Success Stories – In conversation with Guy Pasley-Tyler
Guy Pasley-Tyler has extensive experience in the international hospitality sector. In his current role as Director, Portfolio & Fund Management with Archer Hotel Capital B.V., he is responsible for the review and development of market and fund strategy, the oversight of material value enhancement projects across the portfolio and the identification of opportunities to maximise fund-wide returns. Archer Hotel Capital BV enjoy a long-standing relationship with a number of international brands, including Marriott International, as well as developing iconic independent hotels, including The Dilly in London.
Guy was responsible for European Portfolio Strategy & Feasibility with Host Hotels, prior to creation of Archer Hotel Capital B.V which followed the buyout of Host’s position by Dutch pension fund APG and Singapore-based GIC Real Estate.
Before this, Guy worked for six years at AECOM Economics, where he was engaged in feasibility and advisory work on a wide variety of hotel and mixed-use real estate projects across the EMEA region. With diverse hospitality experience, Guy also has eight years’ experience in hotel management across operations and sales & marketing, an MBA from Hult International Business School in Cambridge, MA and is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
Madison Mayfair continues to have a long-standing relationship with Guy, having placed him in his role as Director – Feasibility & Investment Strategy at Host Hotels.
In conversation with Guy Pasley-Tyler
How did you get into Hospitality?
My first exposure to hospitality was rather indirect in that during my school holidays I got myself a job working in the post room of the head office of InterContinental Hotels in Mayfair. I really enjoyed the experience but was also fascinated by the business, albeit with limited understanding, and that inspired me later to seek a management trainee role at The Milestone Hotel in Kensington, which helped me to get a better understanding of all aspects of the business. In different ways I have enjoyed every subsequent role I have taken on in the industry.
What are the most important aspects of portfolio management in hospitality and how has the role evolved over the years?
At Archer, we aspire to be an active asset manager that seeks to improve and maximise every aspect of our investments – from the real estate itself to the concept to any associated contractual relationships (e.g. management agreements and leases). The key point for me is that the overall performance of the portfolio is the over-riding consideration in all our decision making, not necessarily the individual assets. This approach is made easier by having the same two aligned shareholders across all our investments so there is no conflict of interest. For asset managers handling multiple sources of capital across different investments there is a more careful line to tread in this regard.
What do you consider your biggest achievement so far and why?
The set-up of Archer Hotel Capital over the past 3 years. My colleague Dominic Seyrling and I had a shared vision around Archer and we were lucky to have two trusting and supportive shareholders who have backed us along the way, as well as sharing their own insights and experience to the benefit of Archer. Clearly, the pandemic has been a dominant feature of the last 18 months but we have used the time to focus on long-term value creation across our portfolio which will hopefully stand us in good stead in the years to come.
What advice would you give to someone who is just starting their career in the industry?
Firstly, it’s a very varied business with lots of different roles available so don’t be afraid to test yourself in different areas to find out where you can excel. That rounded experience will stand you in good stead as your career develops.
Secondly, we are in a people business and forging strong relationships with mentors, colleagues and counterparties is essential to your development. It’s also important to treat people in the way in the manner you would want to be treated, not least because it’s a small industry and you never know who you might end working with in future!
What are the biggest opportunities in the hospitality industry as it recovers from the pandemic?
We are in the business of creating experiences and I think that is an aspect of people’s lives that they have greatly missed during the pandemic. In all our concept development and renovation planning we are trying to better differentiate our hotels to make them distinct offerings in their individual markets – just because a hotel is corporate-focused it doesn’t have to be boring.
What would have been your Plan B?
A former Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, described himself as a ‘cricket tragic’ and I fear that I may fit a similar description. Given that insufficient talent meant that a playing career was never even a remote possibility, my childhood dream was to be a commentator, ideally the BBC cricket correspondent, in charge of Test Match Special.
For support with your next career move or to enhance your recruitment strategy, please call Madison Mayfair on +44 20 8600 1180 or contact Guy Lean on mm@madisonmayfair.com now.