Some are born hoteliers and others have the hospitality business thrust upon them. Being a third generation hotelier, Nicolas C. Solari is a bit of both. He is a seasoned hospitality professional by heart, having followed in his father's and grand father's footsteps. His grandfather started the family tradition with a small hotel in Egypt. And Nicolas, as he puts it 'was born in the kitchen.' Nicolas and his father both attended the prestigious culinary school of Lausanne in Switzerland.
During his school days Nicolas started off by doing odd jobs, like washing dishes and waiting on tables in restaurants for pocket money. After he graduated, it seemed like a logical step for Nicolas to join the hospitality business. Which is precisely what he did, fitting in beautifully. At the age of 34, he was running his own restaurant in Switzerland. After the successful sale of his restaurant, opportunity came knocking on his door, and he was offered the option of either going to the Caribbean or China. Any average person would have caught the first flight available to the exotic Caribbean. But Nicolas who is anything but average, looked hard at a map of China and arrived in Sanya for the adventure of his life. He stayed 4 years in Sanya, a pioneer in the transformation of Yalong Bay into the Hawaii of China. He was part of the team that received the award for the opening of the first five star deluxe resort in China for Gloria Resort International.
Did he like Sanya I asked? But of course! "What's there not to like?" The wonderful weather, the beautiful beaches, the clean air and the warm-hearted people made Sanya a very special place. What about Dalian? He has been here since March and he likes it almost as much as Sanya. "The beaches are just as beautiful. The weather might be colder but the friendliness and warmth of the people of Dalian make it Sanya's equal."His adventures in Sanya came abruptly to an end due to the SARS epidemic. The hotel was closed and later sold. So he returned to Switzerland. But soon enough the call of adventure brought him back to China as General Manager of the beautiful Viking Century Sky, cruising the waters of the 'mighty Yangtze River.' With his buccaneering spirit he steered 3 of the river cruising projects to successful completion. It was a challenging assignment but the down side was the 'scarce' time he spent with his family. He was on board 9 months of the year and he realized that it was too high a price to pay. To miss his daughter*s first step and all the other precious milestones in her young life brought him back to dry land. This time the Solari family found themselves in the land of the Pharaohs. Though he enjoyed the challenge of opening a new hotel, the Maritime Royal Peninsula Hotel & Resort in Sham El Sheikh in Egypt ('like grandfather like grandson'), and welcoming important dignitaries to the Maritime Sharm El Shiekh International Congress Centre, his wife, who is from Beijing, wanted to return to China. They arrived in Dalian in March 2008. The suitcases have now been unpacked and roots are being put down. The Solari family hopes to stay here for a long time. "Nothing is definite in life, but the Nikko hotel is a wonderful property and I would like to stay here as long as possible," he explains with a wide smile.
This is wonderful news for the Nikko Hotels. Ever since Nicolas took over as General Manager of the Hotel Nikko Dalian, a fresh wind of change is blowing. "What is your most important task at the Nikko?" I asked. "He said that the secret of success is in the details. By the advent of many new branded hotels entering the Dalian hospitality arena, more and more hotel rooms are being created. By 2010 the number of rooms available will double. The guests have a wider choice, so it is vital to make every stay a success. I am now concentrating on improving our product. Nikko will offer our guests excellent food and the best service money can provide. My responsibility as a General Manager is to demand that excellence is pursued in every aspect of the hotel's function. We have brought professionals from America and Japan to train our staff. The Chinese are basically very hospitable people and they want to do their best. The only problem is the communication and we are working on that very important factor. We are also placing true professionals in key positions. Nikko has acquired a new Chef and a F&B Director. These were positions that were vacant and the lack of proper management was one of the problems in the past. But now I am realigning the standards and setting the bar higher." Nicolas believes that the people are the key to any operation. During the spring festival, the people of China clean their houses, prepare delicious food, dress up nicely and wait with genuinely happy smiles at the door to greet friends and family. This is what Nicolas would like his staff to do everyday. Make everyday a spring festival celebration at the Nikko hotel!
The passion and the fire are very evident in Nicolas. Here is a man determined to succeed. So his reply to my question "what motivates you?" is no surprise. "Success," he answers firmly. "I am far from retired and have a long career ahead of me. At least that's what my wife tells me," he adds with his customary good humor. What are his future plans? "I have had a very exciting career and have been on many roller coaster adventures. But now since the birth of my daughter my priorities are changing a bit. Now it is time to give her some stability and for me to put down my suitcase. I am here in Dalian for the long haul."Nicolas is a larger than life character. His impressive girth shakes with mirth with his wonderful sense of humor. He enjoys life to the fullest. "It is very important to be happy," he says. "There is so much unhappiness in this world and there is no need for us to add to it!"
