Mike Haemmerli, Kempinski’s SVP of Development, sits down with hosco.tv to talk about his role in growing the international hotel chain, which currently operates 75 luxury hotels in 31 countries. Haemmerli, a 15-year veteran of the Geneva-based company, explains how his team finds new development opportunities, what kind of work goes into each new contract, and what Kempinski looks for in potential properties and owners. Whether it’s identifying leads, reviewing third-party feasibility studies, or negotiating contracts, it’s all in a day’s work for a hotel development exec.
Haemmerli, who received his MBA in Hospitality Management from IMHI Cornell/ESSEC in 2000, says that what sets Kempinski apart from its larger competitors is its inherent understanding that luxury is “limited by default”—that there is a limit to the number of luxury properties one can operate. His role is to identify and handpick those few properties that will make the difference in the company and raise the bar. Watch to find out what Haemmerli says is his favorite part of the job and what he thinks makes Kempinski so special.
