DEREK PICOT

Veteran hotelier Derek has worked in senior positions on five continents, most recently as regional vice president for Jumeirah’s hotels and resorts in Europe. He now consults for hotel owners and luxury developers, advising on design and trends in hospitality. In his regular column (page 54), he takes a wry look at his many peculiar experiences working in the hotel business, which he mined for use in his lockdown mission: writing a novel.