The Making of a Philanthropist Henry Kallan

The Making of a Philanthropist

—Henry Kallan

Photo credit: al Nanasi, La Femme HU We have all heard the idiom “from rags to riches” that comes from stories written by Horatio Alger (1832-1899) of poor boys who, through their own great work ethic, became rich young men. This is a story of dedication, hard work, and triumph. It is an honour to introduce you to a once poor boy with a great work ethic, Henry Kallan. In 1968, at the age of 21, Henry Kallan immigrated to New York from Czechoslovakia with less than a few shekels in this pocket, no formal education, and most significantly, unable to speak a word of English. Today, Henry is one of the renowned names in boutique hotels with seven hotels: Hotel Elysee, Casablanca Hotel, Hotel Giraffe and the Library Hotel, all in New York City, The Aria Hotel Prague, The Aria Hotel Budapest and the most recently opened, Hotel X Toronto. Collectively, this group of luxury hotels is known as The Library Hotel Collection.

The Journey

Henry was born in a small community on the Hungary-Slovak border where he came from a modest farming family. During the communist takeover, his father refused to capitulate to their wishes and was jailed for five years After receiving amnesty, the family was forced to move to Bratislava, Slovakia where Henry lived until he was 20 years old. In 1968, he immigrated to New York, without the benefit of speaking English and only with the change in his pocket. Henry’s first job in New York paid $1.56 an hour before he landed his first job at the Gotham Hotel as a busboy, which launched his life in the hotel world. His continued growth opportunities didn’t occur by happenchance. Henry knew that one of the most expeditious ways to grow in the hotel industry and improve his English skills was to work at the front desk. Henry took a chance and offered to work the front desk for three weeks without pay and he has not looked back. After working at the front desk and polishing his English, he earned his way to being the Front Office Manager at the Delmonico Hotel and from there, moved to the prestigious Drake Hotel.

I tend to think I am a happy and positive individual, and I try to create a happy environment for my employees and guests. I encourage staff to be free, to be themselves and empower them to make the right decisions for the benefit of both the guests and the hotel. —Henry Kallan

Henry wanted the opportunity to grow but the traditional way was not fast enough for this enthusiastic and passionate individual. Six months into his position at the Drake Hotel, Henry asked the General Manager if he could learn the business from soup-to-nuts. Three years later, Henry knew every aspect of operating a hotel. Ironically, the Gotham Hotel, where Henry started 20 years ago as a busboy, asked if he would return and help the hotel become profitable, Henry accepted the challenge. The success didn’t go unnoticed as the famous Loews Hotel offered Henry the General Manager position at their 500 room Warwick Hotel. After 12 years, Henry successfully helped Warwick Hotel achieve a global presence. Henry had the skills, the knowledge, the confidence, and the greatest challenge, his fluency in English, was no longer an issue. The time was now to plunge from the security blanket of being an employee to the dangling rope of ownership. With a toolbox filled with confidence, experience, and hotelspecific skills at the highest level, Henry purchased the dilapidated Hotel Wales and created the first boutique hotel in New York. This is where he launched his signature concept of a beautiful rooftop garden, an all-day club room, free breakfast, and a wine and hors d’oeuvres evening reception. Most importantly, the hotel offered the best value in New York. Henry sold his interest in the property in the early 1990s to pursue the purchase and restoration of Hotel Elysee, followed by the Casablanca Hotel in 1996; Hotel Giraffe in 1999; and the Library Hotel in 2000, all in New York. The brand expanded with the first international project in 2003 with Aria Hotel Prague and Aria Hotel Budapest opened in 2015. His foray into the Canadian market was launched in 2018 with the opening of the magnificent 400 plus room, Hotel X Toronto situated on the scenic waterfront of Lake Ontario. Theoretically not a boutique hotel, it certainly has every attribute of the signature concept of Henry’s boutique hotels. The journey from busboy to hotelier was a 50-year marathon and Henry Kallan is still running.

The Philanthropist

When Henry met David Foster in late 2018 and became familiar with the Foundation which supports families going through the life-saving organ transplant process, he didn’t hesitate to become a generous supporter. It won’t be a surprise to anyone as Henry is one of the ‘good guys’ and at the end of the day, the families we support win the day. The Foundation is honoured to have Hotel X Toronto as an integral part of the next fundraising event An Intimate Evening with David Foster, A Night on Broadway in May.

Acknowledge excerpts from Margie Goldsmith article ”Immigrant Goes From Busboy To Hotel General Manager in Seven Years” Forbes, February 1, 2019 and Nicole Carlino…..Q&A with Henry Kallan, Hotel Business, February 7, 2017.

Lessons learned by John Danson

After reading many articles about Henry’s road to success and perhaps more importantly, the time I have spent with Henry, I realize that the lessons learned are many. When I think of Henry, the following words come to mind from a personal perspective: integrity, family, friendship, passion, principled. From a business perspective, Henry’s words of wisdom resonate with me, “My roles changed but my principles remained the same.”