The biggest challenge is finding the right colleagues! An interview with Darren Darwin, general manager of Hard Rock Hotel Budapest (X)

It was a little less than a year ago that the legendary Hard Rock hotel chain opened its first hotel in Central and Eastern Europe, in the heart of the Budapest Broadway, on Nagymező Street. We visited the general manager of the 5-star hotel to interview him, but already before our conversation we were in awe to discover the hotel’s pride, the collection of personal items from the biggest names in the world of music and entertainment: Prince’s purple fake fur coat, one of Beyoncé’s black sequin dresses, Freddy Mercury’s hand-written letter, John Lennon’s notebook, Elton John’s yellow stage shoes, one of Katy Perry’s stage dresses, and Madonna’s high school yearbook. Some of Hungary’s best musicians also gave something personal to the collection, so visitors can see János Bródy’s leather jacket, Charlie Horváth’s conga and sunglasses, and Róbert Szikora’s first guitar in different parts of the hotel. We sat down in this exciting environment with Darren Darwin, the general manager of Hard Rock Hotel Budapest, to have a chat about the hotel, the latest developments in international tourism, and about what Budapest and his position here mean to him.

Darren Darwin, general manager of Hard Rock Hotel Budapest

Darren Darwin is one of the biggest names in the international hotel industry, who used to work all over the world for decades, before coming to the capital of Hungary – for instance as the general manager of Minor Hotels luxury resorts in Thailand, Oman and Sri Lanka, and as the general manager of Anantara luxury hotels in several countries of Tropical Asia. Many awards, prizes and media appearances have marked his career. Under his leadership, in 2019 Anantara & Avani was voted the most sustainable luxury family resort in the Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards, and from 2019 the users of Tripadvisor rewarded the hotel with the grand prize for three years in a row. The luxury resorts were featured in television programmes such as “Amazing Hotels:Life Beyond the Lobby”, which is very popular in the United Kingdom and are also broadcasts in the USA and East Asia. BBC has shot lots of travel show episodes in Asia with Mr Darwin’s participation.

–You have had a fantastic career in the world of tourism and the hotel industry, leading a large number of institutions all over the globe in the past decades. In what ways is Hard Rock Hotel Budapest different from the hotels you have managed earlier? 

-It is true that I have gained considerable experience in the world of luxury, and I have got a taste of tropical magic as well. But let me add that I have also worked in Eastern Europe before, for instance in Russia and in city hotels in Bulgaria, such as the Baltimore. These are classic city hotels, so they are very similar to the one in Budapest that I manage now. Compared to the villas and individual studios of tropical luxury resorts, probably one of the biggest differences is that guests spend much less time in city hotels. Business travellers and groups are really frequent, many guests just come for an exciting weekend, as there is a large number of events and programmes – we can say there is something special going on in Budapest every weekend. I think Hard Rock Hotel Budapest is a top hotel, which stands alone with its artistic character and great history of Hard Rock brand.

–You spent a lot of time in exotic countries, but right now you are the general manager of a hotel in Central Europe, in the Hungarian capital. Why did you decide to continue your career in Europe?

-I have already visited Budapest earlier, so I was familiar with this beautiful city, its exciting history and Hungarian culture in general. I was stunned by the city’s architecture, its picturesque beauty and artistic character. I believe that family has become more important for everyone in the post-COVID world. During the pandemic I had to be far from my family, so it is very important for me now to be closer to them.

–You were working in Asia during the COVID pandemic, so you were forced to spend a lot of time without your family, as the continent was in a lockdown. Did this play a role in taking an 8-month break from work after the pandemic?

-The pandemic put many of us in a strange situation, and I was also separated from my family and my parents. What is more, Sri Lanka – where I was working at the time – is a developing country full of challenges, so the situation there wasn’t easy at all during the pandemic. After the end of COVID, I wanted to spend more time with my loved ones, with my son. Plus I needed time to plan my future, deciding where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do. During these eight months I only did a bit of consultancy and worked on my PhD thesis. I researched how COVID had changed the mentality of the people working in hospitality and tourism. The results have made it clear that many workers quit this industry because of the pandemic, there aren’t enough skilled professionals, the costs are rising and working in hospitality isn’t as attractive to people as it used to be. Just like me, everyone has become much more family-centred, and this requires a new kind of managerial approach. Certain events in the past few years – for instance COVID and the war between Russia and Ukraine – have fundamentally changed tourism, and it seems to me that right now the biggest challenge is to find the best professionals, the right colleagues.

Darren Darwin

–So now you are here in Budapest, managing the Hard Rock Hotel. How would you describe this legendary brand and the hotel in Budapest?

-Hard Rock Hotel Budapest is a real lifestyle hotel, I could say it is entertainment itself. It is a place where everything is about music and arts. This is a popular young brand, which is connected to these values all over the world. The brand’s uniqueness is reflected in each personalised service of the hotel and in its atmosphere as well. For instance every weekend we are waiting for guests with live music in our restaurant, where local performers also get the chance to step on the stage. Our collection of music memorabilia from Hungarian and international stars stands alone. Music is the essence of the Hard Rock brand, which is really close to my heart, as I was born in England, the country where the Beatles came from. I grew up listening to the music of Elvis Presley and my favourite band is Queen, but I like to listen to house and hip-hop too. My view is that music creates good feelings in everyone, and if someone enters the lobby of our hotel, they hear music instantly. In other hotels the reception area is muted and reserved, but this is exactly what makes Hard Rock special: it is different, there is music playing, and it gives off good vibes in general.

–Your words make it clear that there is a bright future ahead of Hard Rock Hotel Budapest. What is it that you as an individual expect from spending the next few years in the Hungarian capital?

-The key to our success is the youthful and energetic team that I can work with. Like anybody else, I just want to be happy and successful, and I wish the same to the team and the hotel. I think we are on the right path, even if this is a very young hotel and it can’t be told at the moment how this year will develop. Most of the processes are now up and running, and things are working very well. I am positive that soon this hotel is going to show the results of the hard work that we have put into it.

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