Chris has been with MHR for 12 years, having led teams in both UK and US. He is passionate about the hotel industry and enjoys meeting people from all over the world.
In Conversation
With Chris
Van Dam,
General Manager
Of Millennium
Gloucester Hotel
Find out what keeps his passion aflame through the years.
To celebrate International Men’s Day, we interviewed Chris Van Dam, General Manager of Millennium Gloucester Hotel, to share his hospitality journey. 54-year-old Chris is from Johannesburg, South Africa.
Q: Hi Chris, how did you get into the hotel industry?
My family worked in this industry. My mother was the Director of Catering and my brother was an award-winning chef at the Carlton Hotel in South Africa, which inspired me to join the hotel industry. My journey began as a front office porter and receptionist at the same hotel.
Q: What do you love about working in the hotels?
You meet people from all parts of the world. I love the everyday madness, exceeding people’s expectations, and to help staff grow and develop. I have learnt a lot in the process.
Q: When did you come to the UK?
I came in 2010 from South Africa and joined Millennium Hotels and Resorts (MHR) in the capacity of General Manager of the Copthorne Tara. Soon I progressed to other hotels like the Millennium Mayfair, Millennium Gloucester, The Baileys, The Chelsea Harbour Hotel and Chelsea Football Club Hotels in London and The Broadway and Premier Hotel in NYC. I have been with MHR for 12 years now.
Q: We heard Batman moved to the UK, where did this come from?
We had scooters in our resorts in Egypt, South Africa and Zambia. Some people called me Batman as my open jacket used to fly in the wind as I rode on the scooter! Today I still ride around London on my scooter, but not many know of the Batman story…
Q: What do you love about working in MHR?
Millennium has a different twist, where they allow people to be more entrepreneurial, to grow as individuals and to have their own personalities.
Q: What are your most used taglines? We know you have a few.
“No money, no honey!”, “Small things do matter!” “What is this Spaghetti?!!!”
Q: Which is your favourite hotel in the world besides MHR hotels?
There are two hotels that stand out for me. First is “The Palace of The Lost City” in the Sun City resort in South Africa, which is a Top 100 hotel of the world. This iconic resort was the first creation of Sol Kerzner that led to the two Atlantis in Bahamas and Dubai and inspired many other themed hotels.
The other is “The Royal Livingstone” in Zambia, which was opened in 2001. This hotel was recognised as the Top 50 new hotels of the world and changed tourism in Zambia and the Victoria Falls.
Q: What is your most memorable experience working in the hotel industry?
Having the opportunity to work with Oprah Winfrey and over 250 high profile guests including Tina Turner, Mary J. Blige, Chris Rock and many others when she came to open a school in South Africa.
Prior to Oprah opening her school to develop and inspire the future talent of young women in South Africa, her entourage came to the hotel to spend a few days over New Year’s Eve. The high-profile group brought many challenges to the team and the hotel and we were delighted to have met all expectations, which was very rewarding.
Q: What do you enjoy outside of work?
I enjoy paddle boarding, which I picked up this past summer. I also love travelling and learning about different cultures. I hope to visit Morocco, India and China soon.
Q: What advice would you give to the next generation who is looking to join the industry?
I always tell people to be hands on, be passionate, apply yourselves and get involved if you want to be successful.
