PAUL KERR
Chief Executive Officer
SMALL LUXURY HOTELS
Wisdom and Experience
www.slh.com
Sclimb out of the well and bask in the sunlight of achieving his goal. A proud moment for him, indeed, but certainly was not a moment for him to rest on his laurels. He knows that in order to stay within the hotel business, he must keep evolving. And to keep evolving, Paul must always be learning.
The UK, in 1989, was experiencing a prop-
“Our brand offers a completely different experience than the international chains you mentioned trying to get a ‘piece of the boutique pie’” erty crash. Mr. Kerr was, at the time, working for the Ritz Hotel chain, among others. The hotels were not in the best of shape because of the “property crash”, and it was Kerr’s job to deal with the problems that arose. As you can imagine, he had his work cut out for him.
Slowly but surely, his name within the circles of the luxury hotel business began to reach new heights. Falling under the recently formed prevue of the non-profit “semi-governing body”, “Small Luxury Hotels”, meant there was a vested interest in Paul Kerr’s comings, goings, and doings. It wasn’t long before some keen eyes within SLH began to take notice of Paul’s talents. Thus beginning Kerr’s meteoric march
up the ladder and cementing his position within the company.
Paul Kerr’s leadership has allowed the Small Luxury Hotels organization to experience a rather large expansion, one that has not been since the creation of the non-profit in the eighties. Kerr has presided over the inclusion of over 520 hotels in more than 70 countries, all of which qualify as luxury. This is an impressive feet even if you don’t consider the fact that SLH was responsible for only 70 hotels in 12 countries when Mr. Kerr first started working as CEO of the company. Quoting Mr. Kerr, “Our brand offers a completely different experience than the international chains you mentioned trying to get a ‘piece of the boutique pie’”. The company has turned into a veritable United Nations of luxury hotels. “One of the biggest changes in the industry is the introduction of executive floors - this is an attempt by the big hotels to offer a more personalized service. A small hotel in a big hotel”, says Paul Kerr as he demonstrates his acumen for trends. All this was possible thanks to Paul Kerr’s philosophy of constantly learning, always improving, and doing whatever it takes to get the job done. A skill he picked up in his youth when he was trying to become an accountant.
So with that I return you to the original question. Would all this be possible if Mr. Paul Kerr did not struggle to reach where he is today, and learn what it means to work hard? Would he have done as much if he was just merely smart?
That is really the eternal question of the human condition. Are we the product of our environment? Or are we, not to quote a Lady Gaga song, just born this way? We may never know
SEPT-OCT 2013
Starting from humble beginnings gives a person a good deal of perspective, drive, and the necessary tools to excel.
People the likes of Oprah Winfrey and J.K. Rowling inspire us with their rags to riches stories and show us that anyone can achieve anything. But it also poses an interesting question. Would these people be where they are today if they had an easy life?
Well one thing is for sure, it can help the wanderer on life’s journey to develop a philosophy. And UK born Chief Executive Officer of Small Luxury Hotels Paul Kerr’s life is no exception. Much like a lot of people in their university years, he had no idea what he wanted to do with his life. For many years, he would constantly find himself looking up from the bottom of a well, dreaming of the day his hard work pays off and is able to climb out. So he did what any good philosopher would do when faced with a question. He began to think.
Initially, he had the desire to go into medicine.
He mulled it over for some time, but ultimately had to change his mind as he did not have the necessary grades. But then he a flash of inspiration that would guide him through the rest of his life. He decided to work in the luxury hotel business, and he knew just how he was going to do it. Following in the footsteps of his godfather, he eventually settled on wanting to be an accountant. With a clear path to his goal in mind, Mr. Kerr put himself through school by getting a job flipping burgers on the side.
After all, school costs money and he knew it wouldn’t get any cheaper. Mr. Kerr’s perseverance paid off, and allowed him to work as an accountant. With that, he received his first taste of the luxury hotel business with Cunard Hotels and Resort. Paul was finally able to