On Oct. 22, Hugh Smythe will receive the Freedom of the Municipality recognizing his contribution to the Whistler community. Many of you working in Whistler today, especially on the frontline, may not know Hugh or what he has done for this community. I would like to share a perspective.
As a tourism destination, Whistler has built its reputation for being an amazing place to visit, live and invest in large part due to Hugh. I came to Whistler in 1991 to operate a restaurant under the Blackcomb/Intrawest banner. We had a pretty good year and after the completion of my contract, I somehow convinced Hugh and a few others that I could run the food-and-beverage operation for the entire mountain. I was hired and my journey with Blackcomb and Hugh began.
I thought I had a firm grasp on the business and the effective management of labour and cost of goods. The operations scored full marks with both the health and liquor boards. Revenues were good. But for Hugh, that stuff was all expected. He wanted the unexpected. He demanded a great guest experience for every single guest, every single day. It was about the experience. Hugh looked at the operation from the front door in, never the balance sheet out. He used Disney and the Four Seasons as our aspirational targets. The best cinnamon buns in the business; outstanding après ski; five-star dining in Christine’s; a hut experience that would rival European resorts. He was unrelenting in our quest to be excellent.
During this time, Blackcomb competed toe-to-toe with Whistler Mountain, every day. We fought for market share and we tried to be a little bit better in everything that we did. Grooming, snowmaking, rentals, F&B, lift efficiency, safety. It was a great battle every day and once we merged, our focus shifted from battling across Fitzsimmons Creek to battling across North America.
Hugh was never satisfied. Having his office overlook the Merlin’s patio provided me with real-time feedback. And stress. When we had a great result, he made sure we had the funds to thank our staff and to celebrate the moment. But he never let us become complacent. He was naturally curious and I read more books during my time working with Hugh than I did in university. One book title from Hugh’s library was In Search of Excellence. That was Hugh. Every day. Every guest. One at a time.
My time with Intrawest lasted 16 years and I learned more from Hugh than any person along the way. I always kept the “guest-first” philosophy in every role that followed—the Canucks, Oilers, national restaurant chains. It wasn’t really a philosophy, but rather a mission, instilled by Hugh.
The recognition that mayor and council are bestowing upon Hugh is certainly high praise. But Hugh has meant so much more to this community. I encourage every businessowner and hospitality employee to take a moment and thank Hugh, in your own way. I’ll be at the council meeting on Oct. 22 to shake his hand and say thanks for teaching me that the most important thing in business is always the guest.
