Jean-Pascal Bernet, General Manager of Radisson Hotel Chateau de Bangkok, is overseeing the repositioning and relaunch of a Bangkok hotel with more than three decades of history.
Located in the Ploenchit neighborhood, the contemporary upscale city hotel combines Thai cultural touches with a more contemporary interpretation of the property’s established identity. For Bernet, the challenge is not simply to introduce the hotel to the Radisson family, but to preserve the character that has made Chateau de Bangkok a familiar name while building a new service culture around Radisson’s “Yes I can” philosophy.
Bernet began his hospitality career after discovering that an internship in banking was not for him. A second internship at a small family-run hotel changed his direction, introducing him to the energy of guest interaction, events and hotel operations.
After working in front-of-house and operational roles with Hyatt and IHG properties in Europe, he graduated from HIM Hotel Institute de Montreux and moved to Asia, where he progressed through operational and hotel management positions with Accor.
Hotel openings and repositioning projects have become a recurring part of his career, making the relaunch of Chateau de Bangkok a natural next chapter.
We spoke with Bernet about his career, leadership style, guest service philosophy, the hotel’s Ploenchit location and what guests can expect as the property continues its development.
From Switzerland to Bangkok: Jean-Pascal Bernet’s Career
1. What do you do at Radisson Hotel Chateau de Bangkok?
I am the General Manager, leading the overall commercial strategy, operations and relaunch of this iconic Bangkok property.
My focus is to translate the Radisson “Yes I can” service philosophy into a localized version that represents the brand while also paying tribute to the more than 30-year legacy of Chateau de Bangkok.
Paramount is the stay experience we create through our Moment Makers and creating a home-away-from-home feel.
2. Can you tell us about your career journey and how you became a hotel general manager?
Growing up in Switzerland, I dreamed of working in a bank, but after having the opportunity to intern, I was bored to death.
I then had another opportunity to intern at a small, family-run hotel, and that was it. The joy of interacting with guests, the hustle and bustle during events and the check-out rush before noon sparked my excitement for the industry.
I began through front-of-house and operational roles across Europe with Hyatt and IHG properties. After graduating from HIM Hotel Institute de Montreux, I moved to Asia and progressed through operations and hotel manager positions with Accor.
Opening and repositioning hotels has been a recurring theme throughout my career, which led to this fantastic opportunity here at Radisson Hotel Chateau de Bangkok.
3. What type of hotel do you manage, and how does this influence your daily operations?
It is a contemporary upscale city hotel with timeless elegance and Thai cultural touches.
Our daily operations balance business and leisure guests while maintaining a high level of service consistency under our promise that every moment matters.
Repositioning Chateau de Bangkok
4. Why did you want to become the manager of this hotel?
This property has genuine soul and history.
Bringing it into the Radisson family, refreshing the experience while respecting its legacy, and building a caring and cheerful team in one of the most competitive hotel markets was the challenge I was looking for.
5. What have you accomplished so far, and what will you try to accomplish at the hotel?
We successfully completed the repositioning and soft opening, embedding Radisson values and culture.
Going forward, our focus is on the consistent delivery of elevated and personalized service, strong financial and guest satisfaction performance, and becoming a preferred venue for meetings and social events.
Service, Leadership and the Guest Experience
6. In your opinion, what factors contribute to excellent customer service?
Genuine empowerment, attentive listening, proactive personalization, consistency and the ability to recover gracefully when something goes wrong.
7. How do you motivate and develop your team to provide exceptional customer service?
By modeling the behavior I would want them to demonstrate when treating our guests.
I believe in creating a safe environment that allows for mistakes, while at the same time encouraging people to take ownership and make things right.
8. What steps do you take to personalize the guest experience, especially for repeat customers?
We use guest preference data, pre-arrival communication, thoughtful in-stay gestures and genuine conversations.
We aim to remember details and make guests feel recognized. Small actions that do not seem significant can make for a memorable stay — a towel animal, a coffee preference or the preferred room layout. Simple things can make all the difference.
Connecting Guests With Bangkok
9. How does your hotel engage with local tourism, and how important is this connection to your brand?
It is very important.
We actively highlight local attractions and partner with venues and points of interest in our neighborhood.
We also emphasize sourcing local ingredients, such as Hundreds Heritage tea grown in northern Thailand with unique flavor blends, as well as locally produced artisan cheeses and a premium jam range that we incorporate into our breakfast spread.
Authentic local connections strengthen the guest experience.
10. What attractions would you recommend to hotel guests?
It depends on the guest’s preferences and purpose of visit.
