Most young people at the age of 18 to 25 have a natural curiosity and also a certain fascination for another culture besides their own. For example , Germans in the 1980ties had a certain fascination for the FAR EAST. The sound of Honk Kong or Singapore or Shanghai caused certain emotions in many of my former colleagues. In the 1950ties and 1960ties however, this kind of fascination was with America, specifically the USA and Canada. Some young hoteliers during this period followed that call of their inner voice as waiters or restaurant managers not knowing how their career would evolve but they met opportunity and destiny and became famous hoteliers who made an impact on our industry.
I am not exactly sure, what culture and foreign countries appeal to the younger generation of hoteliers in 2020. Personally, and based on my interaction with the young generation of hoteliers, sadly, many do not have a specific goal and target in mind. They seem to be more focused on climate change, gender equality, company entitlements like mental health benefits and work-life balance. (Europe and the Americas). The picture is completely different for young hoteliers in South Asia and Africa. They have a very precise idea of what they want to become and where they want to be in the future. To no surprise America still leads the list, followed by the UK, Germany, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
In my personal case, back in 1981 I was working as the Chief Steward at the Berlin Intercontinental Hotel. I did not have a particular preference but I knew, where I did not want to go and that was the Middle East and North Africa. In February 1982 I came to the USA for the first time and visited New York, Miami, Chicago, San Juan, San Francisco and Los Angeles. I fell in love with all of these cities, but especially with New York and San Juan in the Caribbean.
How I made it to America is described in detail in my book, The Perfect Hotel Career. It was my first major career decision and step to make my dream to see the world, come true. Let me be honest. If I would have known how the first 4 months in New York City would turn out to be, I might not have left the comfort of a good job in Berlin. The hard times lasted about 4 months and I had to learn quickly to move around in the city by bus or subway, on foot and of course Taxi.
Then things slowly began to happen. My job at the Waldorf=Astoria became a daily adventure with new experiences and impressions. Privately my first credit card arrived in my mailbox without me even having applied. It was the traditional green American Express card. Having a credit card in Germany in those days would hardly be possible. EC cards were just starting out to have access to ATM. So my fascination is understandable.
I learned pretty quickly how “credit rating” worked in the USA and I made my payments punctually and to the penny. A few months later, within 14 days, a Master Card arrived followed by a Visa Card. Again, I had not applied for it. The beauty was, I had a 50 $ incentive credit to start using the cards. So basically a $ 100.— gift. I also began to connect; make friends, built great relationship with my colleagues and my superiors and began to feel at home in the BIG APPLE. Instead of seeking and searching I had arrived and slowly changed into an integrated young New Yorker. Coming from a small town in Germany, it was (for me) an elevation and gave my confidence a substantial boost and the famous words of the song resounded in my ears. “If you can make it here, you make it everywhere”, and would last for a lifetime.
I explored the city on foot, discovered favorite diners, not on Time Square but on 3rd Avenue. I loved the shopping experience at Moe Ginsburg and BFO on 34th and 5th Avenue. One place, all fashion styles possible and for prices just unbelievably low. What was not even imaginable in Germany; here it was spread out in front of you like a buffet. I discovered a New World. Friendly people when you got into an elevator, relaxed conversations at the cash register of pretty much any shop and this was only New York. Visits to Florida, New Jersey, Connecticut widened my horizon, and I became aware how wrong my image of America had been. Based on the information back in Germany I had to slowly give in and confess, that my image of the USA had been totally wrong and superficial. (This has not changed until today, even got worst). Back at the Waldorf where I spent pretty much half of the day for as long as I worked there I had daily experiences shaping me for the rest of my career. Watching Ray Charles, Liza Minelli, Shirley Bassey, and many others; up close or from a distance showed me a piece of life I would have not imagined back in Germany. The closeness and sometimes interaction with ministers, generals and even presidents made an impact on me and improved my self awareness.
Yet, working at a famous hotel also had disadvantages and I learned to accept these simply as an investment in my career. Not a lack of “work life balance” – As a matter of fact, I would come in on a day off for certain heads of state and they arrived at the Waldorf=Astoria almost daily. The Hilton girls Nicky and Paris would not command so much attention, but looking back it was nice to see them playing as small children in my lobby. Nobody back then would have assumed that one day in the future they would get their own share of fame; for different reasons though.
