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“Whether they are coming to collect the trash or rubbish we need to be the friendliest hotel in the whole world, nothing less than that. So I want everyone treated with the uttermost respect and care.”

— RAUL LEVIS

MEDIA RELATED TO THE EPISODE

In this special episode of Invigorate Your Business, George Stroumboulis sits down with Raul Levis inside a stunning 5-bedroom luxury villa at the Mandarin Oriental, Costa Navarino. They dive into the world of luxury hospitality, opening high-end hotels across the globe, and what it takes to rise to the top as a General Manager in today’s competitive landscape.

Luxury meets leadership in this Invigorate Your Business episode as George Stroumboulis interviews Raul Levis from the Mandarin Oriental, Costa Navarino—discussing career-defining hotel launches, hospitality trends, and personal growth at the top.

Recorded on location in Greece, George Stroumboulis sits with Raul Levis at Mandarin Oriental Costa Navarino to talk about excellence in hospitality, life as a global hotel executive, and the strategy behind successful hotel openings.

George Stroumboulis is personally toured around the breathtaking Mandarin Oriental, Costa Navarino by General Manager Raul Levis before sitting down to film this exclusive episode of Invigorate Your Business. Recorded inside a luxurious 5-bedroom villa, they talk luxury hospitality, global hotel openings, and the mindset required to lead world-class properties.

George Stroumboulis and Raul Levis take in the stunning views of Navarino Bay from the private terrace of the 5-bedroom luxury villa at Mandarin Oriental, Costa Navarino. Before sitting down to record this exclusive episode of *Invigorate Your Business*, Raul—General Manager of this world-class resort—gives George a personal tour of the property. Together, they dive into the art of luxury hospitality, global hotel launches, and what it truly takes to lead iconic destinations across the globe.

George Stroumboulis is joined by his nephew and intern, Yianni, as they tour the breathtaking Mandarin Oriental, Costa Navarino with General Manager Raul Levis. Overlooking the stunning Navarino Bay from the resort’s private 5-bedroom villa, this special episode of *Invigorate Your Business* was produced on-site with Yianni supporting behind the scenes.

ABOUT THE “INVIGORATE YOUR BUSINESS” PODCAST

The Invigorate Your Business with George Stroumboulis podcast features casual conversations and personal interviews with business leaders in their respective fields of expertise. Crossing several industry types and personal backgrounds, George sits down with inspiring people to discuss their business, how they got into that business, their path to the top of their game and the trials and tribulations experienced along the way. We want you to get inspired, motivated, and then apply any advice to your personal and professional lives. If there is at least one piece of advice that resonates with you after listening, then this podcast is a success. New episodes weekly. Stream our show on Spotify, YouTube, Apple, Amazon and all other platforms.

ABOUT GEORGE STROUMBOULIS

George Stroumboulis is an entrepreneur to the core, having launched several ventures across multiple industries and international markets. He has held senior-level positions at progressive companies and government institutions, both domestically and internationally, building an extensive portfolio of business know-how over the years and driving profit-generating results. George’s ability to drive real change has landed him in several media outlets, including the front page of the Wall Street Journal. George was born in Toronto, Canada to his Greek immigrant parents. Family first. Flying over 300,000 miles a year around the world puts into perspective how important family is to George’s mental and emotional development. With all this travel to global destinations, the longest he stays even in the most far-out destination is 3 days or less - a personal rule he lives by to make sure he is present and involved in family life with his wife and three daughters. To read about George’s global travels, stay connected with his blog section.

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FULL SHOW TRANSCRIPT

George Stroumboulis: 0:00

This episode comes from the beautiful, luxurious Mandarin Oriental, costa Navarino. We have all access passes here, where we get to see everything behind the scenes, get to meet the staff, the people and sit down with the general manager, raul Levi's. He gave us access to this beautiful five-bedroom luxurious villa where we film this podcast. When I tell you like luxury to an extreme, it will blow your mind. The views are incredible of Navarino Bay and we get an actual masterclass with a leader in the hospitality arena. Raul has led and opened several hotels in over 14 markets around the world, so he is a true expert. We're going to understand what it takes to get into this industry and not just get into it, but to get there and be at the top of your game. Raul is a leader, tremendous background and we're going to find out everything today. So enjoy this episode starting now.

George Stroumboulis: 1:02

My name is George Strombolis and I'm extremely passionate about traveling the world, meeting new people and learning about new businesses. Join me as I sit down with other entrepreneurs to learn about their journeys. This episode of Invigorate your Business starts now. Okay, so we're going to start this one. I am sitting with a gentleman who has tremendous experience in a specific space hospitality for one of the top brands in the entire world, right Like on planet earth, mandarin Oriental, synonymous with luxury, class, personalized experiences, just top-notch. On another level, raul Levi is the general manager of this location here that we're sitting in today, here at the Mandarin Oriental, costa Navarino. This is an unreal. I wish the viewers and the listeners could see what this is here. I agree, right, so we're sitting in the five-bedroom suite, right, correct? Five-bedroom Royal Villa, royal Villa Okay, very expensive, but A villa, correct. Five bedroom Royal Villa yes.

Raul Levis: 2:09

Royal Villa Okay, very expensive, but it's worth every penny 1000 square meters. There's a private spa, there is a private gym, there's a pizza oven, a barbecue place, incredible views of the Bay. I mean, anyone that wants to splurge a little bit should definitely come here.

George Stroumboulis: 2:23

Should definitely come. Can we show the footage while you're explaining what it was right? Can we show?

Raul Levis: 2:27

footage of everything. Okay, amazing.

George Stroumboulis: 2:29

It's unreal. And then we're looking to the right and that's Navarino Bay. Correct, you can't get. You know Greece. They always think Sadorini, you know the Acropolis, very stereotypical, but this side of Greece, in Peloponnesenes, so navarino bay you have, like a beautiful pilos you have, it's just absolutely stunning here, before we start talking about the hotel hospitality world, raul is a man of the world, right, like you truly are you. I meet a lot of people in my past where it's like I'm from here and I've lived here. You've literally lived in over 15 countries around the world different places, at least.

George Stroumboulis: 3:02

Yeah, different places yeah you're a brazilian, german, greek complicated, as I mentioned to you.

Raul Levis: 3:09

So I'm half greek uh half uh german, but born and raised uh in brazil and I had the privilege of traveling around the world. Um can I, if I can tell them my story?

Raul Levis: 3:24

a little bit, Please, yeah absolutely so with Mandarin Oriental specifically, I joined Mandarin Oriental in Tokyo in Japan, which was, for me, the most transformative experience I've had in terms of learning about luxury like real luxury, and how the Japanese, especially, devote themselves to a very high level of execution, and how they think ahead in terms of how can we provide the best service to the guests as well. I was there for quite a while and then from there I went to do a rebranding in Santiago in Chile, for Mandarin Oriental. I stayed there for around a year and a half and then from there I went to Barcelona and Paris, and previously I was with Four Seasons Again, a long story Did lots of openings with them. I started in Four Seasons Philadelphia and then I moved to do the opening of Four Seasons in Canary Wharf in London. Then from London I went to do the reopening of Four Seasons in Nevis in the West Indies Wow.

Raul Levis: 4:29

Then I went straight to do the opening of Four Seasons in Dublin in Ireland. Then I did the opening of the Four Seasons in Miami and then from there I went to do a quick opening of the Four Seasons in Whistler in Canada. Yep, and then finally I went to an existing hotel which was the Four Seasons Buenos Aires, and then from there I went to reopen the Four Seasons in London Park Lane, which was one of the flagships of the property before joining Mandarin Oriental.

George Stroumboulis: 4:55

Before Mandarin, you did all those openings with Four Seasons, which is a Canadian based company.

Raul Levis: 5:00

It's true, yeah, and Mandarin.

George Stroumboulis: 5:02

Oriental is based where in the States?

Raul Levis: 5:04

Mandarin Oriental is based. There is a dual heritage, so I would say that the Mandarin Hotel, the first Mandarin Hotel, was born in Hong Kong and they acquired the Oriental in Bangkok, which is very well known for an incredible quality and service and Asian heritage. So those two properties got united 60 years ago and created what is the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. Okay, and now we have 43 properties. We are growing in terms of number of properties incredible new properties that just became Mandarin Oriental, For example, the Lutetia in Paris, which is a stunning property. This year we're also opening the Mandarin Oriental in Dubai. There's a beautiful, beautiful property in Vienna that is also coming this year. Next year we're looking also at Mallorca as well. So lots of things happening in the Mandarin.

George Stroumboulis: 6:02

Oriental world. Lots of things For listeners like I feel like this episode needs to be shared with aspiring hospitality executives, people who want to study tourism, because your experience is on another level, right. To you know. You came out of school you worked for Four Seasons, which again is a top brand around the world, opening in these cities. How many years, over how many years did you go from? You know all these cities and countries?

Raul Levis: 6:25

Oh, I'm too old to say that You're too old to say that, but over 25 years traveling around and discovering I mean, someone is very passionate about hospitality. I think there's no better time to join hospitality. I think one of the secrets of opening Costa Navarino for me was this exchange and how many people from other Mandarin Orientals came to support and actually work here in Costa Navarino, together with the Greeks, who had the whole Philoxenia philosophy as well. But I think this bringing people from different properties create a very fertile cross-pollination of ideas and I think if we can celebrate any successes here and I think we do have some successes I think it's all about building this team that is so diverse and we created a lot of new ideas here that weren't done before as a collective hotel.

George Stroumboulis: 7:26

Absolutely, and we're going to get into the details on your running club. Everyone that works here I don't know if you call them employees or colleagues- we call them colleagues.

George Stroumboulis: 7:36

The colleagues that are here everyone from my experience now, three separate times, aside from being part of some of the lighting that my company has done everyone is so passionate and proud of the property and they speak to it like they are. They are a part of it. Right, and it doesn't matter if someone's from Portugal or Greece or Tokyo or New York, it's, it's got this collective. Just, it's very noticeable, right, like on how passionate they are. Before we dive into the details of Costa Navarino, right, the Mandarin Oriental here, like what did you study to get to this? Because people out there listening you know who want to get into the space. You don't just step in and become the GM of a top property. You know, not just in Greece but in Europe, it's winning awards. What is that path?

