BERNHARD STACHER is the general manager at the new Vincent Hotel, in Southport, due to open in May this year. Born in Vienna, Bernhard has travelled the world managing luxury cruise ships and high-class floating resorts before basing himself in Southport.
This is an account of his day.
7am: Usually my kids, Zoe, six, and Elly, four, wake me up by jumping into bed for a cuddle every morning. It beats an alarm clock. However, today they are in Majorca with my wife in our holiday home. I reach over to check my Blackberry which doubles up as my alarm. There are 20 emails waiting in my inbox. I have to make a call to The Vincent hotel’s managing director, Paul Adams, as our 10am meeting with the builders has been postponed.
7.15am: I jump on the treadmill for half an hour. This is my only chance for the next couple of hours to have some me time. I watch the news to find out what’s going on in the world before jumping in the shower and refuelling my energy resources with coffee and porridge.
8.25am: I’d usually be doing the school run now but, with a couple of minutes spare, I leave to make a quick trip to the Vincent site before hitting the office. The hotel is really taking shape inside now, but I have to check everything is running smoothly. I notice some of the plaster detail on one of the ceilings is not as smooth as it should be. It looks odd. We have a fantastic relationship with the site manager, John, so I tell him. I’m told the problem will be resolved immediately, which I know it will be.
9.15am: I arrive at our offices which are only two minutes from the hotel site. I like to spend a couple of minutes each day with each member of the team to see what they have got planned for the day before our team meeting later in the morning. It is amazing what can happen overnight in this industry.
10am: My diary is now clear for an hour, so I check the webpage. We have had a few teething problems with a couple of sections on it, and so I make sure it is on track. We don’t open until May, but the webpage is live now and it is where we are picking up a lot of pre-opening bookings so I want it to be spot on.
11am: After discussing several issues with my staff, I call a full team meeting as there have been a number of key developments overnight which I want them to all know about.
12.30pm: It is time for my working lunch with Paul Adams. He also owns the Warehouse Brasserie, which is below our offices, so we have a table there to discuss matters. Today, we need to discuss uniforms for staff at the Vincent. Sounds quite an easy task, but getting the right look is going to be essential to the overall image of the hotel.
2pm: My afternoons are non-stop at the moment. I have meeting after meeting with various suppliers to ensure we are getting the right product for the right price. Today, I have a meeting with our beds supplier followed by the bed linen supplier, both of which are in for an hour session with me.
4pm: Paul, head chef Norbert and I need to discuss final price list for the menu. I hold a quick conference call with both of them to go through each aspect on the menu. It appears that more time is needed for this meeting as there are a couple of prices that we can’t agree on. Paul arranges a meeting first thing Monday morning to continue the discussion.
4.45pm: I make my way to Liverpool John Lennon airport. I’m making the most out of the weekend and going to see my family while they are out in Majorca. I take my Blackberry and continue to answer and respond to my emails.
9pm: I arrive at my home in Majorca and see the kids. They live the typical Spanish life when they are over there, and so it’s not past their bed time yet. I like to speak to Zoe and Elly in my native tongue, German. So far they can speak German, Spanish and English.
10pm: I put the kids to bed and sit down on our balcony with a glass of Rioja and some lovely Mediterranean tapas which my wife has prepared.
