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Published on March 17, 2008

 Making it more uncommon is the hotel that Kurt Wachtveitl has been serving happens to be the country's most luxurious and successful, the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok.

"I consider myself a slave to the very rich and famous. I'm just somebody with the Oriental in the background. If you take the hotel away, I'm nothing," said the German native, who is renowned in the hotel industry for his formidable job in making Oriental one of the world's best hotels.

During his long years at the waterfront complex, only once did he consider leaving, when he was approached to run a hotel in Hawaii, two decades ago.

Holding him back was the feeling that drew him to the Bangkok hotel in the first place. The German transplant had promised to devote himself to one hotel, and then married a Thai woman, so he had no reason to find a different hotel when the Oriental had all to offer with its century-long history and its crew.

The troupe of about 200 excellent staff is highlighted as his biggest achievement. One is 87 years old and is still glad to serve guests.

"There's nowhere in the world you'll get help from committed staff like this," he says.

"Staying for three years, it would be impossible to gain the trust and confidence of employees".

Wachtveitl is content that he could make his staff happy, and happy staff in turn satisfy guests.

The Nation