Raul Levis: 8:20

Well, my personal path is I have a business administration degree in Sao Paulo, in Brazil, where I was brought up, and then from there I went to study in Switzerland, in La Roche, which is my formation years in hospitality as well, and I think after that I mean it's all about the hotels that I work and the openings. And for me, as I always say, opening a hotel you know, after seven openings, what I learned the most about opening a hotel is that it's a very humbling exercise where you think and you design and you create great ideas, but when you go into the execution of it, the guest will tell you first what works or not. So for me it's an incredible learning and you have to go much deeper into every single detail when you go into an opening, from the technical aspect of the room, the lighting, to the flow of experiences. You know how is the arrival experience, how is the dining experiences, what is the beach club experience that we need to do.

Raul Levis: 9:24

So I think, throughout the years and the fact that I, if I can say something positive, is that I always been very much adaptable to the different countries that I lived, so I never tried to be. You know, when I went, I was in Japan, I completely immersed in the Japanese culture. When I was in Chile, it was about the Chilean culture. Paris, I mean amazing place to be as well London and different. You know that you go learning with the experience that you have and the openness to understand that you don't know everything. But you know you can continue to contribute and bring new ideas to the plate.

George Stroumboulis: 10:01

Absolutely so. You said Tokyo and Paris and all these countries. What are some examples where you've had to adapt to the local mindset culture, specifically, like we know, tokyo, japan in general, very respectful, organized, like. What are some examples in the hotel experience where you're like, okay, this is how they operate, this is what I need to adapt or change and then we'll get to Greece, because Greece is another.

Raul Levis: 10:24

When I say that Tokyo was the most transformative experience to me, I'm not kidding. I was coming from London, from opening a property where, again, we transferred so many people from different countries very dynamic Western management style and leadership style and I have to say I thought I was the king of the world and I was not. So when I went into Japan I was like, okay, this formula works, let's just apply this to Japan, and the way the Japanese think, the way the Japanese make decisions, is totally the opposite of how we think and make decisions in the Western world. And from very simple things where, you know, I saw a Japanese, had an idea and I said, oh, this is a great idea, let's try that.

Raul Levis: 11:16

In Japan, the collective is more important than the individual. So if I start promoting an individual alone, that person will be seen as almost like selfish. To a certain extent. Maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit, but it's all about any decision that is made there needs to be done by the collective. So you need to be less entrepreneurial, in a way of, like you know, speeding up the decision. Right, but they at the same time.

Raul Levis: 11:41

And this is what I learned and I love about Japan Right, but they.

Raul Levis: 11:41

At the same time and this is what I learned and I love about Japan when you make a decision, you know you go and talk to them. They will come with questions that in your life you would think, okay, should I need to think about this? But the level of attention to detail that I got in Japan from doing the smallest, you know initiatives obviously delays the beginning of the project, but when the project is launched, then it's just absolutely fantastic. You know and you see how they have this ability, this discipline, this grit to do things with passion and repeating and improving and what they call the Kaizen. You know philosophy, you know small improvements, and that, for me, was formidable, you know. So, in spite of just trying to be a superhero and try to achieve great things very fast and grow very fast, I learned to take the time and also even think strategically as well. In Japan you have to go more strategic rather than just on the day-to-day. So for me, this is a good example.

George Stroumboulis: 12:39

Yeah, that's a great example. Was that strategy from corporate let's start here because they're like that or was just chance that you happen to start your career with Mandarin there With Four?

Raul Levis: 12:48

Seasons. Mandarin is a very different company when you compare to Four Seasons. First of all, when I joined, each hotel has a lot more independence the general manager in the property and I was not the general manager, but you have a lot more independence to build and to work on your ideas. And Mandarin Oriental is extremely strong on the food and beverage and spa sides as well. And I think this is a very different way of thinking from when I was with Four Seasons, which has a very strong core of learning and studying, but a lot of the decisions were a lot more centralized and I think Four Seasons also evolved on this the same way as Mandarin as well evolved to becoming to building a very strong core of the vision and the mission and the standards that we have even and grow into that.

Raul Levis: 13:40

So, but Tokyo, even due to my role because I don't speak Japanese fluently and when I started it was like 70% of the Japanese I had to step back from being more operational to look backwards and say, okay, let me just not try to fix right now, like a fireman, a specific issue right now. Let's step back, let's understand the whole arrival experience, let's understand the whole, you know, whatever area of the hotel that I need to learn a little bit more. So in Japan, whether I want it or not, you are required to be more strategic, mostly because you cannot be on the operations if you don't speak necessarily the language of a lot of the guests.

George Stroumboulis: 14:22

Exactly so how would you like I have my brand positioning of what Mandarin Oriental is right from the outside, looking in what I know the details? How would you describe to a potential guest who's never stayed here before, like why Mandarin Oriental versus other luxury brands?

Raul Levis: 14:41

Why Mandarin Oriental, not Costa Navarino, but Mandarin Oriental? Yeah, and then we'll get to Navarino.

George Stroumboulis: 14:43

I think Mandarin Oriental, not Costa Navarino, but Mandarin Oriental, yeah, and then we'll get to Navarino.

Raul Levis: 14:46

I think Mandarin Oriental in the past few years and even more recently now, really understood that the only way that we can continue to captivate and get more guests to come and stay with us is by being exceptional. I feel, especially during COVID, that there was this philosophy that was coming from the 90s and 2000s of the of being excessive in everything. So you give lots of amenities, you know everything was just giving too much of everything, but not really connecting and engaging with the guests and not providing really something that you engage and can create like an exceptional experience. And I think Mandarin understood that and I think you know luxury has been spread as a concept that everyone is now is calling themselves luxury. But I think for me and I was talking to you about it for me, the luxury part of Mandarin Oriental and this is what I try to transmit to the team here, and it is one of the examples you mentioned about receiving just a small honey because it was something from locally here- Exactly.

Raul Levis: 15:53

But is how can we truly engage with the guest, how can we create a bespoke experience for the guest so that he can truly love this and surprise the guest? How can we constantly be thinking about how can we make something exceptional and exceeding the guest's expectations? The second part of it is how can we build a team who can have an exceptional level of execution. And I can go back to Japan again as an example. In Japan you will never find flashy restaurants, lots of gold and, you know, trying to show off and trying to impress, it's the simplest restaurant that you have. But the chef in the restaurant is an artisan. He's been perfecting his trade or whatever he's doing for sometimes generations, not even like five or ten years, and he's totally dedicated to that as well. And that high level of execution is something that we praise a lot and we promote a lot, also here with Mandarin Oriental.

Raul Levis: 16:56

And the third part is a little bit of what I said about one of the successes here, which is collaboration for me, which for me is very rich as well, because you cannot operate on a silo inside the hotel as a department, you know, because the guests, when they come here, they don't say, ah, you know the bellman was a little bit slow, but the breakfast is great. You know, it's all about the whole hotel experience and there are many times where, uh, you know, the bellman suddenly gets super busy and we need to go and help the bellman as well. In the same way we need to help breakfast as well. But in general, the overall collaboration that I see in Mandarin Oriental I think this is the first very strong step from the home office, the corporate office, to other hotels, how we share best practices, how we go and visit and we can learn from them. I think this is also very rich, very You're a catalyst here, right?

George Stroumboulis: 17:51

So I want everyone to understand what entails what a GM does, right, like general manager of this property. Specifically like what does that entail? Because we've talked before on you know you'll come in and you're influencing design changes that you know from your experience. When, when the guest arrives, they shouldn't see this, they should be able to see this, and you're able to do that right down to. We were sitting before grabbing a coffee and you're like, oh, these chairs came here. Like just the level of detail where, from the outside looking in, I wouldn't imagine that you're down, you're so hyper focused. Which is very impressive is is that the norm or you just just programmed that way?

Raul Levis: 18:24

I love learning and I love what I do. I think so. So for me, I that's why I enjoy the opening, because I think you learn so much, not just from myself. So, just going back a little bit to your question again about you know what is my role here, what has been my role since the opening of the hotel? What I am not is a superman. I'm not the hero of the whole story here.

Raul Levis: 18:48

For me, I am, to a certain extent, like a maestro, you know, and my role here is to liaise with different parties, you know, from the owners to the development team, the construction team to building my own team here as well, to the corporate office, and making sure that everyone is communicating and that we have an alignment alignment in the vision and whatever we want to achieve. So I think this is the most important part of it, you know, because you need to understand what everyone is doing is an extremely complex. The process of opening a resort or a hotel is extremely complex, and that collaboration and that open communication and trust is one of the reasons why, you know, when we came here, together with the owners, we were able to open almost in just one year. It was a huge stretch, but we were always talking to each other, understanding each other and helping to make the best decision that would build the right hotel and the right resort for here. And I think this is extremely important because if it's very easy, because this is not happening, then I cannot do it. You know, let's stop that. You know, let's stop pretending, victimizing ourselves. Let's talk and discuss and find the best solution. I think this was an incredible environment and up until today, we're growing so much, with our current owners going to Athens building residences here very soon, so that collaboration and that partnership continues to be very, very strong as well With the team.

Raul Levis: 20:18

For me and we talked a little bit before but was about to finding the right attitude. First of all, the attitude is more important in most cases than having someone with a lot of experience, but also finding the talent, but finding not just talented people, but finding the talent inside each one. So I gave you two examples here. One was Chef Bertrand, who's extremely passionate about food. He loves to be in front of a camera. He is an incredible chef cooking Also in an administrative way.

Raul Levis: 20:58

He's also very, very strong and he's extremely well connected network on that. So how can I give him wings to grow and become the best of himself, right, and you know he came up now with this incredible program here. You know, today we have Maxime Joubert, michelin stars chef from Le Critour in Hong Kong, just here with us, and all these incredible collaborations as examples. He made us build a whole farm here. So in spite of bringing produce from Athens and from other areas, you know specifically, messina is a primary and agricultural region, so now we can build incredible tomatoes, incredible courgettes, incredible cucumbers here. Fruits, so you know, olives, don't forget the olives Come on.

