Following reports that the Pattaya Palace Hotel, located
on Beach Road between Soi 5 and Soi 6, Pattaya’s once proud landmark would
soon be brought back to life, this Pattaya Mail reporter, having
lived here for almost 30 years did some research and was able to locate some
of the significant personalities that were instrumental in the operations of
the world renowned hotel, the likes of which would seldom to be found again
in our fair city resort.
Ivo
Nekvapil stands proudly in front of the Hyatt Pattaya Palace.
I located Ivo Nekvapil, whom I had known since the good
old days, some 20 odd years ago, and of late at a number of Skål
International conventions, where we often talked about the bygone days of
Pattaya, the Pattaya Palace and our mutual friends. Which reminds me, when
the Skål Club of Pattaya was formed in 1977, with Georgine Feelders as
president, we celebrated our charter at a Gala Ball held at the Royal Cliff
Beach Resort. Many lucky draw prizes were handed out that night, amongst
which was an airplane ticket including, with the compliments of Ivo Nekvapil,
general manager of the Hyatt Pattaya Palace, two nights stay at the Hyatt in
Singapore. Guess who won that prize. Singapore was fun.
Peter
Mueller in a relaxing moment at one of the famous pool side B-B-Qs and
fashion shows in August 1972.
Ivo is now Chairman/CEO of Micasa International Hotels
and Resorts (MIHR) Consulting Sdn Bhd in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and the
president of the Skål Club of Kuala Lumpur. He was quite thrilled to hear
about the impending rebirth of his old home, which he had helped maintain as
a world class hotel property right to the very end. “Yes, I was the
general manager for the then Hyatt Pattaya Palace right up to the time of
closing. Quite some memories!” Ivo sighed, eyes focussed into the distance
as if piercing the time barrier. “Louis Fassbind (rest his soul) opened
the Pattaya Palace in 1970 and Hyatt took it over around March/April 1973
with Pierre Bonard as the first Hyatt general manager. Robert McFadden
followed him, and then Andre Pury took over the reins. The last GM but not
the least was yours truly. I was general manager from April 1976 up until
May 15, 1980 when we closed the hotel for the Hyatt group.”
Louis
Fassbind (left) and Peter Mueller at a football match in June 1972.
Ivo was just getting started, exclaiming, “In Andre’s
and my time as the No 1 and No. 2 (Andre 1974-1976), the Hyatt Pattaya
Palace was the ‘Best Hotel’ in these parts. We also took pride in being
the tallest and grandest building on Beach Road, even visible from the off
shore islands of Koh Lan and Koh Sak. We had the best seafood restaurant.
The Kon Tiki was the ‘best nightclub’ far and wide. Our poolside BBQ’s
were absolutely unsurpassed, catering to more than 300 people at a time,
always culminating in the grandest and most impressive fireworks display
that one could come up with in Pattaya. We were the pioneers of the MICE
market. Our guests were clients of all the major travel companies such as
TUI, Hotelplan, Kuoni, Jetset, JTA, JTB, Globetrotter/SAS, Tjaerborg,
Neckermann, Italian Il Mondo and so many more that I can’t remember, but
we really did well and memorably too, both for our clients and for our team.
We did it all.
Andre
Pury, Ivo and Anusak Rodboonmee living it up Thai style. Anusak went on to
become Pattaya’s first mayor and is now the GM of Ambassador City Jomtien.
“I know after we (Hyatt) left, the hotel operated for
some time again as the Pattaya Palace but became quite run down. I don’t
know when it really closed.”
With Ivo’s assistance we were then able to locate the
resident manager Peter Mueller who was just as excited to hear about his old
home, provoking his mind to wander through the pages of history. He added
his piece to what is one of the most fascinating stories in Pattaya’s
history. “That is great!” he exclaimed when hearing of the re-opening.
“Thank you for the most interesting information. Bruno Forrer (who passed
away recently) was once the F&B manager and I was the resident manager.
Hans Stettler was the executive chef to Luigi (Louis Fassbind) until Hyatt
came in on the 1st May 1973. Hans stayed on with Ivo for another four years.
Ivo
and Andre Pury prove that the Chaine des Rottiseurs was very active in
Pattaya in the good old days.
