Editors’ Note

Robert Rechtermann joined The Peninsula New York as General Manager in May 2007. Prior to that, he was Resident Manager of the Peninsula Chicago, after serving as Director of Operations of the Ritz-Carlton Boston Common. He has also served as Executive Assistant Manager of Food and Beverage for the Ritz-Carlton Boston. Rechtermann holds a BS in hotel management from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Property Brief

Located on Fifth Avenue at the core of Manhattan’s most prestigious shopping, cultural, and business neighborhoods, The Peninsula New York occupies a magnificently restored, 23-story, Beaux Arts landmark building. It features 239 rooms and suites equipped with state-of-the-art technology, a glass-enclosed spa and health club, rooftop bar, and the popular Fives restaurant. The recipient of the AAA five-diamond award, the property was recently named the Best Business Hotel in New York by the readers of Travel + Leisure magazine. The Peninsula New York is managed and owned by The Peninsula Hotels, a division of Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited. Other hotels in the Hong Kong-based group include the flagship Peninsula Hong Kong, The Peninsula Chicago, The Peninsula Beverly Hills, The Peninsula Bangkok, The Peninsula Beijing, The Peninsula Manila, and the recently opened The Peninsula Tokyo. The Peninsula Shanghai is scheduled to open in 2009.

Are you pleased with the room product currently offered at The Peninsula New York?

Customer expectations are always changing and as such we are continually upgrading our product. This year, we’ll embark on a refurbishment of all guest rooms, providing a fresh, updated look with a new color scheme and decor. We also have a major project planned for the rooftop of the hotel. The spa will undergo a multimillion-dollar renovation, encompassing treatment rooms, locker rooms, a fitness facility, and pool. The Peninsula Hotels has partnered with ESPA, a well-known spa consultancy brand, which will develop our treatment menus and protocol. The renovation will help us continue to secure our position as the top spa in New York City. We’re also renovating our Pen-Top Bar & Terrace. The bar is already famous for its fabulous views and cocktails, so the plan is to update it with a new concept, which is under wraps for now. I can tell you that the design will give a nod to our Asian heritage and provide an even more spectacular place to have a drink.

You also have a rooftop pool. Do you plan on keeping that amenity?

Yes, the pool will remain, and as part of the upcoming spa renovation it will receive an updated look. As a luxury hotel in New York, we’re very fortunate to have a pool and health club of the size we do. It’s unusual in any city, but especially in New York. We have a great local following with our spa membership, and it’s an important amenity for our guests. After the renovation, I think the updated facilities will set us even further apart from our competition.

The hotel is within walking distance of many fine restaurants. How do you encourage both guests and local customers to dine at The Peninsula?

Our current concept works very well and serves the needs of our guests and local customers. We can’t be everything to everyone, particularly in a city with so many dining options, but we have a tremendous following for breakfast, and lunch does very well. We’d like to grow our dinner business, but we realize that New York has an abundance of great restaurants and that our guests do want to explore their options in the city. That said, we will always look for ways to improve the restaurant and make it more competitive, but we have to be very careful and protect the business we already have.

What sort of corporate meetings can the hotel host?

Our meeting space is quite small and is intended for executive board meetings and small events. Would it be nice to have a bigger, grander banquet space? Sure, but we just don’t have it. So we focus on the intimate, high-end groups that are seeking privacy and exclusivity. We’re also updating our meeting space with the latest technology to, again, make sure the hotel meets the highest standards.

Many hotels are offering a good deal of technological amenities to their guests. How do you balance such services with the personalized touches guests expect of luxury hotels like The Peninsula?

Our rooms are equipped with technology that is not only user-friendly, but also intuitive, enabling guests to use it effortlessly at each of our hotels around the world. However, the service side is, and will always be, the most important aspect of a guest’s experience. You can have a beautiful building and a fantastic product, but if you don’t have the people to support the guests, you have nothing. The quality of our people – their dedication and what they do to take care of our customers – will continue to separate our hotel from others. All the computer systems in the world will never replace the human element in this business. It’s a service-oriented business and we need great people to deliver that service.

What defines excellent service today?

The definition of excellent service has changed over the years. Guests are more demanding, and as such we continually seek to exceed expectations. We find that what matters most to guests is not the formal protocol of past generations, but rather the personalization of each stay that comes with getting to know the guest. When I was starting out in this business, it was very important to know where to put the coffee cup and how to place the teaspoon. Now, our customers may not notice those things as much, but they do notice when our front desk staff remembers their names and when housekeeping remembers which side of the bed they prefer. We live in a fast-paced world, and our industry must adapt quickly to guests’ preferences. The mechanical standards aren’t as important as they might have been 20 years ago; now the demand is for intuitive service that is efficient yet friendly, providing a more personalized experience for each guest.