Raul Levis: 21:45

You're going to get angry with me, but but you know he, he built on this. So now we don't, we don't even say like from farm to table is from the garden to the table. You know, is the closest that we can have for a sustainable solution and the quality of the produce here I mean, you know, cause you're also from, from the region a little bit so it's just absolutely fantastic.

George Stroumboulis: 22:07

On another level.

Raul Levis: 22:08

Yeah, and Nicole, who is my resort manager, now completely passionate about wines, and you know I know a little bit about wines, but not enough, you know. So, okay, how can we develop a wine program? And you know, nicole, together with our marketing team and our sommeliers and our head sommeliers, all helped to bring incredible wineries here Greek ones, but also international ones so that when the guest comes here, they will have all the authentic and real experiences that we have, but they also can have something a little bit more elevated if they choose to do so. Right, and yesterday we had a sold out event here and the guests were so happy to have this and it was an interactive experience, together with Chef Bertrand, chef Maxime Gilbert as well. It was absolutely amazing. So, basically, I need to be a catalyst for my team to make sure that they achieve these things.

George Stroumboulis: 23:02

Absolutely. We've known each other now going on three years, right, you've always been amazing. Even in the summer first time I wanted my wife and the kids come and experience see some of the work that we did. You've always been amazing. The team aspect, like we follow each other on social and everyone should first of all Mandarin Oriental, costa Navarino and Raul Levi L-E-V-i-s yeah, the collaboration and community. Like you, you're not just the boss here, right, even though and when I saw you today and we sat with your team, I was like my gosh, you were just on this crazy world tour with work and all this and the first thing you said was like yeah, but the team that I have here keeps things going while I'm away like it right away was like deflect praise and like not just say it, but you mean it, which is incredible to be able to do that and have a team and still upkeep this brand.

George Stroumboulis: 23:52

It's incredible. And on your socials and what you've started here, like uh, run with the GM, right, and it's it's kind of crazy that you've created this movement, that you, the facility is beautiful, people will come back because of the facility, but you and your team and creating this collaboration like you know what, I ran with the gm and we did this, and then the security guard and all that like you're creating this, this movement, right. Uh, you're swimming five kilometers out here and people are coming with you. Like it's kind of crazy what you're creating here. Talk to us about that, yeah, for me.

Raul Levis: 24:26

I mean the MO Running Club was something that I started. Everyone has their own passion and my passion is doing exercise, is mobility, but also promoting wellness and health for everyone. You know that I ran marathons and everything, but for me, if I can make one person walk one kilometer, I'm so happy about that because I know that I'm positively affecting someone, whether it's a guest or it's a colleague. And the MO Running Club started with this. I had no aspirations of grandiosity and we're not achieving that, but if I can influence one person at a time and last year we started with the program, there was an event here called Navarino Challenge and I think we had like 10, 15 people. This year we had the same event. We had already 30, 40 people.

Raul Levis: 25:19

And I go running with my security team. A lot of guests now know about me, so they ah, can I go and run with you? And for me it's just not just about the mobility, you know, but you know, as you said, that the area is so rich, there's so much history, there's so much beauty here. So you know, I take them to the golden beach and we go running. We do small runs, we don't need to do long runs. Some guests want to do longer runs but, you know, I can show them the lagoon, I can show them the Kila beach, I can show them the Palio Castro, I can show the golden beach with the pristine waters there, and so it's a very enriching for everyone at the end of the day. You know, and I think this is my passion the mobility and being able to share this and hopefully help some people to get into this habit, I think it's something that helped me a lot and I hope it will help other people.

George Stroumboulis: 26:10

Absolutely. It's a great movement, really quick about Voidoquilla Beach. I used to go there as a kid with my family in Calamata before it was known right Before these resorts were here and I remember going there and it was just always magical.

George Stroumboulis: 26:21

And then with my daughters, now we would come but I would always skip it because it was too touristy. Uh-huh, last summer I took them for the first time and they've been talking about it all year to go back to voidokilya. Just the way it's like. It's, it's magical. Did you do the hike? You should do the hike. I didn't, my wife's not a hiker and the kids are.

Raul Levis: 26:38

So there's different levels of hiking, okay, so there is some that are complicated, but the views from when you go hiking beyond the fact that you have Nestor's cave as well, okay, on the path as well, which is fascinating as well.

George Stroumboulis: 26:51

If I tell her there's a shopping mall up top, maybe I'll get her up there.

Raul Levis: 26:55

Well, there's a, there's a very interesting fact. So so Christopher Nolan was filming in this area his next movie Okay, I don't even know if I say this, but you know a lot of the footage and where he was filming was always, you know, like in Neo Castro, here in Pilos, in Paleo Castro, in Nostra Aesca. There's a lot of sites that will become very, very famous very soon. Is that good or bad for the area? I find that it's good because, as you can see, I mean we continue to have lots of greenery. It's a very sustainable growth that we're experiencing here.

Raul Levis: 27:30

So, there's no rush to create an over-tourism area. I think still, this is one of the best secrets you know, off the beaten path. I think the Europeans know us more, and Americans and other areas are slowly getting to come here and discover the beauty that you already mentioned to us. On top of the whole history of the area, which is extremely rich, you know, this one was one of the most important silk trade routes in the Prest and also the antique Greece. Yes, a lot of the most important sites are our base here. Ancient Mycenae is absolutely fantastic it really is. Olympia is an hour and a half from us, and all these castles Byzantine, venetian castles Metony Castle is fantastic, korony Castle as well. There's so much that people can come and discover here as well.

George Stroumboulis: 28:27

I mean, there's the tourism board right there. That's incredible.

Raul Levis: 28:30

I love here. I saw it yesterday, yeah.

George Stroumboulis: 28:31

But you even said here preserving the beauty. For anyone who hasn't seen photos or been here, the hotel is not just a hotel, a building, or it's 99. Suites and villas, only Suites, and villas in the mountain. So when you're out at the water looking back which we're looking here, here you don't realize it, but when you're on the water it's blended in. The design is incredible. Most of these villas Talk to us specifically about the property Of course, I will talk a little bit about the vision.

Raul Levis: 29:08

I mean, first of all, the kudos on this needs to be given to Temes, to our owners, and also K-Studio and Tombazes and Associates, which were the architecture creators for this. The whole resort was based in three key pillars. The first one was the views, and unfortunately not everyone can see, but we have these amazing views of the bay here, which are absolutely stunning. So wherever you are in the resort, or most places in the resort, or all the villas, all the suites, they have direct views of the bay. The second one was privacy. So what we wanted to do was to make sure that no one was walking in front of you and that you have your complete privacy when you're staying here. You're staying in a very exclusive place and a lot of our guests they really prefer to have a lot of privacy as well. The views I'm just going back again, sorry, but talking a little bit about thinking about the details. So when they were creating the vision here was that you know, when we look at the resort from the sky, we almost wouldn't notice this, and when someone is staying on our villas, our earth sheltered villas with landscape rooftops that they just seeing almost like the mountain itself or like the hill going down with minimum construction. So this was the level of importance of us in protecting that every guest, when they are here, they are looking at a clean view and not, you know, construction, construction, construction on that as well.

Raul Levis: 30:28

And the last part was space. You know all our hotel is built on on on much oversized uh rooms. We only have suites and we only have villas, which also gives the luxury of of. You know you can be in a beach club and you're laying down by the beach. You know you don't have like three or four people just next to you and you know you're not sharing anything with the other family, unless you would like to do that, you know. But every area in the resort has been over-dimensioned to provide this additional space, which for me, is an incredible luxury that we are allowed to have.

George Stroumboulis: 31:04

Well and comfortable and you go out, and so was it designed because of the type of clients that come here want the privacy, or was it you know what I mean? Because a lot of people that come here are high profile, wealthy, absolutely.

Raul Levis: 31:17

Absolutely yeah. If we receive musicians, football players, they may talk, and they normally send Instagrams that they stayed here, okay, but during their stay, especially with their families, they want complete privacy. They want complete anonymity and that's, I think, one of the reasons why a lot of these guests like to stay at Mandarin Oriental because they work super hard all the time, they are constantly in the media. They need to have their time off. So we are the time off of these artists, football players and everyone famous that comes to enjoy our resort.

George Stroumboulis: 31:58

Which is exhausting, right If you're famous, and constantly. I know there's privacy and certain things, but of the people that have posted in our public what some famous people actors, business people that have come here, can you share some names um?

Raul Levis: 32:12

not many not many okay, but uh, for privacy reasons. But um, I think mo sala stayed here with us last year. You know was the best player, not for liverpool. On the title now playing with team micas.

George Stroumboulis: 32:23

Who's?

Raul Levis: 32:23

yeah, exactly yeah so so, but we have a lot of them, yeah, and and you know they prefer to keep a low key and we have to respect and you have to respect absolutely uh, when people are coming here, it's not exactly.

George Stroumboulis: 32:38

You can't just fly in and get here. But Kalamata is getting pop more popular right with flights from around the world, from around Europe. Is that a hard selling point for people coming here, where it's like land in Athens? Go to the Aegean.

Raul Levis: 32:50

Now you know you got to start training people to go, either drive three hours Peloponnes, so has that been a struggle and as I mentioned to you, and I was just traveling now I was in Dubai, I was in Sao Paulo, I was in Miami on these trips and I think the Peloponnese, in terms of ultra luxury in Greece, is one of the areas that is most being developed. Now we are the newest resort here, but in the next few years in the Peloponnese you're gonna have Four Seasons, six Senses, water Fastoria. Everyone is coming to this area.

George Stroumboulis: 33:19

Down in Avadino.

Raul Levis: 33:21

Not in Avadino, no, in the whole Peloponnese and between Porto Heli and all the free areas there. But this area, I think, is growing incredibly. It still maintains the original authenticity. You're not just stuck inside the resort here. There's all these small villages. You can go to Yalova, you can go to Pilos, you can still try a traditional Greek taverna, and I think this area is one of the areas that is growing the most.

