Consumer >> CEO Interviews >> April 7, 2003
THOMAS W. LATOUR is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of
Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group, LLC. For the past 19 years, Mr.
LaTour has been creating the ideal settings for moments of truth,
both for employees who work at and travelers who have chosen to
stay in one of Kimpton Group's 37 boutique hotels. Kimpton Group
Founder Bill Kimpton originally created the popular niche of
intimate, highly personalized hotels. He launched the concept in
San Francisco in 1981 when he began acquiring and renovating
historic buildings and transforming them into charming hotels
paired with chef-driven restaurants, each with its own
personality. Since Mr. LaTour partnered with Bill Kimpton in
1983, he has been instrumental in helping shape most of the hotel
and restaurant properties, and with making them flourish in an
environment that has become increasingly competitive in every
respect. Today, Mr. LaTour is responsible for the overall
strategic and operational direction and growth of the company and
of the collection of unique hotels and restaurants it operates in
13 cities in the US and Canada. He is also focused on extending
the company's reach nationwide while maintaining its unique
profile. Prior to joining the Kimpton Group in December 1983, Mr.
LaTour was employed by Amfac Hotels for 10 years. He joined Amfac
in 1973 as Regional Manager for this diversified hotel and
restaurant chain, which operated 17 hotels across the country. At
the time of his departure from Amfac, he was Senior Vice
President of Administration. Prior to his employment with Amfac,
Mr. LaTour was a General Manager for the Sky Chef division of
American Airlines. Mr. LaTour received his degree in Hotel and
Restaurant Management from Michigan State University in 1966 and
in 1980 completed the Program for Management Development at
Harvard Business School. Profile
Restaurants ?
Mr. LaTour: We are the leading operators of boutique hotels in
the United States. Boutique is a niche market,
