Have you ever walked into a bar or restaurant and just thought, “This is my jam”? So has Rob Eller. In a role that’s the first of its kind in B.C., maybe in all of Canada, the newly minted “director of ambiance” at Fairmont Pacific Rim is responsible for creating the sonic identity of the luxury hotel, from lobby energy to poolside vibes.
To understand more about one of the hospitality industry’s most unique jobs, we asked the longtime musician and performer how sound shapes a five-star experience.
What does your day-to-day look like?
I oversee the musical vibe of the hotel around the clock, which sounds simple until you realize every space serves a different emotional purpose. The Lobby Lounge needs to be hip and vibrant with newer, more abstract songs. The spa or poolside needs something completely different—maybe tranquil, maybe energizing, depending on the time of day. I’m constantly asking: what do guests need to feel in this moment? I curate playlists and try to put myself in the guests’ mindset to make them feel like they’re exactly where they want to be.
How does this job change how you approach performance as a longtime professional musician?
What I’ve learned is that performing and curating aren’t separate—they’re both about reading the room. When I’m performing, I can see in real-time what’s resonating. When I’m curating soundscapes, I’m imagining myself in that space. And when I talk to guests, they love that I connect personally with them to make them feel like we’re friends. That’s good hospitality.
You’re thinking about music all day at work. What’s on your playlist at home on your days off?
Jeff Beck, Mark Knopfler, Queens of the Stone Age, Afro House, Deep House, to name a few.