Raul Levis: 33:48

And I think Kalamata Airport is a huge catalyzing opportunity that has been growing for the past 12, 13 years and at the end of this season, fraport is taking over, privatizing the airport, and the airport is going to be expanded. It would also allow for more private jets and I think this is going to be incredibly beneficial to the whole Kalamata region, not just for Costa Navarino, but I think the whole region will incredibly benefit from this, and it's already very well connected. I mean, kalamata Airport is already extremely busy now and it's connected to the major cities, important cities in Europe. I think people just slowly need to discover and this education, not in Europe. Europe is a very well known and all the Europeans already discovered here, but especially in the US, in some areas in the Middle East, even in Asia. I think this is the newest area that's going to be coming, you know, the next very trendy and hot area here, but with a sustainable and controlled growth, I think, without exaggerating on what needs to be built here.

George Stroumboulis: 34:57

Yeah, I find again having family from here in Evia coming here. It makes sense, right, you have the beaches here. You could go over to Stupa stupa, cardamili like everything within an hour and a half.

George Stroumboulis: 35:07

It's incredible. You feel like you're on an island, right. But I have several friends back home some greek americans, canadians, some just americans and it's like I'm kind of nervous what if we don't like it right? We'd rather go to athens and go to like a noxious and this and that, and I have a few friends that have come down and stayed there for the first time and just absolutely loved it, but I feel it's going to take some training for it to be mainstream. And the other thing with connectivity, I know there's a new company called Flyhopper, so they're making it much more accessible with helicopters at very affordable prices, and then they're creating a seaplane network for all of Greece, where are they Okay?

George Stroumboulis: 35:45

So I know a gentleman who's been trying for over a decade. Now there's another company, but basically they're trying to get through legislation where seaplanes you can't go from Athens, you know, to Thessaloniki, but 20 minute flights you could get there and it makes total sense for a country like this.

Raul Levis: 36:00

Well, we're collaborating. Flyhopper is one of the companies that we collaborate here. Okay, so they're going to start to come here. They also want to have flights between Kalamata and the resort as well. Whatever way guests can get here faster, I think it's an incredible opportunity. So, yeah, flyhopper, we've been talking to them, yeah, and they are one of the not partners, but the companies that we are suggesting for our guests to use amongst three different suppliers that we have.

George Stroumboulis: 36:32

That's amazing, and I have no shares in Flyhopper.

Raul Levis: 36:33

I've just heard of it.

George Stroumboulis: 36:35

When you were first, when they were planning, you started seeing the designs. How early on did you get involved before you actually were part of turning the key and opening this place?

Raul Levis: 36:44

It was. I came one year before, so the architecture and the overall vision was already created. My role as a general manager and supporting Mandarin Oriental was more in assisting with the interior design and also with the functional setup. You know of the kitchens and the spa and which equipment to have or not, and you had input on all those elements.

George Stroumboulis: 37:14

I did, I did, that's incredible, I did. And dealing with again designers.

Raul Levis: 37:18

I was a great listener on this whole process, I have to say, because from our owners, you know they have incredibly talented people, the developers as well. Our corporate team is also incredible and I was just giving my functional perspective understanding from a functional perspective, more than design oh, I like the drapes to be red, I wouldn't say that, but from a functional perspective I think this would be my best contribution to that. But it was a great listener. I learned so much in this process. That's incredible.

George Stroumboulis: 37:48

So chapters right, you're at this property. You've been here. You're developing Is part of the model. You move on to another property Like how does that?

Raul Levis: 37:56

It depends on each general manager. In this case, and as you progress in your career as a general manager, your responsibility in general is to stay longer in the same place. For me, my vision of a general manager is that you can contribute into a new property or an existing property for a number of years, but at the same time, I always find very healthy to change the general manager, because you come with good habits, great ideas, but after you know three, four or five years, I think it's important to renovate the leadership as well. Bring someone new, someone with different ideas, different focus, maybe a different passion.

Raul Levis: 38:44

Maybe you know I'm all running club it's not going to stay here for long. Hopefully it will. That can, can add value. That you know. After a certain number of years maybe it's not the same thing, but I feel that this is all. Every year that I have been here is is an opening. There's so many, so many things happening. You know we're just having calls recently with the owners and with our corporate team about the new residences that we're going to be launching very soon here.

George Stroumboulis: 39:09

All right. Is that going to be on the back property?

Raul Levis: 39:10

It's going to be on the back and around the golf course, overlooking the bay as well. So not touching the golf course. Not touching the golf course. No, no, no, no, which is incredible for the listeners.

George Stroumboulis: 39:20

The golf course goes right up to the ocean. Yeah, Like the golf course goes right up to the ocean.

Raul Levis: 39:26

Yeah, like I don't know, is that the 18th hole? Whatever it is, it's the 18th hole, um, and the 18th hole goes back to the clubhouse because you have to finish but you have to finish back there you have the whole bay and then the whole.

Raul Levis: 39:35

You know it's a very long part. So, yeah, you, you get there and you know. Costa navarra, as you know, for me, is the best golf destination in in the whole of europe and one of the best in the world. We have four championship golf courses here and it's absolutely fantastic. And we're blessed to have probably the most beautiful one, at least maybe not the most challenging, which is just by the sea, and it's absolutely fantastic.

George Stroumboulis: 39:58

And world renowned. Now right.

Raul Levis: 39:59

Yes, yeah.

George Stroumboulis: 40:00

Greece in the last. What 10 years went from basically a couple of golf courses in Athens like that to top. Just absolutely incredible. Exactly you, a golfer.

Raul Levis: 40:10

I'm a terrible golfer, unfortunately Got to get practicing. I'm more on the swimming, I'm on the running. I think I can do better playing football. I can do that Golf. I need to practice a bit more.

George Stroumboulis: 40:19

You need to practice a bit.

Raul Levis: 40:20

And I wouldn't mind doing it here.

George Stroumboulis: 40:24

I wouldn't mind doing it here. I've just been so busy. But yeah, I mean that's motivation.

Raul Levis: 40:26

I'm not a golfer either that's motivation to want to learn right.

George Stroumboulis: 40:28

And get out there. When you were looking, you lived in major cosmopolitan cities right Busy, bustling right.

Raul Levis: 40:34

Just chaos.

George Stroumboulis: 40:35

And then you come here, which is a total 180 shift. When you first came here and you're like, okay, I'm going to move here, right. Like what were the, the cons, the negatives of? Like oh my god, this is going to be tough? And then, what were the like?

Raul Levis: 40:47

your initial reaction yeah, I, you know, I lived, as I mentioned to you, I lived in in, in tokyo, I live in san paulo, I live in london, I lived in paris, barcelona, miami. When I came here the first time I was shocked like, oh my god, how long am I gonna last here? But again, it's, it's how you, you know, if, if life brings you, and it's a fantastic experience, you know, life brings you lemon, you make lemonade. But for me, it's about you adapting yourself and finding things that excite you here, right, and even in the winter, which is more quiet, you know we have a seasonal hotel. I love being here, I go and I meet a lot of the colleagues that during the winter they are working on their olive groves.

Raul Levis: 41:28

There's just one taverna open in Pilos or one in Yalova, and we all meet there and we're playing pool and having fun, and there's a fireplace lit and we just have, you know, a fantastic Greek salad and some souvlaki, and there's nothing better than that. And if I to have fun, it's just a mindset. Again, you know, I can go to Athens. Athens is very vibrant, has everything, and I can also go travel to London, I can travel to Barcelona. Wherever I want to go. It's, it's very close by as well absolutely really quick.

George Stroumboulis: 41:57

You said food, greek food. Uh, out of all the different cuisines in the world, like what? What are your top foods? Oh, that's so difficult, you're gonna get some cultures mad here yeah so first is greek. What second no?

Raul Levis: 42:12

yeah, I always say this. Like you know, I I became very disciplined in my life as life took me. So I have an incredibly I always say that I have an incredibly exciting and boring life, but I truly love the Greek food for the simplicity and the quality of the produce that you have here and also you're eating, you know, great meat, or the souvlaki grilled chicken. You know, two days ago I was in Maratopolis. We had a six kilo fish, which was absolutely amazing, and the salads that you have here during the season. So Greek definitely comes as my every day-to-day food. I'm never tired, you know, of eating Greek food.

Raul Levis: 42:56

Japanese food is absolutely amazing and how they prepare it. The only thing is that once you leave Japan, to find proper Japanese food is a curse. You can never find the same quality everywhere. But um, yeah, I don't know if I have um and and, being from brazil, having lived in argentina as well, I love barbecues, you know, yeah, and we have a great barbecue taking place here which I absolutely adore. So, um, I don't, I wouldn't say I have, like one favorite. I mean the japanese food for me, the variety, because it's not just sushi, as people think. There's so much more in Japanese food. I think it was the biggest variety and quality of execution that I found. But on my day to day, to feel nourished and feel a great quality of healthy food, I love the Greek food as well, but I can never say no to a barbecue.

George Stroumboulis: 43:44

You can't say no to a barbecue. A little bit of more Brazilian blood as well. Absolutely, mentors, right? So throughout your career, whether it's in the industry or not, who were your mentors where you're like, wow, I learned a lot. Do you still try to learn from other people? And then, after that, I want to talk about you being a mentor to like future generations, you know learning for me, is the most important thing.

Raul Levis: 44:09

I do a lot of like psychological tests and one of the things that comes that is the strongest on me is the need for change. So I always need to change. I can never be like not in this about the same place, but being becoming on like a routine that I'm not learning or growing on something. So I read a lot. I love reading as well, and a lot of mentors shaped my life. Right now I have Robert Lowy, who's my area vice president, who has a very different personality than mine, but he has an incredible coach to me, calming me down when it's necessary, asking me tough questions when it's necessary, but mostly nurturing and supporting me and my decisions. I think that's fantastic. I had Greg Liddell, who's now in Hong Kong as well Incredible expectations, very demanding but incredibly supportive. Incredible expectations, very demanding but incredibly supportive. You know, like if we go on the same train at a very high speed but delivering and, you know, and actually having a lot of fun with him and with Four Seasons I had an incredible man, two incredible mentors. One is Ivan Go, who's still working, and he's been a mentor for many, for many hoteliers and he's very a mentor for many hoteliers and he's very well known for that and I'm eternally grateful to still remain in contact with him. And the other one is Felix Murillo, who is now in Mexico, who really, at a certain point in my career, we followed, like in two or three hotels in a row, that we were working together. But the best human you can have and also someone who deeply cares about the team and I was in a point in my career where I was trying to understand the politics of growing into a more executive level but at the same time not losing faith and track of the team, you know, which is so important and I always remember that. He said you know, ro, take care of the team and the rest will come. And so I think these four people have been very relevant in my career. And you know, as you said, if I can just continue, you know my role is to develop people. You know, the same way you know I'm doing with Nicole, with Bertrand.