The money was not good, but the tips definitely helped. Jilly Rizzo was a great Tipper. Who was Jilly ? Well, Jilly was one of my favorite guests and at the same time Frank Sinatra’s longtime body guard. How little I knew back then about my often famous and important guests is only clear to me after so many years. One call of Jilly to any CEO of a hotel company in the USA would have gotten me a top job, to say it simple. But back then I was not familiar with the Who is Who in America, but many of them came to the Waldorf and spent time there. Writing this , this very moment makes me feel so wonderful. I had this great privilege to meet and interact with just so many celebrities and statesmen from across America and the world.
Yes, I was in an elevated position, even as a small restaurant manager and I truly learned and enjoyed. I did not see my working hours as work and if someone would have tried to explain the concept of Work-Life Balance to me, I would have laughed and left the person talking in the corner and walked away. For a youngster of generation Z or even a millennial, this might sound strange. For me it was and still is today an incredibly exhilarating adventure and true school of life. It was the creation of a memory, which I would not want to miss for any dollar or pound sterling or “mental health benefit” todays companies are providing to their employees.
My time in America went on and I moved from the Waldorf =Astoria to the iconic El San Juan Hotel & Casino in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Entering the timeless beautiful and unique lobby, I knew then and there, that I would be here for a long time and maybe all my life. Four months later I purchased an apartment on the beach next to today’s Ritz Carlton Hotel. The island experience was completely different from what I was used to in New York and I had to attend a university seminar to improve and speed up my cultural integration process and switch from New York management style to island management style ; it helped me to appreciate a completely different life style and it made me discover myself in many ways. Not only did I grow professionally but also emotionally. I fell in love with the music, the food, the nature and its beautiful beaches.
My next step in America took me back to the mainland, to Los Angeles. Again a very different environment and mentality. My time in California was shaped by taking on a leadership role in a 1000 plus room Hilton Hotel. While it was not the most iconic hotel, it was one of the largest and the one which brought people from all over the world day in and day out. I worked with a great team and remember fondly my colleagues like Grant Coonley who is still today the hotel’s as General Manager. Or Laurie Foie and Debby Benitez in Human Resources. I was to benefit in my future positions from the influence of these people in future in leadership positions and I do not regret a day, I was working with them.
While long days and overtime were the norm in the east and the Caribbean, California was a bit more balanced. It gave me plenty of time to undertake long drives into Nevada, Arizona, Oregon and later Mexico. I loved particularly to drive up the coast on Pacific Coast Highway 1 a trip which I took quite often. What I remember well were the long distances, the stress free driving, the diversity of coffeeshops and diners, yes, coffeeshops and diners, which are not comparable to the German, formal, structured and boring stops along the different highways and the Autobahn. Yes, even the famous German Autobahn is a boring experience when compared to the US Highways. It allows for great driving in all weather conditions and it is clean and well maintained everywhere, but the American Highway offers unusual insights into the cultural fabric of America. The drives are never boring, the scenery’s always changing, the design and the menus in the coffeeshops always different and the people cover a spectrum from amazing to scary. Well yes, I guess, in order to like America you still need a certain degree of lust for adventure.
To sum it all up: America has been good to me. Pretty much in all aspects. Of course, this is my very personal opinion and I know that there are many who may not agree with me. I even know colleagues of mine, who worked in the USA but left since they did not like the American way of life. But they all have one thing in common. 95% did not return to their home countries during their career and do not have an intention to ever go back. The exception here are: surprise; Americans. Most of them after having lived abroad tend to return. For me, the choice is an easy one. The best experiences in my life have been in the USA and while I carry with me a treasure chest of cultural and geographical memories my inner voice tells me all the time were it wants me to finally retire and live.
In your career, you will have similar experiences and don’t let anyone tell you what and where it is “Better”. Allow your emotions and your inner voice to help You make this decision. One recommendation though: make this decision rather early. If you do not know, which place you are emotionally connected to there is a surefire way to find out. For now, I wish you a blessed day. Remember, whatever you decide it is right. But keep in mind: You will have to live with the consequences of your decision. The best I can tell: don’t shoot from the hip and sleep it over.
Your colleague and friend,
Helmut H Meckelburg