Professional hotelier with a zest for life

It takes a certain level of chutzpah to wear a purple tie, exactly what you would expect of Karl. He’s a free spirit and every bit gung-ho!

Well, he and his staff have just been having a champagne breakfast to celebrate after the Hotel InterContinental won the Best Accommodation prize at the recent Kenya Tourism Awards.

So yes, the ‘loud’ tie reflects the man and his staff’s mood.

Karl, an Austrian, has worked with InterContinental Group of hotels for 30 years.

“I recently bought these cool speakers in the plane,” he says, holding up small fancy Lifetrons speakers. “Let’s listen to some music through this interview, shall we?”

He then plugs them into his iPad 1 and soon “Rocking round the world” by English rock band, Status Quo, fills the room.

“Cool, eh?” he asks as he smiles broadly. Karl is funny, energetic and possesses an overpowering witticism. Through the course of the interview he drinks two cups of espresso.

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A purple tie, are you sending someone a message?

(Laughs) I’ve always been big on fashion. In my bachelor days, I had my own cool style of jeans and leather boots and the works, quite hip.

Unfortunately it didn’t impress many of my girlfriends, forced me to focus on short relationships (Laughs). But my wife is a fashion designer, so she informs a lot of my fashion sense.

Your wife is Ugandan. Where did you guys meet?

Here in Nairobi, at her birthday party. She still considers me her birthday gift after 22 years of marriage! (Laughs).

Twenty-two years! I’m surprised you are still standing strong!

Of course and still standing strong everywhere! (Winks).

If you weren’t working in the hospitality industry, what would you be doing?

I would be a football star, a rock and roll star, or a teacher.

Like a schoolteacher?

No, a teacher of life.

Oh, you mean like Paulo Coelho? Well, how about you condensing the wisdom of life for us then?

You can’t condense life because life evolves in different phases; it’s constantly evolving. My advice? Live it as it comes. I enjoy life. I enjoy God even though I should work more on my faith.

You mentioned a rock star.

Yes! Hey, my 10-year-old has a rock band. How cool is that? He goes to Kenton School. He’s a great kid, full of energy; my wife says he takes after me.

He has a concert this weekend, maybe you should come watch him play, he’s phenomenal! The other day I went to his school and other parents walked up to me saying how cool my son is, how great his band is. I was almost giving out autographs! (Laughs)

What are your fears?

Besides what you will write about me? (Laughs) I fear something happening to my kids (three sons and one daughter aged, 12, 10, seven and five).

If my wife called now, or my boss called I wouldn’t pick but if one of my kids called, I will pick. Fatherhood changes urgencies.

Who is the one person you would like to have dinner with?

Jack Nicholson.

Crazy chap, he had a very colourful past in his youth; drugs and women. But a great actor, still.

Yes, I like him (he proceeds to do an impression of Jack) “He won’t be on the table for too long!”(Laughs) I also loved him in the movie Bucket List with Morgan Freeman.

Morgan Freeman, another mad one, heard he married his step granddaughter? Wonder if they were only rumours?

Yes! Brilliant! (Laughs)

Talking of which, what’s on your bucket list?

I have climbed Kilimanjaro, been to the Amazon and I have gone shark diving in Cape Town with my sons. On my list is gorilla tracking, tigers in India and polar bear safari in the North Pole.

Your energy is amazing, do you work out?

I train kids soccer at Kenton. Yes, I’m super at soccer, the best you can get (laughs). I gym four times a week and I cycle.

I’m a fighter, always have been. I watch boxing, UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship).

My 10-year-old son is actually a taekwondo black belt. Growing up in Vienna we always had street fights that I engaged in.

And later in life I was the vice-president of the American football club in Munich, during winter we used to keep our guys fit by fighting (Chuckles).

OK then, when was the last time you punched someone in the face, tough guy?

Last week. (Long pause) In training (Laughs). I train in self-defence.

Did you know it takes two and half seconds for someone to decide and actually pull the trigger? I learnt that in Dubai recently when I trained in how to handle hostage situations. So yes, I’m a fighter, I can put a guy down in three seconds.

You drink?

Yes, red wine. I love the wine bar at Sankara Hotel. Great South African Shiraz, they have.

What do you spend most of your money on?

My wife (Laughs), Ok and the kids’ education.

What’s your prized possession?

I have this rubber wristband that I got after climbing Mt Kilimanjaro, it’s the first and last mountain I will climb. It pushed me to the limit, fired my spirit and sharpened my vision of life.

Thanks, Karl. You have been a sport. And hey, keep the tie.

(Laughs) I knew you secretly liked this tie.