Peter Lawrence

What Do you do?

I am one of the owners of Wythe Hotel. My day-to-day role is the General Manager of the property.

Do you have a favorite hotel in the world?

I love the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Bangkok; it’s a classically romantic hotel that is full of great history and atmosphere. I also love smaller spots that have a great story – Hotel San Jose in Austin, Graham & Co. in the Catskills and Lafayette House in NYC are a few good examples.

Did you always have passion for hotels or was it something you fell into by chance?

My first job was in a hotel in Australia, and I have been involved in various areas of hospitality throughout my career. I have always loved the social nature of this work, and the way that a really good team works together towards a collective vision. Sharing my days with a team like that is one of the great joys of my life.

Who do you most admire in the hospitality world?

I really admire all the people who think outside the box and see potential for great spots where no-one else does. Their creations are always the most personal and interesting. I also admire all the people in this industry who use their daily interactions to be spectacular… whether it’s an unexpected kindness, a thoughtful gesture or a timely word, these are the people who are practicing genuine hospitality.

How do you feel about today’s Brooklyn?

Brooklyn would be the 4th largest city in the country if it stood alone. That it is now viewed as a separate city with offerings of food and culture and creativity that are specific to Brooklyn (and world class) is pretty great. How Brooklyn retains all this creative energy will be the real challenge moving forward.

Are you planning any more hotels? And if so where would you like them to be?

No more hotels planned for the moment. We would have to find an amazing building in a really interesting spot to get us excited to go again.

If you had the day off tomorrow where would you be?

In the ocean with my kids.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

An architect or photographer…but physics turned out to be a mystery to me - and my wife is a much much more talented photographer than I ever was.

Do you have a hotel anecdote you’d like to share?

In the second month we were open we had the chance to host 6 of the cheese makers from Jasper Hills. (www.cellarsatjasperhill.com) We took payment for the rooms from them in cheese.

What’s your favorite Minibar item or amenity?

We stock a 750ml bottle of Brooklyn Radius from the Brooklyn Brewery, it’s the only place you can get Radius in a bottle and it’s a great beer. And I really love our radiant heated floors in all our guest rooms. In the winter it is such a great (energy smart) luxury to turn our concrete floors into a soft warm surface.