10 Questions with Bernhard Brender

Bernhard Brender, Grand Hilton GM

01 You’ve been in Korea longer than most. What brought you here?

Richard Hartmann, President of Asia Pacific for ITT Sheraton, sent me here in 1991, as the MD. My job was to develop the hotel under the Sheraton Umbrella. I was invited first by Walkerhill management CEO Jay Hahn for a 3-day orientation tour of the hotel and Korea in 1989. While here, I found all elements I needed in my business and private endeavors. The Sheraton Walkerhill Hotel & Tower was the perfect place for me as an hotelier. For the education of my two daughters Luisa and Alexandra, I found the dynamic Seoul International School (SIS) in Songnam and enrolled them there. For the nourishment of our Seoul’s we found the Seoul International Catholic Parish in Hannam-dong.

02 What are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen along the way?

The government is finally embracing the hotel and tourism industry. Korea has become more foreigner-friendly thanks to events such as the 2002 FIFA World Cup, which did miracles for breaking down walls and building bridges internationally. There have been improvements in tourism-oriented web sites for reservations for events, festivals, and transportation, improvements in basic information being provided in English, especially in hotels & restaurants. There should, however, be a national effort to make basic services more universally accessible to foreign residents and tourists.

03 How long have the two Hilton Hotels been in Seoul?

The Grand Hilton Seoul, which is the former Grand Swiss Hotel, was built 20 years ago. The Millennium Seoul Hilton, the former Seoul Hilton, was built 17 years ago.

04 What has kept you here so long?

Great hotel owners and employees asking for my knowledge of the hotel/tourism industry. What has truly kept me here so long is that I was transferred from the Sheraton to the Westin Chosun Seoul & Busan hotel as the AMD for Starwood Hotels. I was Chairman of the SIS Parents  Council for almost 9 years. In 1997 I became the Seoul International Catholic Parish Council President. In 2001 as Chairman of the Chaine des Rotisseur Korean Chapter I was given the Red Ribbon, the only one in Korea.

05 How Korean are you now?

Almost 99% in heart and mind. My Korean language is still weak because I always encourage my employees to speak English with me. I am very proud because many of the people I work with speak better English now.

06 Do you have any recommendations on how Korea could be more competitive in marketing itself?

I feel the time has come to re-brand some parts of the tourism industry in Korea. Far too little is known about what Korea can offer and its true potential, and therefore investment is needed. We need to use marketing to turn Korea into a destination instead of a stopover. Using internationally known hotel brands like Hyatt and InterContinental for overseas promotions can help provide a competitive edge.

At the annual International Tourism Bourse in Berlin I am also part of a team helping to promote Korea. We serve journalists Korean food and give demonstrations on Korean martial arts, paintings and cultural movies. Korea must utilize the confirmed 2012 World Expo in Daejeon to further promote Korea, including its recently voted Best Airport in the World (Incheon) and also one of the finest convention centers in Asia, found at the Grand Hilton Seoul.

07 Your particular hotel is well known for hosting events in its large Convention Center. Could you tell us about some major events happening this year that might interest readers?

Every September we hold our Oktoberfest. There are live bands from Munich, and this year over 1,500 people attended. This event will be repeated in September 2009. Our Convention Center is popular for medical seminars, exhibitions and of course conferences. The impressive Seoul International Women’s Association’s SIWA Bazaar will be once again held in November.

08 Could you tell us a little more about the other Hilton operations in Korea?

The Gyeongju Hilton is a well established hotel with 324 deluxe rooms. The Hilton Namhae recently won a world travel award. My colleague Jean Philippe is running a fine operation there with 150 luxury suites and 20 villas.

09 Do you think the hotel industry will have to change how it operates in light of the recent global financial crisis?

Yes, of course we have to change, adapt and adjust to the current market situation. We feel already in certain market segments the volume is decreasing. Even the spending level in restaurants and banquets is decreasing, and at the Convention Center we feel the pressure. We have to watch our expenses, especially in relation to man power. We have to have a flexible attitude and be able to negotiate our prices to the Korean and overseas markets and consider that business is no longer as usual. Hotels in town have already lowered their rack rates in response to the KTO request, making Korea less expensive. Korea is no longer one of the most expensive cities in Asia as it has lowered room rates yet maintained quality of service and product. The Hotel and Tourism Industry and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) need to work hand in hand to secure our expected target of 8- 10 million tourists per year by 2012.

10 What are your future plans and how much longer do you plan to stay in Korea?

I plan to work closely with my owner, Chairman Lee and the president to further develop the hotel to secure our competitive edge. A detailed renovation plan for 2009 is in progress. Personally, when the time is right I will return to Germany, Indonesia or the U.S.A., while keeping my eyes open for any opportunity to share my knowledge with others in the industry and even in the government sector.

Published in November 2008

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