Raul Levis: 46:33

I think my success is not. My success is that making people successful. If people are successful, then I'm going to be successful. That's my number one philosophy in terms of leadership. I have a few more. My second one is about creating an environment, wherever I go, of learning and I say this because this is very important A hotel every day. You have thousands of interactions every day taking place. It's impossible that there's not going to be a miscommunication a mistake made, someone didn't write down things, so mistakes will happen, even though we try to be always the best hotel in the world. For me, the best hotel in the world is to understand that we make mistakes. What can we learn? And then continue to elevate ourselves. So creating this space where making mistakes is acceptable, first of all, is very entrepreneurial in a way, because we can try things, but at the same time, for me, it reduces this anxiety, because when people join Mandarin Oriental, they are nervous, and so for me, this is also very, very important. Sorry, I missed that. Who's?

George Stroumboulis: 47:45

nervous, so for me this is also very, very important.

Raul Levis: 47:46

Sorry, I missed that. Who's nervous Every?

Raul Levis: 47:47

colleague when they join Mandarin Oriental, they're like I'm joining the best hotel chain or one of the best hotel chains in the world. I think I have to be perfect and I tell them and especially during the opening, I said team, first of all, we did three weeks of simulation. We normally do three weeks of simulation because I said no, this is the time that I want everyone to make mistakes and celebrate the mistakes. All we need to do is talk about the mistakes and learn and iterate so that we can get into the level that, when our first guest comes, we're ready to go.

Raul Levis: 48:19

And they are very nervous about that, of course, and for me it's very important that I calm it down. I said you will make mistakes and for me it's very important that I calm it down. I said you will make mistakes, don't worry about it. I know you'll make mistakes. I make mistakes. Let's just learn about it, you know. So, if you make mistakes, there's a guest that is upset, let's go and talk to the guest and I think this is incredibly empowering and builds confidence in people and ultimately, you need to be a confidence builder.

Raul Levis: 48:44

The third thing for me is about, again, that everything changes, you know. So at the end of last season, you know, we got our first. On our first year, we got Forbes five star for the hotel. Wow, so incredible achievement. Okay, did we reach the peak? No, we're just starting. Okay, what are we going to think for next year? That's going to make a difference, that's going to make us exceptional.

Raul Levis: 49:05

And also, I, I always have that advertisement of the, the imac, when it was launched, you know, and you know, like 1984, you know, remember the whole thing. So I I look at that time, at the first imac, and I was like, wow, it looks amazing. You cannot get better than that. But you look every year, you know apple has been always changed. So I always show that picture so that people can see that you know things continue to evolve and they need to evolve, otherwise we are out of the game immediately, absolutely. And the last thing for me is about, you know, collaboration, having a one team, that we always help each other, because together we are much stronger than if we go alone. I always say, like you know, if everyone is rowing in a different direction, the boat doesn't move, you know. So we all need to move in the same direction.

George Stroumboulis: 49:50

On that, which is just great leadership on your part. What is the like? The Oscars of a hotel, like you said, forbes five-star. What's the pinnacle Like? Okay, we're being recognized worldwide. What I don't, is it Condé Nast. Like what is it?

Raul Levis: 50:05

I think Forbes became a lot more stricter, not just with the service, but also with the quality of the equipment that we have. So you know we are putting a lot of effort into that. But it's what I always say, you know. It's what I always say, you know, for me, the last guest in the resort will tell me whether I am the best or the worst in the business.

George Stroumboulis: 50:33

Gotcha.

Raul Levis: 50:34

So we cannot focus on. You know the accolades are very important and we get you know hot list best hotel in Condé Nast travel and leisure. You know we're constantly being mentioned, but this is a recognition for the effort that we need to make with every single guest. So for me, the next guest checking out is going to tell me whether I'm the best hotel in the world or I have a lot of things to improve as well.

George Stroumboulis: 50:55

That's great. You're only as good as your last review yeah, that's great, exactly. So the saying everyone knows is customers always right, right, customers in every business. We say that how do you handle when the customer is not always right? Like obviously there's going to be complaints, where you're like there's certain expectations that are not realistic, right? How do you handle that?

Raul Levis: 51:15

Yeah, I would say that 99% of our guests are very fair when something doesn't go right, are very fair when something doesn't go right and they're trying to help us 99%. There is a 1% that is not In general. When I have to talk to these guests, first of all I always have to give the benefit of the doubt and very few times I have to say, okay, we're not crossing anymore on this, but I prefer not to anymore on this. Yeah, but you know, I prefer not to focus on the guests this one percent or this half a percent but focus again on what can I learn? You know what is this guest saying?

Raul Levis: 51:56

that that he felt that the experience was not as good as his expectation was, because the guest, ultimately, is the one that sets the expectations of what they would like to have it here right right and and I think that's much more productive and and, and you know, inspiring in the long term for me yeah, absolutely, when you're like, from a guest standpoint again, this is a different clientele than your average.

George Stroumboulis: 52:19

Um, just so the listeners understand. The mandarin oriental costa navarino is, uh, the most South resort of like the group. Right, the W hotel is across the street, right, yes, a few kilometers up, then it's like the Westin and the luxury collection, yeah.

Raul Levis: 52:34

The luxury connection, yeah.

George Stroumboulis: 52:35

So when people even my nephew, who's off camera right now he's like I thought it was just one area I'm like no, that's the area. There's a lot of confusion, right. So I just want to make that clear from an employee standpoint, you know, from a guest standpoint, what's advice that you would give employees out of all the hotels you worked at on how to treat the staff, the colleagues, right that work there from the, the bus.

George Stroumboulis: 52:59

Uh, the person picking up the dishes helping you your room to the GM, talking to you Like what are some tips? Cause a lot of the dishes helping you in your room to the GM talking to you Like what are some tips? Because a lot of the times you know, I see it too in my travels where people are just dismissive because this person's only doing this type of role and like what advice would you give people who are staying somewhere?

Raul Levis: 53:16

I would use someone who hasn't been a mentor but who I admire the most, which is, you know, isidore Sharp from Four Seasons. And, and it's the golden rule you know, treat others like you'd like to be treated. But what I tell, uh, on the first day, when all colleagues come here, I always explain this, uh, this to to them. And I learned this actually from from another general manager, from mandarin oriento, andy abram. He opened at a certain point, I think, the Burj Al Arab, you know, which was the most luxurious six star and everything else.

Raul Levis: 53:48

And I tell the team I want I know that we have the most expensive, one of the most expensive hotels here, one of the most luxurious properties here. But the number one rule for me here and it's for all of us and whoever comes to the hotel, whether they are coming to collect the trash or rubbish we need to be the friendliest hotel in the whole world, nothing less than that. So I want everyone treated with the uttermost respect and care. So that's the number one. The second thing that I say is that you know we always need to be the exception, we need to go the extra mile. So, for example, this Friday we had the colleague dining and we did a Spanish day, so you know, we had the tortilla, we had a paella, we had ice cream for the team as well. You know so doing these little things not just to the guests, you know, but how can we bring the same thing to the colleagues? Next week is a wellness day For the colleagues With the colleagues.

George Stroumboulis: 54:45

Yeah, Okay, great.

Raul Levis: 54:46

It's for the whole world. The guests can also participate. But you know so we're doing a lot of activities beach volleyball, running, massage for the colleagues as well. So you know we do a care of the guests the same way. And the third thing is always about collaboration. Let's not create an inhospitality. Unfortunately, this is very strong. Departments create silos. We're all one team. So, even with people and cultural human resources, we're trying to develop new systems where even someone works in front office, but we create some sort of like a Harry Potter, like the different. How do you call the houses?

George Stroumboulis: 55:37

No, the houses.

Raul Levis: 55:38

But you bring someone from front office, you bring someone from food and beverage and you create a different group dynamic where different people, not from the same department, can can can be part of the same team. So by doing this, uh, you, you ended up, uh, you know, creating a better, a better. You know culture of collaboration in the, in the resort, absolutely, but how?

George Stroumboulis: 55:58

do you deal with colleagues that are just not a fit in the team over the years not just here, right, but like over the years? Clearly you have leadership, you have what you're trying to create, but if it's a bad apple or it's just not a fit, how?

Raul Levis: 56:11

quickly. Working in a luxury property like ours is more difficult than working in most of the other hotels, and I always tell the team because here we cannot just come and do a fast and great check-in. Every time we need to think, okay, what else can I do for the guest that will make it special? And that requires a higher level of engagement and giving it away. And this is not for everyone. In general, the way we handle colleagues that are not a fit, first of all we need to go through a process where we give feedback to them and we explain and we try to coach them to improve, and in most cases I think it's the same way.

Raul Levis: 56:59

There's always that 1% or that 0.5% which can be more complicated, but in general they adjust back because they want to succeed and if not, they are honest with themselves. They say, okay, this is not for me, right? I don't, we're doing. We're picking up a car in the driveway. We don't pick up a car, we need to clean the windshield because the gas probably drove from Athens to here or from Kalamata, mosquito. So everything we need to think what is next? We need to give water to the gas.

Raul Levis: 57:30

We think always about the next step for them and they ended up saying, raul, this is not for me, I just prefer to come pick up the car, drive the car to the gas, get a tip and I'm happy with that. Sorry, this is not who we are, and I totally understand where you are and you know you have different choices or we tried sometimes to find different things, but I personally prefer much more to find team members that wants to grow and, in terms of mentorship that you mentioned, this is the. This is the biggest reward I have in my life after, you know, with the movement is putting people in positions that are not so comfortable and allow them to try and shine and grow. And you see these people now in different positions, in hospitality, in hotels, and getting into very high positions, and I think this is the most rewarding part.

