(Vancouver July 10, 2018) Adam Laker, the newly appointed general manager of Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, has moved up in the world – to the northern hemisphere for the first time in his career. Born in the UK, he moved as a teen with his family to Australia and has worked in swoon worthy destinations for the past 25 years.
“My family and I are really closet Canucks,” he explains. “We’ve had a home in Whistler for several years and holidayed there every chance we could. We love the outdoors – skiing, snowboarding, hiking, camping, hockey, fishing and biking – and delighted to be in Canada full time and able to explore the nature at our door step.”
Laker arrives just in time to start plans for hotel’s 80th anniversary in 2019. He will also oversee the Fairmont Gold floor renovations – the last of the $55+ million makeover at the “castle in the city” that is restoring the hotel to a new era of luxury.
Laker knows the hospitality business from the ground up. While studying at university for his Bachelor of Business, he started in the stewarding department of a hotel and mopped floors.With degree in hand, he worked his way up the ladder, starting in food and beverage and then held several progressive positions with hotel companies in Australia. In 2003, Laker became general manager of the Stamford Grand Hotel in Adelaide and oversaw a hotel refurbishment which took the hotel to a five-star rating. Two years later he joined Sofitel Gold Coast and in 2006 became general manager of Sofitel Reef Casino in Cairns, Australia. Following the devastation of the tsunami, Laker moved to Thailand and was responsible for the construction and opening of the beachside J.W. Marriott Resort & Spa Khao Lak.
In 2010, he rejoined ACCOR as general manager of Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa in the Fiji Islands and was transferred to Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila, Philippines as general manager before being appointed to ACCOR area general manager for the Philippines. With his Aussie background, barbecuing has become part of his DNA and Laker and his wife (who is a chef), are looking forward to setting up the grill, getting a dog for their three sons, and discovering more trails and campsites of British Columbia.