Page 155 - Masala Weddings in Thailand 2019

Oliver Schnatz

General Manager of Sofi tel Bangkok Sukhumvit

Oliver Schnatz began his career in the hospitality industry
in 1994 with the Steigenberger Hotels near Frankfurt.
After five years, he shifted to Hôtel Plaza Athénée New
York, followed by the renowned Mandarin Oriental Hyde
Park London, the Mandarin Oriental Munich and The
Peninsula Hong Kong. This illustrious record brought him
to serve in leadership positions at some of Thailand’s
finest establishments, including the Four Seasons Hotel
Bangkok, Sri Panwa Phuket, Mandarin Oriental Bangkok,
and the Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok. In 2017, he was
elected General Manager of Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit,
the flagship property for Sofitel Luxury Hotels in
Southeast Asia.

"A knowledgeable and truly
caring team can drive

the couple’s experience beyond
their expectation."

How important are Indian weddings to your hotel? What draws Indian couples and families planning
Indian weddings are very important to us. We used to weddings to Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit?

focus mainly on Thai weddings, but have shifted now and I believe when we talk about hotel facilities, most five-star

focus equally on Indian nuptials. They are usually rather properties offer similar features – a pillarless ballroom,
large affairs, which is exactly what we would like to see in technology, food and special offers. What make us different
our hotel. Moreover, a lot of guests who attend an Indian are our people. A knowledgeable and truly caring team can
wedding in our hotel go on to become regular guests drive the couple’s experience beyond their expectation.
at our properties.
Do you have any absolute no-nos at your hotel regarding
How do you handle these larger-than-life events? Indian weddings?
To manage a successful Indian wedding involves a So far, we don’t have any absolute no-nos in our
combination of facilities. First and foremost, you need to dictionary. Different couples have different requirements,
have the right team, who understand the requirements and and we are flexible, so we work on the inquiry and
have the knowledge and experience so that you can deliver. suggest what we believe will work best for the couple
Secondly, you need the right venue, which in our case is based on our facilities.
perfect for a medium-sized wedding party.

What surprised you most the first time you hosted an
Indian wedding?
The timeline of the set-up. Decorations for Indian weddings
are some of the most beautiful and intricate set-ups, and

they do take time to complete. The first time we experienced
a wedding, our team planned it very well with the organiser’s
team and it was well managed, but it did take a while.

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