George Stroumboulis: 58:18

For you seeing that like giving that person the chance where yeah, that's incredible and talking, catching up with them.

Raul Levis: 58:24

You know I talk to people in the US, in Europe. I mean, I've been everywhere and I'm not going to call like we're best friends, because you know the distance doesn't not allow for that. But it's when you meet them is almost as if you've been. You know that, um, that friendship that stayed together for a long time, you know, so it's, it's a great feeling but but it shows too like I saw you in new york a few months ago.

George Stroumboulis: 58:49

You were there and you're with the team there and it's just. It seems like this colleague, brotherhood, you know, camaraderie, uh, it's incredible. How do you deal with like negative reviews, like today we're in 2025, 15 years ago wasn't a big thing Online reviews right now. It's. I found a hair like anyone can type anything and the reader immediately assumes that it's facts right. So it's like I find people are on eggshells now just dealing with reviews, especially in hospitality.

Raul Levis: 59:21

Yeah.

George Stroumboulis: 59:21

Like how do you personally deal with it? And then, as a brand, how do you handle it?

Raul Levis: 59:26

Yeah, I think we need to be open and we need to be open to listen. So I always invite for a personal conversation. So if you leak any TripAdvisor and thankfully ours is one of the top as well but if someone didn't have a positive opinion of us, I write to them and say please do contact me, because we will do anything to regain your trust in our resort, in our company.

George Stroumboulis: 59:52

you personally get that involved? I do, of course.

Raul Levis: 59:55

Okay, wow, I do, I do, I do. I talk to many guests here and, as I said, we we make mistakes. There's nothing you know.

Raul Levis: 1:00:02

If you think that you're perfect is exactly your downfall, you know if humans are involved, yeah, exactly so I prefer not to dwindle too much on this one case or second case where people are clearly abusing, because it's very rare and you know, even like you know this, isn't that not nothing really really happened and really focus.

Raul Levis: 1:00:22

Okay, what can I learn from this guest, what perspective he has, that I didn't pay attention enough that I can learn? So for me it's about keeping the communication open, and what do I need to do to show the guest that we care and that we can provide a better experience? And I promise you this whoever you interview in hospitality, they will tell you that your most loyal customers are the people that always started with a complaint, because then you start meeting a manager and then the manager apologizes and turns the situation around, creates a personal connection and turns the situation around, creates a personal connection and then, when, every time the person comes to the resort or to the hotel, ah, I know who you are, we'll take care of it, we'll prepare your room the way you want it and that you know, create the loyalty that we see in many guests that come to Mandarin and to any other hotel.

George Stroumboulis: 1:01:17

That's a great point. You feel like you're being heard.

Raul Levis: 1:01:19

Yeah.

George Stroumboulis: 1:01:26

As long as you're reasonable, right, like you feel, like you're being heard Exactly, you stay. You know, in tune with industry trends, news, you're at different trade shows around the world, like you're connected. What's going on with AI in the hospitality space, like I know? This is more human interaction in that touch. But then you have, you know, more casual, low budget hotels, where I'm sure they're trying to implement it more, and kiosks to check in. But how are you using the technology?

Raul Levis: 1:01:46

I think AI and technology in general, the way I see it, it needs to be an enabler for a personal interaction. So the way I want to see the technology is you know how can I make the bureaucratic part of a check-in faster so that my team member can spend more time planning an itinerary by understanding the guests and create a bespoke itinerary for the guests? So for me, this is what I see, but I think AI in general will deeply continue to affect us in all types, in everything that we do now, and I think hospitality will benefit from there in a lot of things that can be developed by AI, but mostly repetitive things that on a guest experience, does not necessarily add value. So this is what I see, but the AI scope and how machines are learning is so dramatic right now that I'm looking to see what it is. It has a potential for incredible benefits, even like on health and longevity and finding cures, but for me, what I take from there is not a cost-cutting exercise, is how it helps me to engage better with the guests.

George Stroumboulis: 1:03:10

That's how I take that Absolutely, and whatever we're seeing and talking about today, one year from now, two years from now, we don't know where it's going. Just think, in the last two years, what happened with AI and how quickly it's progressed it's it's insane how quick it's going.

George Stroumboulis: 1:03:24

So greece last year surpassed 40 million tourists, which is the highest it's ever received ever and it just it's on track to beat the record again this year and it's just growing. Hotels are popping up everywhere. You see development. A lot of the clients we call on in athens like just hotel after hotel gree from a hospitality standpoint. They always talk about philoxenia and Greeks are known for hospitality, but luxury hospitality Greeks are not known over the years for, like luxurious hospitality. It's always hospitable, that extra touch. But you're seeing in Athens maybe it was like the Grand Britannia and then the Hilton was like the more expensive hotels, maybe Mykonos. Now down here, Is there a growing demand from your experience for luxury travel in Greece For?

Raul Levis: 1:04:11

me absolutely Absolutely. I think if you compare, especially on the ultra luxury area, which is where I work the most and I have the most knowledge, I think there is an incredible opportunity for growth and we can see already the hotels coming and I already mentioned them, beyond the fact that we just opened Mandarin Oriental here two years ago. But if you compare, virtuoso is one of the consortia which has the ultra luxury hotels In Italy. I believe there is like 180 to 200 Virtuoso properties. Here. In Greece there's only 64.

Raul Levis: 1:04:55

So you can just imagine, you know, like the coastline that we have here in Greece is absolutely stunning, these areas that still have so much authenticity and so much space as well. You know, because you know you have a resort here with plenty of space. You know where in Greece. You know you go to Portofino or you go to Amalfi. You know a lot more tight there sometimes with the Italian Riviera there, compared to what we have here. So I think the space is completely open. I think Greece strived a lot with a lot of family, independent hotels which are equally important and equally great on the ultra luxury. You know, and two years ago the number one hotel, top number one hotel in the world was Passalacqua, which is a family-owned hotel in Italy with 23 rooms. So it's not one or the other. I think the hotel groups have a space here to continue to bring and this is just going to continue to benefit overall here in Greece with the growth of the tourism market, which is so important for the economy here.

George Stroumboulis: 1:05:59

Yeah, is Mandarin Oriental. The strategy is to always have colleagues from around the world, because, again, I've only been to this property but there's colleagues from everywhere versus, like, everyone is from Greece, from the area. Is that the strategy? We?

Raul Levis: 1:06:12

grew a lot on that. So, for example, you're talking about when I met my colleagues in New York, so when our property closed. Right now we are sending around 60 to 70 colleagues to help other properties. So they continue working with Mandarin Oriental, they go to a second property. So culturally, they become a lot more engaged with Mandarin Oriental and continue to learn and I think everyone is just seeing the benefits of that. Absolutely For me, I'm not going to say I was one, one of the pioneers, but I was one of the first people to to start traveling so much and opening so much, so many hotels. And it's the one of the most important things this, this, this cross-pollination, these exchange of ideas and meeting people from different hotels. You know, if you want to create something special, yeah, total side note.

George Stroumboulis: 1:06:58

Yeah, uh, when we were in the lobby and we were sitting down, we were were waiting again, it just it blows my mind, like there was a special guest coming and you're like, excuse me, I have to go help with them. Come in, you get that involved too, like from check-ins and everything. I love that, you love that yeah.

Raul Levis: 1:07:15

I love, and this is what Mandarin is focusing more and more. You know, in spite of having like, bigger hotels with 300 rooms, you know we, in spite of having bigger hotels with 300 rooms, we have 99 rooms here. Our guests stay for five days, for a week, for two weeks. I love going and meeting the guests at breakfast. Helping them is always the itinerary, but always keeping that connection and for me it's almost like meeting a friend and inviting them to my home. That's how I feel it and for me it's extremely nourishing. I'm both extroverted and introverted when I'm talking to the guests in breakfast on arrival. For me, I'm getting so much energy from these guests and then I go home or I go for my runs, which is my introverted side yeah, exactly, and.

Raul Levis: 1:07:59

I have the yin and yang on both sides as well.

George Stroumboulis: 1:08:01

But that's not easy to have to be on. And then there's high profile people coming in and big expectations and you're the face of it. You just showed up to this beautiful property and now I have to be on, raul, and I have to engage and ask and make sure the wife and the kids and I mean that's.

Raul Levis: 1:08:16

This is the beauty of hospitality. This is what hospitality is all about at the end of the day. There's so many check-ins, so many hotels, so many rooms and you have so many interactions which are completely impersonal that don't add any value. It's just about giving you the keys and getting your credit card. That, when you have that opportunity and this is what I think Mandarin Oriental enables our colleagues to do and I think if they are happy about something is the fact that they can be their own best as well Not just myself Is that really creates the space for us to be able to have that quality of interaction. This is what we are about. As a hotelier, this is what I love the most, and I deeply love the strategic part of it as well. But these daily meetings with the, with the, with the guests, is absolutely.

George Stroumboulis: 1:09:04

It nurtures me for you and that's why you're great at what you do, and we were talking before about blue zones right around the world and health, and you know one of them, aside from food and exercise, and the obvious is that interaction with humans, of course, right, and just getting that daily interaction, exactly. So a couple more questions. You've been incredible with the time.

Raul Levis: 1:09:22

Thank you.

George Stroumboulis: 1:09:23

Appreciate it. I want to talk just about employees in Greece, like dealing like with the region. There's a class difference, right? And then I want to talk about family, too, right?

George Stroumboulis: 1:09:33

Because you're a family guy. You're very involved, met your daughters like they're on great paths. So in Greece, right you have the workforce. This is a luxury hotel. There's local communities Like this. Hotel is situated between Pilo and Yalova and all these villages. Is there any animosity? Is there any negative connotation, like negative from oh, it's luxury. Or the employees don't get paid as much I can?

Raul Levis: 1:10:01

only tell the story that I've heard about the other properties because they set the example in this case. You know the, the luxury collection, the westin and and even the w. So when they decided to open the first two properties here, in spite of doing what would be expected you know, let's find people with experience we're opening a new, you know 700, 800 rooms in the other two properties. The first thing that they came and this talks about genuine real, like sustainability solutions they went into Pilos Yalova, I think, was very small town, but they went to Cargalhani all the small towns and they invited the community to come to the city hall and say if you're interested in working in hospitality, come and talk to us and we'll see if there is something that you can do in the hotel and see if we can find a job for you. And they pledged since the beginning to have 70% of the local community hired here.

