Jesper Vilsoe
Nationality: German
Profession/Title: Hotelier/General Manager of Corinthia Hotel London
How often do you travel?
Approximately every other month
Objective of travel: Business and leisure
Favorite traveling style:
Casual — and change to a suit only upon arrival
Q: What do you do after you finish a journey?
A: Once I finish a journey I usually like to do some exercise. If I am travelling to one of the Corinthia Hotels I will use our 24-hour gym facilities to re-energise myself.
Q: What do you look for during a trip?
A: Any kind of new ideas that can be adopted in our business.
Q: What is your one must-have luggage item?
A: My favorite fashion accessories: ties.
Q: Preferred airlines?
A: Being German, guess: Lufthansa.
Q: Best in-flight meal or activity?
A: The movie section.
Q: How to get over the jet lag?
A: The best thing to do is to try and adapt to the new time as soon as possible; and when the time comes, to get a good night's sleep. Our London hotel launched a Sleep Retreat package which highlighted how the right food and quality beds (we use Hypnos beds in all rooms) can significantly improve guests' sleep, and ultimately their productivity and energy levels.
Q: What are your favorite hotels? What are the things that make a stay memorable?
A: Corinthia Hotels are of course very close to me. There are a huge number of factors that work together to make a guest's stay unique and memorable, but I believe that this starts with the personalized service offered to each guest by our team. There is a craftsmanship of care that is integrated into all levels of the operation of Corinthia Hotels. Whether it's the smiling faces or being greeted by your name, these bespoke touches have an authenticity that is unique to Corinthia Hotels as a family run business.
Other hotels, I admire, are iconic landmarks that have maintained their status of luxury over decades.
Q: What do you value most when choosing a hotel?
A: For me location is key. Being central and close to the areas that you will be visiting the most is very important, especially if you aren't familiar with the destination. The concierge can then help with any bookings to the city's hot stops.
Q: What are the hotels that you look forward to staying at in the future?
A: I have not been back to Asia for a while, so discovering the latest additions to that market would be an experience.
Q: Can your recommend one of your favorite destinations, and say why is it so special?
A: Obviously London, my current home; Budapest, my former home; and Munich, my permanent home, come to mind. All are very different and yet have so much to explore at the same time.
Q: What's the best thing to buy in Budapest?
A: You can't leave without Hungarian Salami.
Q: What do you do upon arriving in Budapest?
A: Head to town and stroll around the Basilica area with its lively restaurants and bars, but only after having said hello to my former team at the Corinthia Hotel Budapest, known as Grand Hotel Royal.
Q: What's your next must-go destination?
A: Discovering the United Kingdom and Ireland are on top of my list.
