We'll Always Have Casablanca

[upbeat music] You have a sort of highly celebrated career in the hotel industry, but before we speak a little bit about, um, the collection and the Royal Mansour, how did you find your way, uh, working into hospitality originally?

You know, I, I love answering that question.

Um, as a young kid, I wanted to become a chef.

So I guess when I was six, seven, eight, uh, I said to my mum and dad, "I want to be a chef, and I want to go to catering college." And my dad was a, a mathematician, physician, and my dad didn't want me to become a chef.

My dad wanted me to go to college, go to university, and, uh, have a great career.

But, you know, I was l- I love cooking, and I was cooking for my parents.

I was cooking for my parents' reception, you know, when they were doing cocktail parties or dinner.

And so when I was 16, instead of, um, you know, s- going to a, a proper lycée, a proper college, I went to the École hôtelière de Paris, which is, you know, one of the best catering school in, in France.

And I stayed there for five years learning to be not just a chef, but, you know, learning about the wine, learning about the, the job in general, hotel life.

And, uh, that's it.

That was the start of my career.

You know, I've never became a chef.

[chuckles] I love cooking, but I never became a chef.

And very quickly I said, "No, I want to be hotel manager.

I want to be at the top.

I want to be in luxury, a luxury hotel, um, and I want to be a GM." And I became a GM at, at a very young age.

I became a GA- a GM at the age of 33 or 33 and a half.

And why do you think, uh, if I were to go back in time and ask someone who just hired you to be a GM at 33, why would you say that...

Why do you think that they would hire you at 33 to be a GM?

I think the guy was crazy.

He w-

[laughs]

He wanted a young guy.

Uh, he took a gamble.

Um-