Raul Levis: 1:11:00

And, yeah, it takes time to develop the community and to get into a certain level, but for me this is one of the friendliest communities overall and for me, this was one of the reasons I decided to come to Greece as well, because you meet with all the executives and everyone and everyone talks very well about the company and everything else, but I remember that I was in a taxi and I went to Yalova and I just decided to talk to some of the people, the local villagers, and they were so proud of the hotels and the resorts here in the region. It was like there's something different in the water here or something different here that I haven't seen in many places this level of engagement and appreciation for a hotel that is literally transformed the whole region here literally.

Raul Levis: 1:11:47

Yeah, absolutely yeah, so for me, there is no, I haven't seen animosity at all. Um, there's a huge demand. So you know, once you work at the mandarin oriental, everyone is wants to take you to work in other hotels. But this is part of growth for them as well and it's their. They are thinking if they want to grow and go into different you know different hotels, they get a supervisor job if they're line staff. You know this is part of the growth that that I'm happy to see that, uh, that as well. But you know, ultimately, every year you know last year we were able to bring almost 67% of the we have seasonal colleagues 67% of the team came back. Wow, and for me this is an incredible victory of the whole team to show that. You know they can choose any job, any island, they can go to different places.

Raul Levis: 1:12:37

But they chose to come back here, yeah, and for me this is another hiring principle that I have, and I tell them if you come in here for a job, you don't have to stay. If you're looking for a career, even if you don't get promoted, because you're happy where you are, we will try to help you develop as much as possible and give you the best conditions so that you can continue to strive and build a family and do whatever you want here. So there's not a perfect science on this because, again, this is a lot of humans, but I think the setup that was created here in Costa Navarino is amazing, I have to say.

George Stroumboulis: 1:13:13

I didn't even know half the stuff you said. That's incredible. You said 67% came back. That's of seasonal employees, Correct? So what's something normal Like? Is it usually 50?

Raul Levis: 1:13:25

or I don't know, the other properties also get similar numbers. So I think, you know, I think we're all doing an incredible job here and people trust us as a hotel and again, we're not perfect no one is perfect but they see that we're doing effort and, hopefully, that we're learning from the mistakes that we make on the path and, you know, as as we continue to grow. Yeah, absolutely yeah.

George Stroumboulis: 1:13:50

Last part just want to talk about family, right. So two daughters right, aspiring their careers, working hard. Met him here in the summers, like just just talk to me how it is being in a business where it's just around the clock, busy, a lot of travel, but yet being really involved, because when you're with them, like you're so connected and you're you're, you're all in, like how do you balance that?

Raul Levis: 1:14:12

it's um, it's not. It's not an easy thing and I still continue to strive to, when I am with them, to be a hundred percent with them. Yeah and um, but you know, for me it was, you know, just being very honest. You know. You know, I divorced a couple of years ago and I think that also changed my mind. It was a great learning for me because I realized that a lot of times. You know, we always work incredible hours in the end in hospitality and I'm happy about that, but you know, I was not 100% with them, even though I was spending more time with them. So my focus since then became about having better quality of time with them. So I'm with them, I try to be more with them, and this always slips away.

Raul Levis: 1:15:04

I'm not going to pretend that, you know I'm 100, but it's. I'm always thinking about this. Okay, how can I have pure quality of time, pure enjoyment and also, you know, help them grow and become the best of what they can become. You know, hopefully they'll become even better. It will certainly become better than who I am today as well. That's the goal, right, and I love to watch them grow. I think they're the biggest inspirations I have, anytime, and we all go through, you know, ups and downs in life and in career and every time I was down, you know I always think about the two girls and say, okay, this is what's driving me. Whatever difficulty I have, I need to make it, because I want to make it for them. And I still need to continue to improve. But if you're spending one minute with your daughter or your son, let it be quality. Leave your phone away and try to do the best that you can with that. You know that's the best.

George Stroumboulis: 1:16:04

I think you nailed it. It's, um, nobody's perfect, there's no manual, but it's like your best. And sometimes I'm with my kids and then I have to get on a plane and I'm like, oh, I should have done this different. Like you reflect right, like you always need to improve. Yeah, uh, last question, actually, uh, uh, to better so for the listener what are some books or videos or resources that you know you had mentioned earlier? You read a couple books where you, even though you're an expert and have done this around the world with the biggest brands, still picked up after reading this book on, hey, this, this resonated with me and any books that people hospitality or hospitality, life, personal development, whatever, um putting you on the spot now yeah, you are, you are, um, there is so many books that are fascinating.

Raul Levis: 1:16:51

Um, on history side, I recently read the biography of jengis khan and all the mongol empire, which, if many people don't know was, actually was the largest empire that the world ever saw, bigger even than alexander the great right and, and it's a fascinating tale and history and how they actually develop all the silk roads and the trading and how they were open to multiple religions and how that developed. And for me, this is very important because in this book they explain. You know, we always think that the, the mongols, and, and when they invaded europe they brought the, the dark ages to europe, but in a certain way, it was actually the opposite. You know, it was the europeans trying to establish a single religion here that, you know, expanded that and okay, let's just close ourselves here and they were incredibly learning about a lot of things. And, you know, and unfortunately, what I saw is that, you know, by the end, between the Chinese and the Russians, a lot of the history and the legacy that they created, you know, got hidden away. Let's put it like that.

Raul Levis: 1:18:03

I read an incredible book from Franco Pan, the Silk Road as well, which for me was extremely enlightening because it you know, when I grew up on studying in Brazil and also in Europe, I always have this European centricity perspective on history. Yes, and that's not the reality. You know, europe came to become the center of the world around 1500 when, between spain and portugal uh, you know, the americas was discovered and suddenly we we became here in the center of the world, but for many, many generations. You know Asia, the Middle East, persia, yeah, with some empires here, but you know this was where all the trading and and and development and and growth was taking place. And it's a fascinating tale and once you start reading you cannot is a big book that is fantastic.

Raul Levis: 1:19:00

And the third book that I thought it was very, very interesting, especially on mobility and thinking how your brain can trick you is called a book called Meeting Expectations, okay, and it basically tells you how your brain drives you to be comfortable all the time. And there's a very interesting passage in this book where there's an actor inside a room and some people that are being tested go into this room and suddenly there's a smoke coming out. The smoke is not poisonous or anything, but the actor pretends that he's choking and he faints and the people inside the room start choking and almost faint, almost going to death, because they feel that this is what's happening to them. And you know, many times, especially when you're doing running and doing marathons and you're challenging yourself to go beyond what you did before, your brain is tricking you to that we're not invincible, you know. So I'm not saying for people to go and start running 200, 300 kilometers like David Goggins.

George Stroumboulis: 1:20:04

Even though I read David Goggins, and I like him as well.

Raul Levis: 1:20:07

But you know you're so much more capable than what you think you can do and you know I just, you know, reading and exercise, together with all the interactions here, really uplift me and you know, and I feel really good about it. So I think these are some of the books that I've been that's incredible.

George Stroumboulis: 1:20:29

Yeah, were you less healthy in big cities? Does this make you have a more active lifestyle, or you've always been active like this? I've?

Raul Levis: 1:20:38

always been active. I've always been active. As I said to you, I have my extrovert side, but I always had a very strong introvert side and I always found in sport the best medium for me to express myself, although I haven't been exceptional like playing football or anything like this, but I was always good in doing a lot of things and I always loved swimming or anything like this. But I was always good in doing a lot of things and I always loved swimming, so I've always been a little bit healthy.

George Stroumboulis: 1:21:07

During COVID, I was doing my MBA at IE Business School which was an incredible school for me as well, in Madrid, which were in Madrid. Okay, in Madrid, yeah.

Raul Levis: 1:21:14

And because of COVID, I also I did, you know, online and at that time I was working in the hotel, which was closed, and maintaining the hotel. You know the team, you know communicating with the team and dealing with the lawyers and dealing with all the complications that COVID brought to hotels, and at the same time I was studying. So at that time, to keep myself awake until very late, I started eating and I gained a lot of weight. So when I finished my MBA, I said, okay, now I'm going to continue taking care of my brain because it stretched me, you know, I suddenly I was able, I was.

Raul Levis: 1:21:49

I had to read, like you know, 60, 120 pages every weekend and study a lot, and I was like, you know this dynamic that I got, I don't want to lose it. So I started reading a lot of books and I read a lot now. But at the same time I started running. I couldn't run more than a mile. I would be my my the crowds, my wheels would just be bursting, and but I kept going. I had a team that supported me in Barcelona, that was running with me and patient with me as well, because it was like come on, ro, you know, and I gained a lot of weight and through this process, I kept going, I kept going. Then, suddenly, I start losing weight and, I'm going to be honest I became completely addicted to running and I continue up to this date and I've never felt so young in my life, and that's why I never say my age but I'm the youngest I've ever been.

Raul Levis: 1:22:36

you know, and all my running and swimming I am achieving the best scores, and I was always a sporty person.

George Stroumboulis: 1:22:44

That's incredible, Navarino. Here, if people locals want to come for a coffee or dinner, can they, or no, it's only for guests.

Raul Levis: 1:22:53

We are the friendliest hotel in the world. Is that true? Everyone is welcome to come here and enjoy a coffee. Have, uh, klaus, who's my barber person in pillows? Yeah, and he once every two or three months comes to have a cocktail in three admirals to enjoy the view as well. Everyone is welcome to come and enjoy. You need to make reservations, but you know everyone is welcome that's okay.

George Stroumboulis: 1:23:20

So even if they want to buy like a day pass at the pool, like that's available, yes, absolutely okay. That's incredible because a lot of a lot of people I've talked with. They're like they didn't know that was an option.

Raul Levis: 1:23:28

You got a book, yeah we, we keep, uh, we keep um discussing and and and, opening and talking about this and again. This goes with the perception of exclusivity and I'm not going to that. You know we have a certain price tag, but everyone is always welcome to come here and I can promise them that they're going to have an incredible experience with the incredible engagement from the team.

