Page 194 - Midas Touch

as well think big.” My goal was to build skyscrapers, and you have to
think big in that case. To me, it was common sense to be thinking big.

Robert says there is a big difference between “little things that count” and
“thinking small.” He’s right. When I was building Trump Tower, my father
couldn’t understand why I wanted to use glass when bricks had always

worked just fine for him and were less expensive. But my vision was a
sleek tower, and glass was one of the details that would make it an
exceptional and beautiful building. I know my father was impressed and
proud when Trump Tower opened to rave reviews, but there was no
convincing him that glass would work better than bricks when I first
showed him my plans. I just had to stick to my vision. I had the big

picture, and I wasn’t changing it. That picture was to make it the best
building in Manhattan.

Just as Domino’s knew that people wanted pizza fast, I knew that there
were people out there who wanted luxurious surroundings and
personalized, exceptional service. I was confident that, with attention to
the little things, the details, we could deliver on this need.

Every big picture is full of small details. Every big symphony has an
amazing number of instruments and very minute details that add up to an

incredible sound. When I think big, which is often, you can be sure I’m
aware of the myriad little things that we will have to account for. Watching
the construction of a building from the foundation up will give you a good
idea of what we often take for granted, the particulars that give the
building a strong foundation as well as character. There was a point when I

would walk up the stairs to the top floor of my buildings (which can be
very high) just to get the feel of the building. Of course, I was also
checking the condition of the stairwells and everything else, because
everything matters—whether it’s seen or not. It also kept me and my
security guards in pretty good shape.

The Trump Hotel Collection has met with considerable success. We have
received the Mobil Five-Star Awards for Trump International Hotel &

Tower in New York, as well as Travel + Leisure magazine’s #1 “Hotel in
the U.S. and Canada” award for Trump International Hotel & Tower
Chicago. Our hotel in SoHo, New York—Trump SoHo—made Travel +