Through the Lobby with Rupert from Ru&Co
If you have ever been lucky enough to meet Rupert from Ru&Co you'll know that he oozes passion and energy and you can guarantee that within seconds you will be smiling.
Ru&Co are a boutique representation agency looking after 18 gorgeous hotels across the world, from London, to Thailand to America.
We featured Ru&Co on 2 of our Through the Lobby sessions (links below) and we are delighted to share a bit more about Rupert and the wonderful properties in the short interview below.
Tell us a little bit about yourself, your role and how long you have worked at Ru&Co?
Well, I was born and raised in Zimbabwe until I was 23 when I completed my hotel school education and arrived in the UK to start my career. I spent 4 years in operations for a country house golf and spa resort before deciding I was far more suited to Sales! Following my time there I moved in to London and spent 8 years at used to be The Savoy Group (The Savoy, Claridge’s, The Connaught, The Berkeley and The Lygon Arms). I then moved across to Rocco Forte Hotels for 8 years and then on to head up the London office of The Leading Hotels of the World which I did for 5 years before biting the bullet and setting up Ru&Co in the Autumn of 2018. I live in Sussex and Dalston and share my home with my French Bulldog Mathilde and my cat Millie.
What makes Ru&Co so special?
Ru&Co is a boutique representation agency looking after 18 gorgeous hotels across the world. We are special as each is independent, privately owned and they all compliment each other beautifully. We are able to offer something to everyone which is an absolute joy. What we love is each hotel has embraced us into their teams and we are very much a part of each hotels sales and marketing teams which is sometimes unusual for representation agencies. This is an essential part of our pitch when we are approached by potential new partners as we feel it is critical to have this close relationship with each hotel and this is why we work on a 1:10 sales person to hotel ratio so each is looked after in an independent and unique way.
What is the best event that you have hosted at Ru&Co?
With 18 partners this question is too difficult to answer well but of course our own client events here in the UK are fabulous! Our most recent were two picnics we hosted in Green Park in the Summer for some of our clients – was such fun and the first events since March – was wonderful to connect in person with everyone rather than through Zoom!
What do you think makes a good event?
I believe an incredible venue, fabulous entertainment, food and drink are key – it sounds very basic and simplistic, but these are the things that create memories and story telling opportunities. Great efficient service and a creative events manager are critical.
What events are most suited to your hotels?
We have such a multitude of choice in the portfolio from exclusive buyouts of the only privately owned island in Phuket or a country house in Devon, to massive production in Mexico, Madeira and Miami. Clients looking for that “something special” need look no further than the Ru&Co portfolio.
What plans and safety measures have you put in place to welcome guests and event bookings at your venues?
All hotels during lockdown have worked enormously hard to prepare their hotel to receive guests – from private / virtual arrival procedures; to electronic menus; to not letting bedrooms out for 72 hours after the previous guest has left. They are all ready!
Describe your hotel group in 3 words?
Diverse, Exceptional, Luxury
What do you love most about working for Ru&Co?
The fact that we are independent like our hotels are we have the capability of making things happen, even if the requests are “out of the ordinary”. Likewise with the hotels, they only make their own rules so we can break them when we need to make it all work for the client! The other thing I love is the choice we are able to offer a client so we can normally find something perfect for them!
Want to know more about the Ru&Co Collection or Rupert himself? Visit Rupert’s LinkedIn Profile or visit the Ru&Co website.
