As the Mandarin Oriental Group’s ads might say, “I’m a Fan”—a play on words of the corporate logo in the shape of an oriental folding fan. I’ve been a fan for over forty years.

I was one of the first guests of The Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong that opened in 1963, and was in the lobby the day JFK was assassinated—one of the white pill-box-hatted bellboys ran through the room holding up a newspaper with the horrible headline.

A few days later, I was in The Oriental, Bangkok waiting for my parents to arrive for a ten-day stay. It was my first visit to Bangkok. A couple of days later my parents and I dined with Jim Thompson in his home on the klong—heady days indeed. That house, these memories, and Bangkok University are the reasons that Bangkok is now my permanent home.

This year marks the 130th Anniversary of the hotel. It wouldn’t have happened without Kurt Wachtveitl.

From the dazzling "The Oriental Hotel Cookbook," 130th Anniversary, New Edition, that I bought yesterday, page 162 says it all:

[Following its purchase of The Oriental in 1967,] “Italthai immediately set out to raise The Oriental’s standing, not just among Bangkok hotels but internationally. One of the first steps was to find a new general manager. A likely candidate turned up in the person of Kurt Wachtveitl, who was then managing one of Italthai’s hotels in the seaside resort of Pattaya. Young and full of ideas, he accepted the challenge and came back to Bangkok.”

When he was appointed General Manager of The Oriental, Kurt was only 30 years old! Of course the owners had faith in him but his appointment wasn’t much of a risk—Kurt is a graduate of the Lausanne Hotel School, studied Philosophy at the University of Madrid, and History of Art and Literature in Rome. Before coming to Thailand in 1965, he had worked at the Hotel Beau Rivage in Lausanne, the Trois Couronnes in Vevey, the Suvretta in St. Moritz, and the Hilton in London.

The faith of today’s owners in Kurt is even stronger. To celebrate this 130th Anniversary year, the Mandarin Oriental Group spent US$ 75 million on refurbishing the rooms and suites. The spa, already recognized as a leading city spa in the world, also got a makeover to the tune of US$ 1.2 million.

At Bangkok University, my course on Resort Development and Management is largely based on how my home in the Adirondack Mountains of New York, The Point, developed into one of the world’s favorite resorts, often voted Number One in America. My students and I compare the achievement of its mission statement to that of other resorts world wide, and the enormous influence the General Manager brings to a property. Extraordinary managers like Stan Bromley, recently retired from the Four Seasons Group, and of course, Kurt Wachtveitl, are studied and revered by me and my students.

On the DVD celebrating the 130th Anniversary of the hotel, Kurt reflects on his years at The Oriental and the hundreds of celebrities he’s hosted. At one intimate moment, he says (in ingenuous verse):
“I sipped high tea,
Under a tree,
By the river with Noël Coward.”

Coward, who was also obviously “A Fan,” would agree that Kurt virtually invented what is The Oriental—a ‘Vortex’ of elegance, a ‘Cavalcade’ of starry moments, and magic memories that will always produce ‘Present Laughter.’

Thank you, Kurt, your birthday present will always be one of my most cherished memories.

Edward Carter

P.S. My partner, Tan Sitthiphan, and I can understand how the gent at the front desk who has been there for 30 years might remember my name, but we will never figure out how literally every employee not only knew who we were, but also said "Happy Birthday, Professor."

Update: April 2010

"THAILAND'S LONGEST SERVING, LEGENDARY HOTELIER BESTOWED ROYAL DECORATION FOR HIS CONTRIBUTION TO THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY"

Mr. Kurt Wachtveitl, former legendary General Manager of Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, and currently Special Advisor to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, was recently bestowed "The 5th Class of Our Most Admirable Order of the Direkgunabhorn" Royal Decoration during a ceremony presided over by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Suraphon Svetasrani (far right). Mr. Kurt was presented with this accolade and Royal insignia for his most valuable contribution to the hospitality industry in Thailand during his record-breaking 41-year tenure at Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok (1967-2008).