Monaco is an exciting and glamorous haven. The posh principality’s annual calendar is filled with lavish fashion events, a high-profile F1 race and, coming next February, the Forbes Travel Guide Summit, the world’s premier gathering of where luxury brands and luxury travel meet. So, when the French enclave comes up in conversation with Omer Acar, the new CEO of Fairmont and Raffles hotels, he understandably perks up.
“As a destination, Monaco has that magic about it,” says Acar, who assumed his dual role in January. “It is the smallest town in the Mediterranean, but it’s also powerful and kind of dreamy. If you walk around the casino and see all the action going on, it’s quite an exciting place. Fairmont Monte Carlo is right on the water. It’s a dream destination.”
But it’s more than the French Riviera that has Acar excited these days. As the face of two of the most respected brands in the hotel industry, Acar is also motivated to talk about timeless properties in New York and new opportunities in India. “We are looking at the combined 200-plus years of history [with these hotel companies],” he says. “I am very humbled to have such prestigious brands and to have both [parent company] Accor and Sébastian [Bazin, Accor CEO] trust me with them. It is an honor, but it’s also a responsibility which I take very seriously.”
Knowing how hectic Acar’s schedule is these days, Forbes Travel Guide deemed this the perfect moment to debut a rapid-fire interview format called “Express Check-In.” With this ongoing series, we’ll quickly cover a host of topics, ranging from business tips to favorite minibar snacks, with some of the most important people in the world of hospitality.
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Who do you most admire in the hospitality industry?
I really admire Paris Society, a restaurant group that understands that a restaurant is not only about the food but is all about ambiance.
What’s the worst hospitality trend?
Putting a chocolate on a turndown amenity. When you brush your teeth, you’re ready to go to bed and you find that chocolate on your pillow. I still don’t get it.
What hospitality trend do you want to see more of?
More meaningful sustainability.
What’s an overrated culinary fad?
More and more chefs have an incredible talent for finding the greatest products around the globe, but we don’t want to necessarily fly the fish from an eight-hour distance.
What does hospitality mean to you?
At the end of the day, it’s what I do every day when somebody visits my home. It’s the common sense of taking care of people. Taking care of your employees. Taking care of your owners. Taking care of your guests.
What’s the most underrated trait of a good leader?
Focusing on the strengths of the team members.
What will be the biggest change in the industry in 10 years?
I think discovery and finding new destinations and places will be the top targets. Opening hotels and providing experiences in remote destinations is important.
What’s the best business advice you’ve ever received?
Do it with love.
If you could change one thing about the travel industry, what would it be?
The airport lines.
What’s been your biggest accomplishment?
What do I do right now — leading Raffles and Fairmont.
What’s the last great book you read?
Lovemarks: The Future Beyond Brands by Kevin Roberts.
What destination can you return to over and over?
Bali has a unique energy.
What’s the best under-the-radar activity in your home city?
I think sitting at [Manhattan’s] The Plaza, in the lobby, and watching the world pass by you. Whether it’s the fashion world, politicians, businessmen, simple families on the weekends or couples celebrating their wedding, [it is great].
What’s your favorite room service order?
I have a thing about club sandwiches. When I go to every hotel, I compare them.
What’s your favorite hotel amenity?
Good water pressure.
What’s your go-to snack or drink from the minibar?
Fiji water.
What’s your favorite co*cktail?
A whiskey sour.
What’s your wellness routine like on the road?
Early morning jogging. Sunlight and sweating a little bit are the best ways to fight jet lag.
What’s the most awe-inspiring natural wonder you’ve encountered while traveling?
I don’t know if you’ve been to Lake Louise [in Banff National Park], but the color of the lake is almost unreal. It looks like somebody came and put ink in it.
What’s your favorite outdoor activity?
Playing tennis.
What’s your dream vacation?
Anywhere with my parents, my wife and my kids.
What’s the most memorable meal you’ve ever had?
If my wife is going to read this article, it’s the first meal she ever cooked. In Le Royal Monceau [Raffles Paris], we have a restaurant called Il Carpaccio. We have a partnership agreement with Da Vittorio from Bergamo. They’re a very famous Italian family. Their dish paccheri alla Vittorio is a very thick, pipe-shaped pasta with a tomato sauce. I just cannot have enough of that.
Window seat or aisle on the plane?
Window.
What are your travel essentials?
My iPhone.
What’s your go-to airport outfit?
Always a jacket and pants.
Is there a movie that you can watch endlessly on a plane?
The Godfather.
What destination around the globe is having a moment right now?
India, India, India, India.
Favorite room view — beach, city or nature?
Lake.
Which city pleasantly surprised you the most during a visit?
How do you explore a new destination when you get off the plane?
If I don’t have a meeting, I go for a run.
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