Walpole: In a world where we’re always available, how do you separate your personal time from your work time?
Charles Oak: As a hotelier, I think you are always "on". That’s not to say you are constantly in work mode, but you view the world through hospitality eyes. I am always taking inspiration from my everyday life to implement in the hotel, be it the first flowers of spring blossoming in my garden prompting me to reflect this change of seasons in the floral decorations at the property, or going on a weekend break away and being influenced by my personal experiences.
What’s one thing you do after the workday to help you unwind?
Cook. I am an avid gastronome and love to spend time poring over recipes, shopping for ingredients and creating something delicious to share with friends, often accompanied by a glass or two of wine, naturally!
What activity do you do in your time away from the office that helps you relax and recentre after a stressful week?
I have two totally adorable Jack Russels and can think of nothing better than heading out with them for a long walk, either locally or packing them up in the car to venture further afield to enjoy an uninterrupted yomp through the English countryside. The poor mobile signal there helps a great deal too! Failing that, I'm a keen squash player, which is a great way to thrash out any stress from the working week.
What’s something you’ve read, listened to or seen in your spare time that’s helped you at work?
Reading is one of my greatest pleasures – man cannot live on fine food and wine alone, the mind must also be nourished! I enjoy a vast and eclectic range of literature, some more cerebral than others, but in terms of recent reads I would have to say Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now. This is a book I have dipped in to and out of for many years, and I recently bought a copy for a talented member of staff to help prime them for their next steps. Quite simply, the book encourages the reader to live in the present; it help you sharpens the focus, drown out the white noise and see what is important. This is something that resonates in both my work and personal life. I feel it is particularly apt for those of us working in hospitality; how people interact with themselves and others is key to succeeding in hotels.
After home and the office, where’s your favourite third space?
I think my epicurean nature is well documented, so I would have to say the kitchen. It really is the heart and soul of our house and the scene of many great nights – and the occasional early morning too!
On Sunday night, how do you prepare yourself for the week ahead?
My working week doesn’t have a start and end time. It’s not that linear; it's more an undulating line as the hotel is a 24-hour, 365-days-of-the-year operation. Of course, there are periods when it requires less of my attention than others, but it is always there. So it's not like I have to prepare on a Sunday night, or any night, I merely have to shift gears.
Best reason you've had to turn your Out of Office on recently?
Quite coincidently, I have had my Out of Office on for two weeks recently. The first week was to attend LE Miami, a travel trade festival dedicated to the thriving high-end contemporary travel market. After almost two years of not being able to attend this trade event, it was a sheer joy to catch up with so many peers and colleagues – and exciting to see the enthusiasm out there for the world to get back to normal.
The second week was a blissful five days spent with good friends (both human and canine) in stunning Salcombe in Devon, with nothing on the agenda other than long walks by the coast and surrounding countryside. Pure heaven!
Your go-to Out of Office outfit: Having to spend most of my time in a suit and tie, I head straight for a polo shirt and shorts (when the weather permits, obviously!).
Your happy place anywhere in the world: It would have to be either Provence or somewhere in Italy. In fact, I am visiting Seggiano in Tuscany later this year.
Your favourite bar or restaurant: There are far too many to mention! London has such a vast array of great restaurants and bars, but one that always has a very special place for me is Randall & Aubin in Soho. My partner, Richard, and I had our first date there. We even named our two dogs Randall and Aubin! I would order the lobster with roasted garlic butter and pommes frites.
Something you booked recently that you'd recommend: I was lucky enough to see Prima Facie with Jodie Comer recently. It was such a powerful play and really made me think. There are parallels to be drawn in all walks of life – how we perceive something versus our view once we have first-hand experience of it.
Something you've listened to or read recently that you'd recommend: It's not new, but there is a song called "London" by Benjamin Clementine that totally resonates with me. The singer was born in London, ran away to Paris as a teenager, and lived homelessly for years whilst playing in bars and hotels. He then sharpened his focus and created the world he wanted for himself. It’s a powerful message.
A hobby you'd like to cultivate: The gym!
A luxury that’s actually a necessity: Fresh flowers. There is a great deal of behavioural research that states the presence of flowers instantly triggers happy emotions. Something about bringing the beauty of nature into the home seems both luxurious and essential to me.
Best luxury under £25: Marks & Spencer’s Eccles cakes. Sublime!
