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By JW Marriott Phuket Resort and Spa
Having settled well into his new challenge as General Manager of
the JW Marriott Phuket Resort and Spa, Craig S. Smith a lifelong
employee of Marriott International is enjoying his sixth assignment
as a General Manager within the company.
Since 1998, he has won twelve awards for excellence in several
categories, including leadership, operations, finance, customer
service and the Renaissance Worldwide General Manager of the Year.
I caught up with Craig on a breezy afternoon at the resort's Sala
Rim Talay for a late lunch of samosas, assorted satay and a hearty
Caesar salad with meaty grilled prawns. The restaurant is set just
above the beach, shaded by gnarled casuarinas and shrubbery, with
open views of the deep blue Andaman. His enthusiasm for his new
posting is both palpable and not surprising.
Kit C. Cauw: Please tell us
about your history and relationship with Thailand. Where did you
come from? What are some of your reasons for choosing to live here?
Craig S. Smith: I grew up overseas-my
father was a career diplomat and ambassador. I get itchy feet every
couple of years. This is the eleventh country I've lived in, my
dog's seventh. Much of my background is in Latin America; I had
been trying to break into Asia-especially Thailand-for some time,
but I speak Spanish and Portuguese. They didn't want to let me go.
Then this job opened up.
Kit C. Cauw: Is this standard,
that they hire from within?
Craig S. Smith: Yes. In many
hotels, the GMs have worked in a number of different companies;
most Marriott managers are lifers. Our packages are built on long-term
loyalty. I've been with them over fifteen years now. This is our
finest resort in Asia and we want to use it as a star in this part
of the world. It's the third JW Marriott I've worked in; I was in
Mexico City and my last job was in Lima, Peru. I have resort experience
from Cancun, the Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic. There
are differences in culture, but a lot of the problems and challenges
seem to be universal.
Kit C. Cauw: Had you done any
travelling in Asia prior to your assignment?
Craig S. Smith: No. I've been most everywhere in Europe and Latin
America, and I've travelled in Africa. But I've really wanted to
come to this part of the world. There are some good schools here.
It seems very kid-friendly-Thais love children, it seems like a
wonderful place to raise kids. A friend of mine who was director
of operations here said he enjoyed living here more than he did
in Cancun or Hawaii. It has the resort feel, but also a Thai feel.
There isn't a McDonald's on every corner. I don't want to live in
a US city posted somewhere else in the world.
Craig S. Smith: I'm interested
in culture and history. Thais retain a lot of their own culture.
Yeah, you want a first-rate hospital, but you want to feel like
you're in someone else's country. Asia's just exciting, it's fun.
I haven't been this excited for a posting in a long time.
Kit C. Cauw: What has drawn
you to Phuket in particular? What is your favourite place on Phuket?
Craig S. Smith: The ocean.
I went out to the Similans for a day of diving and loved it. I saw
two turtles, some lionfish. Tomorrow I'm going diving right off
the coast here, right near the airport. I met a dive master who
told me there are some nice little reefs out there.
Craig S. Smith: The resort
environment is nice for family. I like the island feel, being able
to drive my motorcycle. This part of the island, there isn't much
traffic, the road is nice. Sometimes I like to drive over the bridge
[into neighbouring Phang Nga Province]. It's even quieter up there.
My house here is about twenty-five minutes away-I've had thirty-minute
commutes in San Diego, along the coastline, which is pleasant and
I've had thirty-minute commutes in Mexico City, where all you get
is a headache. Here, I'm going through rubber plantations, rice
fields, past buffalo, through some great smells. It's a really nice
drive.
Craig S. Smith: It's quite
a change from Lima. One of my kids asked me who is going to be Mom's
driver here. I said, "We don't need a driver/bodyguard here."
He said, "Why, because we're going to have a big wall around
the house?"
Craig S. Smith: It's just a
lot safer here. Kidnapping was awful in Sao Paulo.
Kit C. Cauw: How do you see
the near future of Phuket in terms of development?
Craig S. Smith: Phuket has
a reputation for nightlife, but the day life really offers a lot
for families. Go-Karts, elephant trekking, water sports. One of
the nice things here is that the tourists are not dominated by one
demographic. You walk around our pool, it's like going to the UN.
Right now, the biggest piece is Japanese at 12%. No group really
dominates.
Craig S. Smith: I think there's
going to be a lot more housing going in. It looks like there will
be more infrastructure. But there aren't any huge developments right
now. I guess things will fill in between Laguna and Khao Lak. I
think the south of the island has probably hit its limit. People
are looking for a little more space, too.
Kit C. Cauw: JW Marriott is
the first Northern resort on the island. Please comment about its
location.
Craig S. Smith: I think it's
a competitive advantage. Most of our clients are folks that just
want to come and relax. It's quiet and peaceful and clean up here.
You can still get into town and to the other beaches, but it's nothing
like Patong up here.
Kit C. Cauw: How can a resort
built in the middle of a national park actually be good for the
environment? Will JW Marriott's lead be followed by further development
within the park?
Craig S. Smith: If you walk
out in front of the hotel, you find a clean beach. You wouldn't
believe how much junk washes in from the boats, plastics and so
on. That's not good for the turtles. We're a conscientious presence
and the leading hotel for the turtles. The Mai Khao Marine Turtle
Foundation won the 2002 Pacific Asian Tourism Association award
for best environmental education. I worked with turtles in Cancun,
as well. They hatched underneath the hotel. Every year we held an
event where guests helped to release them into the water. You get
kids involved and this is a memory that stays with them. I think
we'll take what we've done with the foundation and push it even
further. I'm very passionate about it as a diver and it's a real
feel-good part of my job.
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Craig S. Smith: In terms of
development in the park, I don't think there will be developments
around us. We're build on private land surrounded by the park, but
it took ten years to get the permissions. So we're not going to
see a strip of hotels with 10,000 people selling jewelry.
Kit C. Cauw: In conclusion,
please evaluate the JW Marriott as it is now. How do you see it
in three years? What, if any, are your top priorities for change
within the resort?
Craig S. Smith: It's great.
We have GREAT associates. Part of my job is to make sure they are
happy. They are hired for their positive attitudes; many had no
prior hotel experience, so training has been extensive. Technical
skills can be taught, but attitude is much harder. It's a matter
of continuing to train them, making sure they are happy.
Craig S. Smith: If I had any
goal, it would be to just touch up what we have, to make sure that
it stays Thai feeling-yet made for people from all over the world.
Sometimes as these resorts age, attention to cultural detail lags
and you start getting generic. We need to preserve the Thai feel,
the uniforms, the furniture. I want to add and fine-tune activities
and services. We have a phenomenal kid's club and that's great because
we attract a lot of families here.
Craig S. Smith: I want to find
the best dive company and make sure we have the best of all the
tours. I'm looking into setting up dives off the beach here, from
small boats. People could go out for a couple of morning dives,
it wouldn't have to be such a time commitment. I hate these big
cattle boats. On my days off I like to be where there aren't people.
I'm off tomorrow. I'm going to go to the beach, dive in the morning,
play golf in the afternoon, cap it off with a mojito in the evening.
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