The Argentina native shared his leadership style, his goals, and his belief that a hotel experience (just like life itself) should offer a sprinkle of fun.
Francisco Holmes Brown is back in Jakarta — and he is ready to take the iconic Kelapa Gading neighbourhood by storm! In a jolly, yet inspiring conversation with Indonesia Expat on Monday, the 21st of October, the recently appointed General Manager of HARRIS Hotel & Conventions Kelapa Gading and POP! Hotel Kelapa Gading Jakarta shared, among many things, his humble beginnings as a chef, the cultural similarities between the Indonesians and the Argentinians, his take on the exciting future awaiting Kelapa Gading as a whole, and why, when all is said and done, it is never impossible to be excellent at one’s work and spreading genuine joy at the same time.
Hi Francisco! Let’s get started by introducing yourself a bit. What can you tell us about yourself?
I am originally from Argentina, South America — which means that whoever likes football must like Argentina as well. Truth be told, my first love was actually the kitchen. My first love was cooking food with my mother and my grandfather. And then, I realised that there is more to this hospitality world than just the kitchen, right? As a chef, I came and worked in Jakarta back in around 2015 or 2016. I also got the chance to work in other exciting countries like the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Malaysia, India, and the Caribbean.
Could you elaborate on why you decided to accept the role of General Manager here at HARRIS Hotel & Conventions Kelapa Gading and POP! Hotel Kelapa Gading Jakarta?
Well, there were two dreams that I wanted to achieve. My first dream was to become a general manager. My second dream, moreover, was to return to Indonesia and join a great company like the teams here at HARRIS Hotel & Conventions Kelapa Gading as well as POP! Hotel Kelapa Gading Jakarta. I think Indonesia has such a fantastic culture, and it’s very compatible with the culture in which I came from. Both the Indonesians and the Argentinians are bold, hardworking, friendly, and warm. Not only I’m proud as well as honoured but I’m also very grateful to be here.
I saw your LinkedIn page. As you said before, you practically started your remarkable career in hospitality as a chef. Do you think your early background as a chef also influenced your leadership style now that you are a general manager?
A hundred percent — and that is such an excellent question! Moreover, you don’t see too many chefs coming out of the kitchen and trying to be in hotel management. Being a chef taught me how to be a hardworking person. Chefs work very long hours. We work very closely with people and we must have a sharp eye for attention to detail. The kitchen also taught me about resilience and how to drive a team because running a kitchen is not a one-man show. Running a hotel is not a one-man show, either. This is a team effort; there is nothing without the team.
Let’s talk about Jakarta. At least from your point of view, what are the prospective hotel guests in Jakarta looking for right now when it comes to hotel experience?
As we know, the market is always evolving — and so are the prospective hotel guests. On top of that, we can now have access to information at our fingertips. As a result, the guests are now much more informed and much more up-to-date with our services as well as our facilities. To boot, they are expecting more from hotels like HARRIS Hotel & Conventions Kelapa Gading and POP! Hotel Kelapa Gading Jakarta. To respond to this so-called ‘evolution’, the key solution, I believe, is the ability to provide a human touch. Without the human touch, the hotel experience would be lost. Here’s an analogy: imagine the best food ever right on your table. This plate that you have in front of you is heaven, and it goes directly to your soul. However, if I give you a bad service, what is supposed to be a heavenly, soulful experience would be lost. That being said, if we give you an excellent dish with excellent service instead, I know you’re going to come back to us. That’s my goal at the moment.
Let’s talk about the Kelapa Gading neighbourhood. I think in the coming years, Kelapa Gading will likely enjoy quite a growth thanks to the development of the LRT routes. How do you think this will affect the operations of both HARRIS Hotel & Conventions Kelapa Gading and POP! Hotel Kelapa Gading Jakarta?
I think any improvements in transportation infrastructure in Jakarta would generate a positive impact for us as well. Also, we must keep in mind that the LRT would also contribute to our collective efforts, as Jakartans, in upholding sustainability. The development of the LRT routes could pave the way for a faster and cleaner way to commute across Jakarta, including the Kelapa Gading neighbourhood. On top of that, the more expansive LRT routes could encourage Jakartans to spend their weekend in the city instead.
I’ve also taken a look at the Instagram page of HARRIS Hotel & Conventions Kelapa Gading. I was particularly impressed with one of the hotel’s upcoming events, “Halloween Agak Laen”, which is set to take place on the 2nd of November. Is this, perhaps, part of your grand plan to make hotel staycation ‘fun’ again?
“Halloween Agak Laen” is going to be spooky, but fun! To see things in a larger picture, though, I believe that we could all agree that life is hard, correct? With that reality in mind, wouldn’t it be better if we could have some fun? Let’s put some fun into life! That doesn’t mean you’re not going to be serious about getting the results, though. My conviction is that we, as hoteliers, can be excellent in our service while doing what we do with a genuine, joyous smile. I know that this sounds like such a cliché, but I do believe that honey produces better results than vinegar.
Is there any particular goal that you and the team would like to accomplish by the end of this year?
Well, we want to close what is already a very successful and strong year with more successes. We would like to have a strong finish once this year wraps up. We are very happy with the results that we have enjoyed thus far, but we are still keen on pushing our work forward. We are definitely looking forward to a more prosperous 2025 as well. There’s always room for improvement.
Speaking of the future, is there any future promotional offer or future collaboration from both hotels that you can tease at the moment?
We’ve been working on several exciting projects. Once we’re ready to announce them and unveil them to the public, we will definitely let you know.
Last but not least, how can our readers reach you, HARRIS Hotel & Conventions Kelapa Gading, and POP! Hotel Kelapa Gading Jakarta?
You can follow our Instagram page @harrisklpgading to keep up with the latest news about HARRIS Hotel & Conventions Kelapa Gading. You can also find out more about HARRIS Hotel & Conventions Kelapa Gading as well as POP! Hotel Kelapa Gading Jakarta by visiting the following website: https://www.discoverasr.com. For those who would like to get in touch with me personally, I’d be happy to connect through LinkedIn as well