George Stroumboulis: 1:23:52

Yeah, and I could speak to that. That's amazing. Follow Mandarin Oriental, cosa Navarino social, follow Raul Levi's just awesome stuff. Thank you for sitting down with me. This was amazing.

Raul Levis: 1:24:02

Great to see you again as well. I follow you as well. I listened to your stories and uh, and thank you for coming to Costa Navarino. Oh man, the best. Thank you so much. Some great pizza now? Yeah, exactly, Exactly.

George Stroumboulis: 1:24:14

Thanks for listening to this episode of invigorate your business with George Strombolis. Please hit the subscribe and like buttons and follow me on all the main podcast streaming channels. Also, please share your comments when you can. I appreciate your help in expanding this network to a worldwide audience. Until next time, stay invigorated.

CONTENTS OF THIS VIDEO

00:00:00 Mandarin Oriental Costa Navarino: Behind the Luxury Experience
00:01:02 George Stroumboulis on Global Business & Hospitality
00:02:09 Inside the Royal Villa: Ultimate Luxury Tour
00:03:24 Raul Levis: Career Journey Across 15 Countries & Top Brands
00:04:55 How Mandarin Oriental Became a Global Luxury Icon
00:06:02 Secrets of Opening a World-Class Hotel
00:10:24 Lessons from Japan: How Culture Shapes Hospitality
00:14:46 What Makes Mandarin Oriental Different from Other Luxury Brands
00:18:24 Role of a GM in Shaping Hotel Design & Guest Experience
00:24:26 The MO Running Club: How Wellness Drives Team Culture
00:30:28 Designing for Privacy & Exclusivity at Mandarin Oriental Costa Navarino
00:36:44 Bringing a Luxury Hotel to Life: From Concept to Opening
00:50:05 How to Handle Negative Reviews & Create Loyal Guests
01:01:46 AI & Technology: The Future of Luxury Hospitality
01:04:11 Why Greece is the New Global Destination for Luxury Travel

HOW TO BECOME AN EXECUTIVE IN A LUXURY HOTEL GROUP

Climbing the ranks to become an executive in a luxury hotel group is no small feat — it requires a blend of hospitality excellence, global awareness, relentless dedication, and strategic leadership. Here's how to position yourself for a top role:

1. Master the Fundamentals

Start with a strong foundation in hospitality operations. Whether it's front desk, food & beverage, or guest services — knowing how the machine runs is key.

2. Invest in Education

A degree in Hospitality Management, Business, or International Relations can open doors. Many luxury groups also look for MBAs or specialized executive programs.

3. Gain Global Experience

Luxury is international. Working in different markets — Europe, Asia, the Middle East — sharpens your cultural fluency and operational agility.

4. Develop a Leadership Mindset Early

Take initiative. Lead teams. Solve problems under pressure. Executives are calm under fire and trusted with big decisions.

5. Build Your Network

Relationships are currency in the luxury hospitality world. Connect with mentors, GMs, vendors, and brand leaders. Join professional associations like EHMA or HSMAI.

6. Understand the Brand DNA

Luxury brands like Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons, and Aman have distinct values. Align with their ethos and embody their standards in your daily work.

7. Embrace Constant Innovation

From sustainability to digital guest journeys, luxury hospitality is evolving fast. Stay ahead by learning, adapting, and proposing new ideas.

8. Stay Guest-Centric

At the core, it's about delivering exceptional experiences. Every decision should elevate the guest journey — with personalization, elegance, and care.

HOW TO BUILD A TEAM OF EMPLOYEES TO SERVICE HIGH NET WORTH HOTEL CLIENTS

Servicing high net worth (HNW) clients in the luxury hospitality space demands more than just professionalism — it takes precision, emotional intelligence, discretion, and consistency. Here’s how to build a team that can deliver world-class service at the highest level:

1. Hire for Attitude, Train for Excellence

Technical skills can be taught — but warmth, humility, and emotional intelligence are essential from day one. HNW clients value genuine service over scripted interactions.

2. Prioritize Discretion and Trust

Your team must be trained in privacy and confidentiality. From celebrities to billionaires, trust is a currency. Background checks and clear communication on expectations are key.

3. Create a Culture of Anticipation

Train staff to anticipate needs before they’re spoken. Whether it's remembering a client’s preferred drink or knowing their room temperature preference — attention to detail separates good from exceptional.

4. Invest in Ongoing Luxury Training

Partner with luxury training organizations or in-house programs. Refine soft skills, cultural fluency, protocol, and body language to ensure your team aligns with global 5-star standards.

5. Empower Decision-Making

HNW clients don’t want delays or excuses. Empower your team to solve problems and make decisions quickly — with confidence and ownership.

6. Instill Brand and Property Knowledge

Team members must know the brand’s story, the property’s unique features, and what makes the experience exclusive. Confidence in knowledge builds trust with discerning guests.

7. Hire Diverse Backgrounds with Global Exposure

HNW clients come from around the world. Build a multilingual, multicultural team that brings emotional intelligence and worldliness to every interaction.

8. Practice, Roleplay, Refine

Simulate real-world guest scenarios often. From managing difficult guests to curating bespoke experiences — refinement comes from rehearsal.

WHAT DOES A GENERAL MANAGER NEED FROM EMPLOYEES TO DELIVERY THE BEST SERVICE FOR A LUXURY HOTEL

Emotional Intelligence: To lead diverse teams, manage guest expectations, and create a culture of service.

Visionary Leadership: Setting and executing a high-level brand strategy while staying hands-on with daily operations.

Guest-Centric Mindset: A relentless focus on anticipating needs, delivering personalized service, and maintaining 5-star consistency.

Operational Expertise: Deep knowledge across all hotel departments—F&B, housekeeping, front office, spa, engineering, etc.

Cultural Sensitivity: Especially in global destinations, understanding local customs and blending them with the brand ethos is critical.

Crisis Management Skills: The ability to stay calm under pressure and lead with confidence during unforeseen events.

Financial Acumen: Understanding P&L, forecasting, labor optimization, and ROI while balancing luxury service expectations.

Talent Development: Recruiting, mentoring, and retaining top-tier hospitality professionals is essential to long-term success.

Brand Stewardship: Representing the hotel at events, tradeshows, and in the media while upholding and elevating the brand reputation.

BLOG POST

Behind The Scenes at Mandarin Oriental's Greek Paradise
Luxury Hospitality Masterclass
A Hotel Captain's Journey Through Global Luxury
The Secret Sauce of Five-Star Service
From Tokyo to Greece: Building Excellence in Hospitality

Luxury Hospitality Masterclass: Insights from a Global Hotel Leader

In the world of luxury hospitality, few have the breadth of experience that Raul Levis brings to the table. As the General Manager of Mandarin Oriental Costa Navarino in Greece, Raul has opened hotels in over 14 markets worldwide, including prestigious properties for both Mandarin Oriental and Four Seasons. His experience spans from Tokyo to Santiago, Barcelona to Paris, and across countless other luxury destinations.

What makes luxury hospitality truly exceptional? According to Raul, it's about moving beyond the excessive standards of past decades and focusing on creating meaningful connections with guests. "I think Mandarin Oriental really understood that the only way we can continue to captivate guests is by being exceptional," he explains. This means elevating experiences beyond mere amenities to create bespoke moments that surprise and delight guests at every turn.

The philosophy at Mandarin Oriental Costa Navarino centers around three key pillars: exceptional guest engagement, maintaining high execution standards, and fostering genuine collaboration among staff. This approach is particularly evident in how Raul describes his role: not as a superman or hero, but as a maestro who coordinates between various stakeholders, from owners to development teams, ensuring alignment and open communication. This collaborative environment allowed them to open the resort in just one year – a remarkable achievement in luxury hospitality.

Finding and nurturing talent is another cornerstone of Raul's leadership approach. Rather than seeking perfection, he looks for the right attitude and focuses on discovering and developing each individual's unique talents. This philosophy has led to incredible innovation at the resort, from Chef Bertrand's farm-to-table initiatives to Nicole's expansive wine program featuring both Greek and international selections. Raul sees himself as a catalyst, enabling his team to achieve their best by giving them the freedom to explore their passions within the framework of luxury hospitality.

Perhaps one of the most interesting insights Raul shares is about his transformative experience in Japan. Working at Mandarin Oriental Tokyo taught him that Western management styles don't always translate effectively across cultures. In Japan, he learned the value of collective decision-making over individual recognition, the importance of strategic thinking over tactical problem-solving, and the Japanese concept of "Kaizen" – continuous small improvements that lead to excellence over time.

The physical design of Mandarin Oriental Costa Navarino itself reflects a thoughtful, guest-centered approach. The resort was built around three key elements: maximizing views of Navarino Bay, ensuring privacy for guests, and providing ample space throughout the property. Unlike many coastal developments, the architecture blends into the mountain with landscape rooftops and earth-sheltered villas, minimizing visual construction impact while maximizing the guest experience.

For those aspiring to careers in luxury hospitality, Raul's journey offers valuable lessons. He holds a business administration degree from Brazil and specialized hospitality education from Switzerland, but emphasizes that his real education came through opening hotels and learning from guests what truly works. His advice for colleagues echoes the Golden Rule – treat others as you would like to be treated – and emphasizes that working in luxury properties requires thinking beyond basic service to constantly seek ways to create special moments for guests.

Luxury hospitality continues to evolve with technology and changing guest expectations. Raul sees AI and technology as enablers for more personal interactions, not replacements for human connection. By streamlining bureaucratic processes, technology frees staff to focus on creating meaningful experiences like bespoke itineraries that truly enhance a guest's stay.

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CONTENTS OF THIS VIDEO

HOW TO BECOME AN EXECUTIVE IN A LUXURY HOTEL GROUP

HOW TO BUILD A TEAM OF EMPLOYEES TO SERVICE HIGH NET WORTH HOTEL CLIENTS

WHAT DOES A GENERAL MANAGER NEED FROM EMPLOYEES TO DELIVERY THE BEST SERVICE FOR A LUXURY HOTEL

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