Hotel industry pillar bids adieu

After 11 and a half years of unparalleled service to Century Park Hotel and to the local hotel industry, Mr. Eduardo C. Carpio, ‘Bobby’ to everybody, has decided to retire.

Bobby’s decision to say goodbye to the hotel and the industry where he has made an indelible mark of excellence comes in the heels of the mutual agreement of Century Park Hotel and ANA Hotels to conclude its management contract.

The Maranaw Hotels and Resorts Corp., one in Mr. Lucio Tan’s group of companies and the owning firm of Century Park Hotel, has tapped the services of Mr. Paul Russel Gill to be the new hotel general manager.

Paul’s last assignment was as the executive assistant manager of one of the ‘Kapitan’s’ numerous business interests abroad, the Charter House Hotel-Hong Kong. He has a wide experience in the hospitality business. His past assignments have brought him around Europe and Asia earning him a vast experience in almost every aspect of hotel management. With all these behind him plus his genuine congenial demeanor, many in the hotel are predicting an easy sailing for the new hotel boss although he himself humbly feels that it would not be easy to fill in the shoes of his predecessor.

The ceremonial "changing of the guard," took place last Jan. 13, a Monday at the Grand Ball Room of the Century Park. Understandably it was packed with close friends and associates of Bobby with a guest list of ‘who’s who’ in the hospitality business led by Tourism Secretary Richard "Dick" Gordon.

Aside from people from government there were also those from various business sectors, the diplomatic row and the media present to bid this known long time pillar of the hotel industry adieu and wish the ‘Best Dressed Hotelier,’ now in the Hall of Fame of cosmopolitan Manila’s best-dressed elite, all the best as he reaches this crossroad of his life.

One has only to awesomely go through the litany of achievements and work experience of Bobby to understand why so many came to his send off, all with mixed emotions – sad for the industry to lose such an icon but happy as the gentleman now has more time for his family and himself.

But for all of us, who know Bobby quite well, let’s not kid ourselves. This is one guy who keeps on going and going and going… like a battery commercial aptly puts it. Don’t be surprised when you hear he’s a tourism attaché somewhere, among many other things he’d be involved in.

We’ll miss you Bobby.

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