For active guests, we are in a fantastic location close to Lumphini and Benjakitti parks, which offer excellent running trails.
For shoppers, we are within walking distance of major malls including Central Embassy, Central Chidlom and the One Bangkok complex.
For local flavor, I recommend exploring our Ploenchit neighborhood, especially around Ruamrudee Road, which offers art galleries, coffee shops and an abundance of renowned eateries and long-standing favorites among the local community.
The Hotel’s Positioning and Future Development
11. What is the hotel’s USP, and how has it positioned itself in this competitive market?
Our location, the rooms and our service culture.
We are an iconic, spacious sanctuary in the prestigious Ploenchit neighborhood that blends timeless elegance with modern elements — central yet residential, with our genuine “Yes I can” service culture.
We position ourselves as a refined, reliable base for both business and leisure travelers seeking character and convenience.
12. Are there any exciting developments or changes happening at the hotel that guests should look forward to?
We are still completing our leisure facilities on our recreational floor to offer more wellness options for our guests.
There is also one more rooftop space to be completed by Q1 2027, which will be announced very soon.
Sustainability in Daily Operations
13. How do you incorporate sustainability or eco-friendly practices into hotel operations?
For us, it is about the seamless integration of responsible business practices into our daily operations without impacting the guest experience.
It starts with equipping our team with knowledge about sustainable practices and understanding why they are necessary in the first place.
It continues with proper communication so our guests know which services they can make use of.
We have all the amenities our distinguished guests would expect, including eco-friendly single-use products and dispenser bottles for our wet amenities.
Instead of relying solely on a large breakfast buffet, we offer additional à la carte options to help combat food waste.
We also offer a water solution from Rynn, which not only cuts back on bottle waste but reduces our carbon footprint by eliminating transportation and delivery.
Leadership, Challenges and the Road Ahead
14. What is your leadership style?
I have a very collaborative leadership style.
I am visible and on the ground while empowering decisions to be made on the spot. I believe in clear and open communication.
15. What are your greatest strengths?
Team building across cultures and generations, calm decision-making under pressure, and an open and curious mindset.
16. What aspects of hotel management do you find most rewarding and most challenging?
The most rewarding part is seeing team members grow from entry-level positions and meeting them sometimes years later after they have developed into management leaders themselves.
The challenging part is keeping all stakeholders aligned.
17. How would you react to a negative review online?
We welcome all kinds of feedback, as this allows us to view our hotel from a different angle.
While certain aspects might not have crossed our minds previously, a negative review always allows us to take a step back and review what has gone wrong while giving us the opportunity to improve our services for the future.
I typically give an honest response and fully admit if something went wrong, extend a sincere apology and always welcome the opportunity to redeem ourselves.
18. What are your interests outside of work?
Spending quality time with my family and finding new F&B hot spots around this never-sleeping city.
19. What advice would you give to youngsters joining the hotel industry?
Being patient, staying humble and staying curious.
Rapid Fire with Jean-Pascal Bernet
To wrap up the interview, we asked Jean-Pascal Bernet a rapid-fire round of questions, covering travel habits, hotel life and a few personal favorites.
1. Window seat or aisle seat?
Aisle — easy exit.
2. Hotel breakfast or room service in bed?
Hotel breakfast — in particular when I have time and can enjoy the spread.
3. Most-used app while traveling?
Outlook — always connected to my email inbox.
4. One hotel item guests always secretly take?
Ballpens — especially the nice ones that have some weight.
5. Your guilty pleasure after a long shift?
Swiss chocolates.
6. If your hotel had a theme song, what would it be?
Clair de Lune — offering a calm oasis in this bustling city.
7. Most dramatic guest complaint ever — in one word?
“Unacceptable!”
To be fair, we do appreciate all feedback and take it as a point we can work on to improve.
8. Lobby scent or lobby playlist — which matters more?
Both matter, but a slight edge for the playlist, setting the mood and ambience.
9. If you could swap jobs with one department for a day, which would it be?
Concierge desk — I love the genuine interactions with guests, providing recommendations and organizing their stay.
10. One travel habit you wish guests would stop doing?
Listening to videos or music on their phones in public instead of using headphones or earbuds.
For Bernet, the next chapter for Radisson Hotel Chateau de Bangkok is about balancing continuity with change: maintaining the character and history of a long-established property while building a contemporary guest experience and service culture under the Radisson brand.
With additional leisure facilities in development and another rooftop space expected by Q1 2027, the repositioning of Chateau de Bangkok is continuing beyond its initial relaunch.
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