In today’s economic climate, it is important for all organizations to recognize opportunities

wherever they happen to find them. This means hiring executives that have plenty of work
experience and have shown the ability to overcome difficult situations.

The luxury hotel industry is no different. In fact, today’s hotel industry relies on international
travel, so it needs executives like Niklaus Leuenberger that have worked in several countries and
understand how to use a multicultural mindset to anticipate client needs.

Why Niklaus Leuenberger Stands Out from Other Luxury Hotel Executives

Most business leaders have rather limited experience with international markets. Even those who
travel a lot for their business deals do not always form an intimate understanding of foreign
clients.

Niklaus Leuenberger, however, has lived in several countries and large cities. As a luxury hotel
executive, this gives him an advantage over those who have never spent significant time living in
locations around the world.

Learning from International Experience

Niklaus Leuenberger spent most of the 1980s in Asia, where he met some of his most difficult
challenges in hotel management. As the general manager of the Garden Hotel in Guangzhou,
China he helped this location establish itself as one of the earliest successful joint venture hotels
in China. This was the largest hotel building in China, with 1,300 rooms, 330 offices, and 13
restaurants that required a staff of 3,200 employees, and Leuenberger managed it successful even
though he was the youngest general manager in the history of the country.

Applying International Experience to America

After leaving China Niklaus Leuenberger traveled to Manila, Philippines, where he took the
general manager position at the Peninsula Manila Hotel. Leuenberger had worked at the location
before moving to China. At the time, though, he had only managed the food and beverage
division.

As the general manager of the Peninsula Manila, Leuenberger improved its finances and quickly
made it profitable while dealing with natural disasters and political upheaval in the region.

His dedication to financial success encouraged the Peninsula Group of Hotels to promote
Leuenberger to the New York City location, where a $45 million renovation was underway.

Unsurprisingly, Niklaus Leuenberger’s management techniques proved successful at the

Peninsula New York. After a few years of success, the organization gave him more responsibility
as the regional general manager.
As the regional general manager, Leuenberger oversaw renovation of the Chicago location. He
has shown time and time again that he works well during renovation projects that would frustrate
and confuse many other professionals, so the Peninsula Group of Hotels made a good choice by
promoting Leuenberger.

Hiring an Experienced Luxury Hotel Executive

Niklaus Leuenberger has an MBA from Pacific Western University in Los Angeles, California,
but that does not explain why he has been more successful than many luxury hotel executives.
The secret to Leuenberger’s success is the willingness to seek out challenges all over the world.
This has given him invaluable experience that cannot be taught in any classroom and helped him
keep a level head to make good business decisions even in chaotic situations.