many occasions that we are in an industry where we are just trying to take care of people, not solve world hunger or put a man on Mars, so we should be aligned and transparent in the organization we work in if we are to be successful. If you’re not in that kind of organization, then find another one that is."

Question 6: Do you have a book recommendation - this could be everything from a novel to an autobiography, etc. 

PB: "I am an avid reader of non-fiction, and two books I have found very insightful are as follows: - Bill Bryson “One Summer, America, 1927” and Erik Larson “Dead Wake, the last crossing of the Lusitania”. Both are great writers, and what I find fascinating in both books is the insights one gets into the political and social climate of the day, and the comparisons one can make to today's world!"

I hope you enjoyed the first episode of "Monday motivation - Felix asks". Feel free to share this article with everyone in our industry who needs to hear some positive stories. Stories of a unique leader with an impressive career.

Best, Felix