Meet John Beaton | Senior VP Operations for Kolter Hospitality

We had the good fortune of connecting with John Beaton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi John, can you tell us about an impactful book you’ve read and why you liked it or what impact it had on you?
Early in my career I read the book: “The Art of Possibility” by Benjamin Zander and Rosamund Stone Zander. From that book, several lessons rang true for me. 1. Give everyone an A. If you assume the best of people and give everyone an A at the start, then you let their best come out. People work hard to live up to high expectations, if they are thought of as the best, then that is what they will continue to strive for.
2. Don’t allow our past to dictate our future – meaning any past failures or obstacles that prevented our success, shouldn’t prevent us from the possibility of future success. We often restrict ourselves because we think, we aren’t capable of accomplishing great things due to our past experiences. Again, in my own words, If you are constantly focused on where you’ve been, or on your regrets, you’re not open to the possibilities ahead.
3. Don’t be afraid to reinvent yourself.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I started in the hospitality industry at the age of 14 working at a private country club in the town I grew up in Ontario, Canada. I was 19 when I first started working at a hotel… and I’ve spent the rest of my career being passionate about the hotel industry. While I spent my early days in Food and Beverage, I came up through the ranks to eventually oversee several Four Diamond Hotels, throughout Canada and the US. I’ve been fortunate to have lived in some of the best places in the world, including Toronto, New York, San Diego, DC and now Delray Beach Florida. Prior to joining Kolter Hospitality, I was Senior Vice President of Operations at Interstate Hotels and Resorts and had direct oversight of a diverse portfolio of full-service hotels, ranging from urban convention hotels to luxury resorts.
Kolter Hospitality, based in Delray Beach, FL, owns and operates 15 hotels totaling over 2,300 rooms in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Estero, Sarasota, and St. Petersburg. As Senior Vice President of Operations for Kolter Hospitality, I work closely with senior leadership to develop and deliver on the company’s strategy and objectives. It is a pleasure to partner with major brands such as Hyatt, Hilton and Marriott. What I love about my job is that I have the freedom to make critical decisions that not only affect the business, but all the stakeholders, particularly our team members that deserve to be valued and respected, with a rewarding work life that affords them the opportunity for professional and personal growth that keeps them and in turn the community engaged and happy.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Delray Beach has been named the “Most fun small town in America” and I whole heartedly agree with that sentiment. There are so many great things to do and so much to offer in Delray, along with top notch Hotels and Restaurants. On the top of my list of things to do is to take advantage of the bar and restaurant scene. Some of my favorites for Dinner include, Cut 432, for consistently great steak, Tramonti for great Italian, Le Colonial for upscale Vietnamese and City Oyster for a fun vibe and great seafood. They pour a pretty mean drink there too!

The beach is a must do while in Delray and if you’re there early enough, Caffé Luna Rosa is across the road from the pavilion at Ocean and Atlantic. It’s popular all day, but breakfast and brunch is a treat, where you can sit out on the sidewalk and watch the beach goers. You may decide to take a brunch cruise along the Intracoastal one day, or you could sit out on the deck at Deck 84 to have lunch and just watch the boats go by. There is also a cool rooftop bar at the Courtyard Delray, where you can get a glimpse of the ocean and have a great cocktail while relaxing by the pool.

Personally, I like to start my weekends with my wife, driving our golf cart to the beach for a walk in the morning, then visiting the Green Market for some farm fresh produce and other goods and then letting the day take us where it may. Perhaps new on the agenda will be a round of mini golf at the newly opened Pop Stroke.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My Shoutout goes to all of our hospitality team players. Every person I have either managed, or managed me, was a player in my story.

After 40 years in this business I could honestly say that everyone I have come across has taught me something. Some have taught me the things I should not do, but most have taught me the things I should do. In the hospitality industry we sometimes forget that the people in some of the toughest roles, room attendants, front desk associates, servers, cooks etc.. are the foundation of the business and are often overlooked for the critical role they play. A hotel is only successful if you have a clean, well maintained property, with friendly people who care about each other and their guests. You can’t be successful in the hospitality industry if you can’t deliver on the basic elements and the people that deliver on these promises and do these jobs are the foundation for my success. For example, if your short staffed one day in housekeeping and you have a full hotel, you have a problem. If you’ve ever attempted to clean a full board of rooms, you know how hard that job is and not getting your rooms cleaned is a major operational problem that can be quite costly. Bottom line, the key to a hotel’s success is their employees, each and every single one of them. As a senior leader you need to engage with them on a daily basis, not just manage the managers. Everyone needs to be communicated with, supported and appreciated. My success is due each and every one of the hundreds and thousands of people I have worked with over the past 40 years, at all levels of the organization.

Website: https://www.kolterhospitality.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kolterhospitality/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-beaton-6963a112/

Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/kolterhotels

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kolterhospitality

Image Credits
courtesy of John Beaton