Published: December 4, 2020 | Updated: 5th December 2020
Simon Scarborough is a fantastic ambassador for hospitality.
A larger than life personality he has been a feature of the Bournemouth hotel scene for more than nine years.
His passion for the sector, and specifically the hotel industry, began at an early age.
In fact, five years old when Simon set his heart on becoming a Hotel General Manager.
Admittedly not his first choice of career.
“I wanted to be a vet.
“Then it was pointed out to me that I don’t like dogs, needles or blood,” he said.
Simon’s love of hospitality and service was home grown.
His father was the official pharmacist to The Queen.
In fact, the only pharmacist in the country allowed to dispense prescriptions to the Royal Family.
It meant that Buckingham Palace had to be constantly informed of where he was.
For Simon, 55, the frequent home entertaining was an eye-opener.
He said: “There was a lot of drinking and eating.
“I loved meeting people and helping with the wine and the food.
“I resolved that when I was a big boy this is what I wanted to do.”
Watching his father deal with customers in his pharmacy when the family moved to Lowestoft in Suffolk was another formative experience.
Simon, who was then 12, said: “He would open the door, engage in small talk and put their shopping in bags.
“I was learning from the master.”
After gaining a BTEC National Diploma in Hotel Management from Norwich Hotel School in 1985, Simon set out on what was to become a glittering hotel career.
It began with a six-month placement with Trusthouse Forte followed by hotel positions in locations as diverse as Swindon, Dublin, Luton, St Albans and Weybridge in Surrey.
“They were long hours, 12 hours a day, six days a week but I just loved it,” said Simon.
“All the time I was watching and learning.
“At St Albans, the General Manager was a tyrant and it wasn’t a pleasant experience.
“But the customer service was phenomenal and it’s where I got my attention to detail.
“Every customer was greeted on arrival and walked to their room.
“It was drilled into you.”
Simon’s ambition – to be a Hotel General Manager – was achieved by the age of 25 and his career continued on its upward path.
But the big break came in 2002.
Simon was headhunted by the Gulhati family to become General Manager of Flemings Mayfair, pictured left, at the time a 119 bedroom townhouse hotel with ten apartments/suites and their own private entrance.
Known for his discretion when mixing with the rich and powerful, the position allowed Simon to put into practice all the things he’d learned including doing all the frontline training himself.
He also successfully managed a £10m refurbishment project from design to implementation and was named General Manager of the Year in 2007 by Luxe Hotels
Simon’s success led to being appointed Group Operations Director, reporting directly to the Gulhati family and the Board.
He was accountable for three prestigious hotels – Flemings, Down Hall Hotel near Bishops Stortford and Bushey Hall Golf Club – with two General Managers reporting to him while maintaining his role as GM at Flemings.
But thoughts were turning south.
Simon’s partner, Chris, a lawyer, was born in Poole and Dorset was felt to be the perfect retirement location as well as provide the opportunity to look after Chris’ parents.
Meanwhile Simon had ambitions to start his own consultancy.
But first one more big challenge.
Robert Peel, formerly Chief Executive of Mount Charlotte Hotels, renamed Thistle Hotels, who had acquired Bournemouth’s Norfolk Royale Hotel for £8.2m, asked Simon to run the Richmond Hill property, pictured right.
Simon said: “My job was to make it the most successful hotel in Bournemouth and the town’s business hub.
“I put huge emphasis on customer service, employing enthusiastic and happy people and making it my mission to meet as many guests and customers as possible.
“We achieved a huge amount and I am very proud of my time working there.”
Seven years ago Simon founded Simon Scarborough Associates, specialising in sales and marketing campaigns, project management and team development.
Today his clients include Bournemouth’s Marsham Court Hotel, pictured left, where he spends two days a week, as well as schools, law and accountancy firms.
“It’s all about having a fresh pair of eyes that can focus on enhancing the profitability and overall experience of your company or establishment,” said Simon.
“The customer experience is critical as is how you treat your staff to get the most out of them.”
The pandemic has wreaked havoc in the hospitality sector but Simon says there are grounds for optimism.
He said: “Sadly some places may never reopen but I do believe that there is a better future for those businesses that are conscious of the market and innovative.
“It’s very hard and we may have to learn to live with Covid but I’m hopeful that once the vaccinations come along the sector can return to some kind of normality.
“It’s a wonderful industry to work in and I’ve never regretted for one minute my decision as a boy of five to work in it.”
