Growing up in a hospitality family, Jaime Faus has always felt more at home in a hotel. Majoring in hotel management in the UK, Jaime’s personal journey as an hotelier took him to exotic destinations across Europe meeting celebrities and royals. With over 20 years of experience in hotel management, Jaime’s latest adventure takes him to Indonesia as the general manager of the vibrant Pullman Jakarta Indonesia.
Q: Can you tell us about some memorable events you’ve had in the course of your career?
A: Honestly there are so many, but the one that comes right away to my mind was getting the chance to meet the king of Spain, Don Juan Carlos. The Spanish Ambassador to Lithuania is a good friend of mine and he surprised me with a private audience for my family and I when they were visiting. Even though I’ve lived 30 years outside my homeland, I respect and admire the tremendous Ambassadorial job the King has done for the country.
Q: You mentioned that you enjoy travelling. Which places have your career taken you to and do you have a favourite?
A: I’ve lived all over Europe, Dublin, London, Düsseldorf, Moscow, Prague, Bucharest, Madrid and of course Jakarta. As for my favourite place, it has to be the one I have not been yet to. I have thoroughly enjoyed all of my past experiences and I still have an immense desire to keep on discovering different cultures and meeting new people.
Q: In your opinion, what are the most important qualities for a successful general manager?
A: I think you need to have strong leadership skills, lead by example, be flexible and versatile, be human, believe in sharing, follow from the front and be passionate about what you are doing. As a general manager, it’s important to surround yourself with a great team to ensure we achieve the highest levels of standards expected of the hotel. We strive to do everything possible to make our guests feel welcomed and valued.
Q: How do you think Indonesia’s hospitality industry compares to other places you’ve worked?
A: I think the quality of the hotels is exceptional. The facilities we have are on par with hotels in New York, London, Paris, Hong Kong or Singapore. Another thing I’ve noticed is how welcoming and genuine Indonesian people are. Our guests are always delighted by our team’s friendliness and they genuinely feel at home in the hotel. Indonesia has a very young population; it’s an exciting and dynamic country. I love how Jakarta people are always eager to try new things.
Q: What part of your job do you love?
A: I love the human aspect; interacting with our guests and getting to know our team better is something I look forward to every day. I relish challenges and enjoy transforming challenges into opportunities – I love the fact that every day in a hotel brings a different set of opportunities, no two days are the same and I find that exciting.
Q: What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your career?
A: Fortunately my career so far has been pretty smooth sailing. Personally, the biggest challenge I set for myself was when I decided to run the London marathon in 2002 unprepared. It was an impromptu decision so I didn’t have the chance to train, but I eventually completed it in five hours. I made the mistake of wearing new trainers and my toes still hurt whenever I think about it!
Q: If you don’t mind sharing, what exciting plans do you have for Pullman Jakarta Indonesia in 2017/18?
A: One of the main reasons I joined Pullman Jakarta Indonesia is its stellar reputation. Few hotels can match the hotel’s stunning location, our fully renovated world-class amenities and of course our dynamic team. The hotel team has done and continues to do an incredible job promoting our iconic property not only here in Jakarta, Indonesia, but all over the world. We all feel really proud to be part of Pullman Jakarta Indonesia. I constantly challenge our team to come up with new ideas to delight our guests and so far I love what they are coming up with. As an example, one of their latest suggestions was to have a Turkish tanoura dancer performing for the Ramadan period in our award winning Sana Sini restaurant. It has proven to be a huge hit!
Q: In your busy life, what do you do outside work to unwind?
A: I enjoy all kind of sports such as running, mountain biking, boxing, cross fit and golf. I recently discovered Muay Thai boxing. We have an instructor at our Fit & Spa gym, it is great fun and a really good work out. I highly recommend it. Aside from that, I also like spending time with my family, socialising, hunting for great restaurants and bars in the city, and going to art exhibitions. I think Indonesia has some very talented artists.
Q: Any tips for someone thinking of joining the hospitality industry?
A: If you love travelling and meeting interesting people, you will definitely enjoy hospitality. You can have a fantastic career full of exciting experiences and opportunities. Embrace the changes that technology brings and surround yourself with the best people. Earn their respect by leading by example. Enjoy and have fun!
Pullman Jakarta Indonesia
Jalan M.H. Thamrin Kav. 59,
Jakarta 10350, Indonesia
T: (+62) 2131921111
