When in InterCon, You Are in Beltoise Territory

InterContinental General Manager
Didier Beltoise

By Oh Young-jin
Staff Reporter

InterContinental Hotels around the world provide the comfort sought by travel-weary executives. Their foyers are bright, the rooms clean, and food and service good.

The chain, however, is not a Waldorf Astoria when it comes to reputation or on par with ryokan (traditional Japanese inns) for up-close-and-personal service ― or say they say.

For travelers and diners who hold on to this typecast image about the hotel chain, try the InterContinental hotels in Seoul.

Chances are such patrons will encounter a meticulously-attired Frenchman during their stay. If they happen to spend a minute or so with him, it would be made plain that the InterContinentals are aiming to reach those lofty standards.

That Frenchman is Didier Beltoise, general manager of the Grand InterContinental and COEX InterContinental Seoul.

For patrons interested in spotting Beltoise from among the usual hotel crowd, the first thing they have to do is find somebody made conspicuous by an inconspicuous palette of colorful attire.

For instance, Beltoise would prefer to wear a color like ``brick red'' rather than fire engine red.

It goes without saying that, by opting for pastel-colored looks, he wants to blend in with the background and look less assertive all for the purpose of making his hotels look better.

That kind of thoughtfulness is made even more obvious when he talks.

He would be reluctant to talk about local politics at first or any other issues of potential controversy in a country that he happens to have a tour of duty in.

But that does not mean that he is trying to be on the safe side or is ignorant of goings-on. It is apparent that the last thing he wants to do is act or sound like an arrogant foreigner.

"I am a Frenchman with a global mind," he would say.

Beltoise has been on overseas assignments for 30 years.

He would say that he would be willing to support not just his national team but also a team of the nation he is assigned to, if the two match up in the World Cup football final.

That is something that one would not expect to hear from a Frenchman. That kind of dedication is a reason why InterContinentals in Seoul can strive to be among the world's best hotels.

Regarding Korean politics, he can be as passionate as anybody. The beauty is that he knows how to restrain himself. Maybe one or two of his patrons would wonder if Beltoise can maintain his cool after a few drinks.

foolsdie@koreatimes.co.kr

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