Kam Eat With Me

The new general manager in town at Four Seasons KL knows the hotel industry like the back of his hand. From parking cars to being the bell boy, Simon Barnett has done it all, rising through the ranks to become general manager today. 

Well, not so new, as he’s already been in the country for about four months now. He’s quite accustomed to Asia as his first GM position was in Jakarta and later, he helmed the award-winning Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok.

It all began with some casual work at a local hotel in Australia, and thereafter, Simon was smitten! Having studied in Brisbane, his first hotel assignment was in the front office of a five-star hotel there. He discovered that he loved the world of hospitality and went on to explore other roles such as sales, and even catering and conference services; and expanded his repertoire to include global international hotel operations in London and New York. 

Originally from Melbourne, the veteran hotelier has almost 15 years with Four Seasons under his belt since 2011. He slowly progressed to director of marketing, and later, hotel manager in Sydney, and soon after made a move to Singapore where he shouldered both the Hotel Manager and Director of Marketing role.

Now at Four Seasons KL, Simon looks forward to making every guest feel special in the city’s welcoming retreat. Under his guidance, the team is set for growth, with a focus on the destination’s multicultural vibrancy.

“Our goal is to introduce guests to KL’s incredible heritage. To be an advocate, one needs to experience things for himself. I look forward to travelling and discovering more about Malaysia, so that I can better understand and promote its attractions. We want to immerse deeply into everything, the fantastic food, the diverse culture and authentic hospitality.”

Simon values young talent and admits it can be challenging to get them into the industry nowadays.

“When you go into a certain role in other industries, often it can become stagnant. But in a hotel, the possibilities are unlimited as you can really go far. 

“We talk about work-life balance and while spending time with people is important, I feel what’s more crucial is quality time and building relationships. 

“It’s important to do things outside of work for rejuvenation. I enjoy being around people and believe that one should be open-minded as there’s always room to learn from others who do things better. 

“We are often very critical of ourselves. It’s OK not to take everything so seriously.”

Says the boss who takes a keen interest in what his staff does during the weekends and spends time talking to each and every one of his staff regularly.   

We look forward to seeing more of Simon and what he brings to the table at Four Seasons KL, given how he loves checking out the many food options!

“Every week, we try to visit as many new restaurants as we can, different cuisines, and I reckon we’re unlikely to run out of choices here!”