“The extension in the back with 50 more rooms was just
completed for the winter season of 1972-73. Luigi and Bruno then left to
start work on the pre opening of the Royal Cliff and I went on to join the
Peninsula Group in Hong Kong. Stettler married Luigi’s secretary Helen and
stayed on, I believe for another 1-2 years.” Peter Mueller couldn’t be
contained in his excitement now, “Yes we always had fantastic pool
parties, BBQ’s with fireworks and regular fashion shows. Robert Hoebel, a
fashion photographer from Munich, organized yearly fashion shows around the
pool. We even constructed a special catwalk bridge over the pool. These
shows were always held first at the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok run by the
legendary Kurt Wachweitl and then came down to the Pattaya Palace. We were
also very famous for our regular Tahitian nights performed by original
Tahitian dance groups including fire-eaters.
Bob
McFadden GM, Hans Stettler executive chef, his wife Helen and Ivo enjoying
cocktails together.
“The ‘Palace’ was also a yearly favourite retreat
for the Swiss football (soccer) champions for many years. They spent their
R&R at the resort for about 10 days. It was either the Grasshoppers
Zurich or Young Bous from Bern. But we also had many other Swiss teams
(lower leagues) at the Pattaya Palace over the first few years of
operations.” Just before Peter Mueller ran out of breath reminiscing the
glorious past of the Pattaya Palace, he added these true words, “Don’t
forget, Luigi was a fantastic PR & marketing man! … I really
appreciate you’re letting me be a part of putting together this nostalgic
information.”
Luigi
and Bruno, without whom, Pattaya’s history would have been completely
different.
Ivo found yet another one of the Pattaya Palace legends:
Pierre Bonard, the first general manager of the Hyatt Pattaya Palace Hotel.
He was pleased to have been contacted and given an update of the on goings
here in Pattaya. “The Pattaya Palace makes us go back quite a few years. I
was there from April 1973 to January 1974 and then went back to Bali to open
the Bali Hyatt. As you may know I decided to retire from Hyatt last February
after 31 years with this company. We went back to Switzerland and left Asia
on March 19, this year, the very same day the SARS epidemic was officially
announced on CNN & the global media. We were glad to miss this new
crisis. I have a couple of job opportunities lining up but I do not want to
work 100% anymore and be under stress! 43 years in the business is enough!
Currently I am working at the Montreux Jazz Festival. It’s fun and only
lasts for 2 weeks!”
This
picture is thrown in just because this happened to be that fateful evening
of the Skål Club of Pattaya’s charter gala ball in 1977 when I won the
lucky draw prize for two nights in the Hyatt Singapore. (R-L) Bill and Tippy
Gilmore, me, Elfi Seitz who is now the executive editor of the Pattaya Blatt,
Bill and Pat Burbridge.
That, I say, sums up the dedication and sacrifice of any
professional hotelier who spend more than half their lifetimes in the
pursuit of perfection of service in the hospitality industry.
There were other personalities who were there, not only
by being present at the Pattaya Palace during those early days, but by doing
so laid the groundwork or rather in today’s terminology ‘wrote the road
map’ for the progress and development of Pattaya into what it is today,
one of the most talked about, most loved and most committed tourist
destinations for generations gone by and for generations to come.
Thank you Ivo, for your kind assistance in bringing back
such fond memories of the great names and events that will be registered in
the historic annals of Pattaya forever.
Banglamung
district chief, Surapol Tiensuwan leads government officials in declaring an
oath of loyalty and respect for H.M. the Queen.
The
whole family joined in to make alms offerings to the monks.
Thanet
Supornsahasrungsi, president of the Pattaya Business and Tourism Association
and Wirawat Khakhai, vice president present their tokens of loyalty to H.M.
the Queen.
Police
Lt. Col. Naradech Klomtuksing chief of the Pattaya Tourist Police (centre)
and Pol. Col. Kamolchai Tienrungroj (2nd right), Pattaya police chief, led a
contingent of police officers in the ceremonies.
Nittaya
Patimasonngkroh (4th right) with members of the YWCA gather together with
Prince (left) and Tony Malhotra (right), who represented the Pattaya Mail,
Pattaya Blatt, Massic Travel and Classic Tailor at the ceremonies.
Sunthorn
Kangsirikul president of the Walking Street, Sukhum Wiphutharnon, Naowarat
Khakhai and Santi Phakdeerattanamitr sing the Royal anthem in praise of H.M.
the Queen.
Naris
Petchrat past district governor (District 310C) represented all the Lions
clubs.
Amrik
Singh presents his token of loyalty on behalf of the Indian community in
Pattaya.
Thawit
Chaisawangwongse chairman of the Pattaya City Council made his presentation
on their behalf.