The Modern Hotelier #155: Meet the GM of The LaFayette Hotel | with Steve Slack
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Steve Slack: We want our people to come and hang out, experience what we have, and it helps really build that connection. And it's, it's a great thing to see so many of our, our crew here just enjoying what they also then deliver on a daily basis.
Steve Carran: Now we are joined by Steven Slack for a sit down interview. Thanks for joining us, Steven. Thanks for having me. So you're born and raised in San Diego. How did that shape you into who you are today? 
Steve Slack: I mean, yeah, I, I was, grew up in Oceanside, which is North County San Diego, a little farther north outside the city.
But, you know, it's just such a beautiful place to live. I think we really take for granted, like how, how nice we have it here. It's such a tourism centered town that, like I've been around hospitality my entire life and it's such like an important, that important part of the city, um, as far as an industry and whatnot.
David M.: Absolutely. Great. And how did you get started in hospitality? 
Steve Slack: So I got up my very first job when I was probably 18 years old. I was worked at a, a golf course driving the range picker. You know, the, the little tractor that picks up all the golf balls. You take 'em out, you clean the balls, you put 'em in there, and people try to hit you as you're driving through there.
Yeah, you're dodging 'em and stuff. It's, uh, so that was my first job. Um, and then I just kind of, I stayed, kept working in golf through college, just so that was kind of like my part-time job through college. And I kind of progressed into the pro shop and different things. And eventually the company I was working for also had a number of resorts and I got an opportunity on the resort side of things and it just kinda just developed naturally.
It wasn't like something I set out to do, but it was something I, I excelled at and really enjoyed. And it's been, it's been great to me. That's awesome. 
Steve Carran: So Lafayette is such a unique property. Can you give us a little bit of the history? 
Steve Slack: Yeah, I, I mean, it's a historic hotel. It was, uh, built in 1946 when it was built.
Originally, it was this like really opulent, like grand place, you know, as far as hotels go for the time. Bob Hope was the very first guest to sign the guest list here. Um. There was a lot of other, it, it became this getaway for, um, Hollywood types from, you know, whether they were TV stars, musicians, movie stars to come down here.
It was at a time when San Diego was really competing with Palm Springs as that Los Angeles escape getaway and ultimately Palm Springs won out in that term. But, um. It, it was this really like opulent place. Um, eventually sold to Conrad Hilton of all people, and then went through, you know, 70 years of ups and downs and was a variety of things.
Always a hotel, um, and always part of the community. Um, but our group purchased it in 2021, did this $31 million renovation and brought it back to kind of, not its original glory, but it's its own modern version of, of that opulence and, and whatnot here. Sure. 
David M.: It'd be great to hear a little bit more about the ownership group and how, you know, we discuss how that's more food and beverage centric to start.
This is the first hotel. So maybe just talk to us a little bit more about the ownership group. 
Steve Slack: Yeah, so we are fully independent, property owned and operated by a local group here. Um, we don't have a, a formal management company. We're not associated with any brands, but it's, it's CH projects is our, is our company here.
Um. Started as a single restaurant, um, here in San Diego and grew to 19 or so restaurants and bars, all located in San Diego. And then the Lafayette is our first, um, hotel project. And just I think, you know, for us. You know, it was always a natural evolution, um, from restaurants and bars and like restaurants and bars.
Started by being within hotels is kind of the original iteration of it. So it was just a natural progression for us to grow. Um, and we do have two other hotel projects that are in, in various stages of development here in San Diego. That's great. Very nice. So what's your favorite 
Steve Carran: part about working at the Lafayette Hotel?
Steve Slack: I mean. It's such a fun place, and I think honestly, being able to share it with people, like the way, the way people react, the, the, you know, even you guys coming in here, like the first impression. And I think, you know, people don't know, always know what to expect, or maybe they expect something really cool, but just the magnitude of it, being able to share that with people and just the, the reaction, the response, the way it makes people feel is certainly the best part about it.
It's great. Yeah. 
David M.: And we discussed with you how you interview every front of the house employee being an XGM. You've created an amazing culture here, and how have you done that? How's the culture evolved? 
Steve Slack: Yeah, I mean, I, I think like on the hiring note, like that's such, such a critical piece of, of any operation.
We've been very fortunate that, you know, we, we have a strong talent pool and stuff and you know, I've worked places where you're just. You, you're just hiring 'cause you need to fill a need. But we really put a lot of thought into that hiring process, really try to make sure we find people that are not only talented, but have the right values.
Just really connect with us on a certain level. You know, as far as the Lafayette, um, the culture and whatnot. I think our strongest thing, and my thing I'm most proud of is I it sense of community. Both internally within our team, but just the way we connect with this community. We have so many different spaces, and they're all, in some respect, operate them independently.
You know, like the, the Otte has its own gm, the diner has its own gm. We kind of treat the f and b operations independently. But there's this broader Lafayette family, and you'll see people, someone who works in the diner, hang out with people who work in Chiyote and vice versa and whatnot. Um. I've worked in resorts and I'm sure maybe you guys have, where like there's a very strict rule where you're, if you're not working, you're not allowed to be there, right?
Where we actually, we encourage, we, we want our people to come and hang out, experience what we have, and it helps really build that connection. And it's, it's a great thing to see so many of our, our crew here just enjoying what they also then deliver on a daily basis. So, yeah. 
Steve Carran: Do you have any cool stories, um, or experiences that you've been a part of while working here?
Steve Slack: I mean, there, there's a lot of 'em. You know, I think, you know, I think immediately my mind immediately gravitates to like, you know, just some of the, I don't know, maybe celebrities. We've had the opportunity to host here and stuff, and just like, it's, it's pretty interesting. I. Guy FI's been through here a few times and that's been just like a larger than life figure to me.
And just to see and have it like really Revinate with him has been really, really impactful. Really cool. I think just on a personal level, that's what stands out, but I mean as far as like just going through the opening process of this place was so special. In those days where we were in pre-opening, you have all the crew here, you're going through training and you just, there was this real sense that we're doing something special and I think everyone really understood that.
And like I still, you know. I, I still think back to those times. It's just like those, those are this period of time you never get back. 
David M.: We really appreciate the hospitality. Your, your team has been fantastic. We've had a great stay. We've really enjoyed it, so we just wanted to thank you for allowing us to be here and experience the Lafayette.
Steve Slack: Yeah, thank you guys for being here. Like I said, really happy to share it with you guys. It's one of the things I enjoy most.