Page 48 - The New Gold Standard

PRINCIPLE 1: DEFINE AND REFINE

Palace. By the mid-1960s, Horst was living in the United States,
first in Houston, then San Francisco, where he worked evenings
at a French restaurant and breakfasts at the Hilton. It was at the
University Club in San Francisco that his career turned to man-
agement, and a transfer to Chicago’s University Club landed him
a position as catering/food and beverage manager.
In 1971, Horst became catering manager of the Chicago
Hilton. After several years with Hilton Hotels, Horst was the
opening food and beverage director for the new Hyatt Regency
in Chicago. His career with Hyatt culminated in his promotion to
corporate vice president in 1981.
Two years later, Horst took a position as a charter member
and vice president of operations for a new hotel company. That
company would become The Ritz-Carlton Group, and its first ho-
tel opened in January 1984.
Horst became president and chief operating officer at Ritz-
Carlton in 1988. Prior to his leaving in 2002, Ritz-Carlton had
grown to 42 hotels with 15 more under development. Under
Schulze’s leadership, Ritz-Carlton twice received the Malcolm
Baldrige National Quality Award. Additionally, Ritz-Carlton was
repeatedly voted the best hotel company in the world by meet-
ing and other trade publications.
Horst was recognized as “corporate hotelier of the world”
by Hotels magazine. He was also awarded the Ishikawa Medal
for personal contributions to the quality movement, and John-
son & Wales University granted him an honorary doctor of busi-
ness administration degree in hospitality management.
Horst left Ritz-Carlton to retire. But within days, he was
once again setting up shop with West Paces Hotel Group,
through which he has launched a new hospitality brand, Capella
Hotels and Resorts.
To see Horst Schulze interviewed about service excellence,
please go to www.yournewgoldstandard.com.

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