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Alberto del Hoyo

General Manager

Beverly Hills Hotel

He calls the Beverly Hills Hotel a small city, which makes Alberto del Hoyo the mayor. And he’s a very hands-on city official.

Overseeing 470 employees and 250 rooms, it’s Del Hoyo’s job to make sure that the Pink Palace doesn’t ever lose one of its five Mobil travel guide stars. The coveted top ranking means that the hotel can accommodate the fastidious whims and desires of its guests.

“If man X arrives and doesn’t like the yellow flowers in his patio, we’ll remove them and put in white ones because that’s what makes him happy,” Del Hoyo said.

Whether tasting a new Creole sauce or assessing new plants for the garden, Del Hoyo’s hours are far from routine. “I come every day of the year. The hotel never sleeps. It’s 24 hours,” he said.

That means arriving at 8 a.m. and leaving about 12 hours later, although sometimes he’ll stay until midnight. Saturdays are another eight-hour day. Sunday he eases up to about three hours of work, so he can spend time with his family.

“They support me. I couldn’t do this without them,” he said.

His treasured perquisite? Eating at the Polo Lounge every day. “I have to test the menu. It’s my job. It’s a quality-control lunch,” Del Hoyo explained.

Nola Sarkisian