Ballantyne Magazine

FALL 2010

Ballantyne Magazine covers news, events, real estate, restaurants, shopping, health, schools and business in the upscale Ballantyne Area of Charlotte, NC.

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| interview GLOBAL GLEAM Polish on The Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge By Tony Mecia New GM Adriaan Radder Keeps Photos By Shane Baskin Adriaan Radder ADRIAAN RADDER HAS MANAGED some of the most luxurious hotels around the world, from Saudi Arabia to Holland to the Bahamas. Now, he's taking what he's learned over the last 25 years and channeling it into making The Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge an even more attractive place for guests. Radder, who took over as general manager in May, says there's no reason the hotel can't continue to be one of the top luxury resorts in the world — but that it's not resting on its reputation. "When you're No. 1, the hardest part is to stay No. 1," he says. "It's a lot easier to shoot for No. 1 than to stay there. Even though it's a great hotel, it can always be better." The hotel has been the most visible face of the Ballantyne area since it opened nearly 10 years ago. On any given day, there's a flurry of activity, from wedding receptions to corporate meetings to charity dinners, in addition to hotel guests and locals dining and hitting the spa and golf course. It regularly hosts celebrities when they come to town, though the hotel doesn't like to name names. The hotel has won awards from Starwood Hotels & Resorts for having the highest guest satisfaction scores in its category the last two years. 30 BALLANTYNE MAGAZINE With Radder running the hotel's day-to-day operations, it's gaining a veteran of luxury resorts whose career has spanned the globe. "This is all I do, all I've ever done, and all I know to do," he says. Radder, 55, grew up in the Netherlands. His parents ran a bakery, but he quickly decided as a boy that the lifestyle of rising before dawn to bake bread wasn't for him. As a teen, he took a job at a small restaurant, working as a busboy, waiter and bartender. He loved it. He learned that he enjoyed working in a happy environment. "When people go out, they're in a good mood. They're there to have fun," he explains. "I like creating a fun experience." He later branched into hotels. He found them more interesting, because there are so many more parts of the operation. Now, after stints at Marriotts and Ritz-Carltons and Paradise Island's One&Only; Ocean Club (which was featured in the James Bond film "Casino Royale"), Radder says living and working in Ballantyne feels just as comfortable as it did in some of those stunning locations. From sitting at the pool to playing golf, guests CELEBRATING TEN YEARS 2000-2010 FALL 2010

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