Never one to be discouraged, Richard Deutl discovered that perseverance has its own rewards. His relationship with Sheraton had an unusual beginning.  More

Q: How did you come to work with Sheraton?

A: Well, I first tried in 1986 — I applied to work at the newly opened Sheraton in Salzburg, Austria, my home town, but was turned down! I was upset, but not discouraged; I knew that one day I would be with Sheraton! Usually with me it’s like that; if I am being told something is not possible, I still try to find a way to accomplish what I set out to do.

Q: So when did you and Sheraton meet up again?

A: Two years later. I’d been working on Queen Elizabeth II (the cruise ship) and decided that I still wanted to work in the hotel business, and found a position available as Night Auditor at the Sheraton Innsbruck, Austria. And there it was. . . my chance to get into Sheraton.

Q: What was your progression after starting as a night auditor?

A: THE HOTEL WAS TAKEN OVER BY A DIFFERENT CHAIN! And I asked myself, ‘Do I really want to work for a hotel people are unfamiliar with? What if Sheraton has other opportunities elsewhere?’ So I looked around and my direct manager at the time offered me a position at the Munich Sheraton Hotel & Towers, as Assistant Night Manager. I quickly realized that one was given a lot of chances with Sheraton, but one needed to work hard for it and so I did.

Q: Have you have any tough choices to make in terms of progression?

Yes, saying no to my dream job. In 1990, my goal was to become the Assistant Front Office Manager, and although I had the chance to grab it, I turned it down. It was my dream, but I almost felt like I needed to prove myself a bit more. So I moved to Brussels, where I didn’t know the language and actually took what could be considered a “lower position” because I felt changing my environment and pursuing the unfamiliar would pay off more than if I’d jumped to secure the title rather than a richer experience.

Q : Did this move pay off ?

Yes; in 1995, the Sheraton Paris Airport opened, and I was asked if I wanted to be the Front Office Manager. Taking the job meant three ”firsts:” my first time as Front Office Manager, my first time opening a hotel, and my first time working at an airport hotel, and I thought, ‘wow, what a challenge.’ With the help of a great GM and team, we managed to become the most successful hotel in the area.

Q: Have you thought of working outside of Sheraton?

Another chain approached me in 1998, and at that time I thought, 10 years with one company is unusual, and that maybe looking elsewhere should be something I should consider. Coincidently, at the same time the other chain approached me, Starwood did as well, with a new opportunity. So I heard them both out. The job with the other hotel chain was excellent, even financially more attractive but Starwood was offering more than just a challenging position – the culture of the company and the people I’ve worked with and would be working with made staying with Starwood and Sheraton something I really wanted.