Mauro Governato, General Manager of luxury hotel
I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Mauro Governato, when he was the General Manager of the Hotel de Russie in Rome, during one of his trips through Paris. Now he is the general manager of the Four Seasons Hotel Milano. We enjoyed a long discussion on the art of welcoming in the hotel industry. You […]
Atelier de Joel Robuchon Bangkok and the NGO Ô Services
Interview with Mr. Quentin Arnould, General Manager, l’Atelier de Joel Robuchon Bangkok He is a member of the NGO Ô Services. Ô Services, is the association was formed with the goal of uniting people from the various spheres of the profession. Their approach involves addressing the youth: convincing them, encouraging them, guiding them, and accompanying them… Quentin Arnould was born and […]
Edouard François, Architect: The French Art of Welcoming
The French Art of Welcoming Edouard François An encounter with architect Edouard François, who took part in the construction of Fouquet’s Barrière Paris. France’s history reveals that we have cultivated a true art of living and welcoming. This expertise and thoroughly French art of welcoming has been considerably developed in luxury hotels, where it remains […]
Repositioning a Hotel
Repositioning a Hotel: A True Challenge Repositioning a hotel reflects a true challenge for an existing hotel structure. It is not an effort from the management alone, or in any case, it shouldn’t be; in my opinion, this would be an assured failure. Repositioning a hotel requires the hotel to assemble and unify its entire […]
An Encounter with Fanélie Gaffinel
Fanélie Gaffinel Following the success of our first conference in January 2013 on the changes in luxury hotel renovations under the involvement of Studio Putman, Jean-Philippe Nuel, and Max Flageollet, I had the pleasure of working with Journal des Palaces to organize a second conference on hotel renovation at the Salon Maison et Objets. I was able to […]
Plaza Athénée: Changing Everything Without Changing Anything
Once Upon a Time at the Plaza Athénée François Delahaye and his team have taken to their feather pens to write the next chapter of the history of the Plaza Athénée. Their ambition is a marvelous one: ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS THE PALACE OF TOMORROW. The hotel has acquired its neighboring buildings in […]
Optimism in the Hotel Industry
Optimism in All Its Forms During the third annual ‘Printemps de l’Optimisme’ held in Paris, I had the pleasure of meeting Thierry Saussez, the founder of this wonderful event bursting alive in positivity and seeking to cultivate the dynamism of businesses across all sectors. I wanted to interview him on the importance of optimism in […]
Hotels in the Mountains, Hotels in the South
Hotels in the Mountains, Hotels in the South… Séverine Pétilaire-Bellet, General Manager of the LOV Hotel Collection Group, lets us in on her vision of the French art of welcoming that she applies each day in her hotels. The LOV Hotel Collection group brings together the following splendid establishments: Les Airelles, Chalet Ormello, Aman Le […]
Banyan Tree Hotel
The art of entertaining at Banyan Tree: when luxury hotels reinvent sustainable hospitality In the world of luxury hotels, some brands do more than just open hotels in prestigious destinations. They build a vision of hospitality. Banyan Tree Holdings is one of those groups capable of transforming a stay into an emotional and human experience. […]
Hospitality trends 2017
Laurent Delporte, trendspotter Each year heralds a new period and new projects, as we are all conditioned to the rhythm of companies who have prepared their budgets for the coming year in relation to projects and the various events of the year. Each of them undertakes projects based on their current situation, their customers and […]
Not a Bar Like the Others at the Plaza Athénée
How to renovate a bar ? A Collaborative Effort with the Head Bartender of the Plaza Athénée Interview with Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku ” We worked together on meeting the desires and operational needs of the bar staff. The head bartender has put a lot of thought into developing ways for improving the operation […]
Neil Jacobs, CEO at Six Senses
Six Senses and the Art of Emotional Hospitality: A 2017 Interview with Neil Jacobs Some interviews gain depth over time. Not because they become outdated, but because they allow us to measure how ideas evolve and, in some cases, how visionary certain approaches already were. The conversation you are about to read was conducted in […]
Repositioning a Hotel, The Example of Hotel Baume
I have a wonderful conversation to share with you all today. Sylvia Harrault is a well-known personality in the hotel industry. She is very involved in the association AICR, as well as in her hotel. She is always coming up with fantastic ideas for her clients. I recommend staying at her hotel if you are […]
In the Spirit of the Plaza Athénée
Opening Up a Breathtaking Space for the Bar of the Plaza Athénée Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku How did you collaborate with the Plaza Athénée? What characterizes your work on the bar, and how did you incarnate the ‘spirit of the Plaza’ in your designs? Our work at the Plaza Athénée has always remained a […]
What Are the Ambitions of Relais & Châteaux?
Phillippe Gombert, Relais & Châteaux Philippe Gombert, President of Relais & Châteaux, attests to the ambitions of the brand over which he presides. I invite you to rediscover his last interview on my blog by clicking here. Philippe Gombert in his own words: Relais & Châteaux has always, for me, been synonymous with passion. One of […]
Hard Rock Hotels
Josh Littman is the EMEA Vice President of Development for Hotels at Hard Rock International, based in London, having joined the company in April 2012. At Hard Rock, he is responsible for expanding the firm’s portfolio of hotels in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, which involves the sourcing of opportunities, negotiation of transaction […]
Haute Couture Hotels: “Away from Home” with Isabelle Miaja
Away from Home with Architect-Designer Isabelle Miaja Last year, I had the pleasure of conducting a roundtable at the Maison & Objet Salon around the theme “Haute Couture Hotels,” in the presence of Isabelle Miaja (architect-designer), Geoffray Maugin (Marketing Director of Sofitel), and Giovanna Golnelli (Marketing Head of Fendi Maison). We addressed various themes and topics […]
Between Hotel and Boutique
Boutique Hotel: Between Hotel and Boutique I recently met with Eric-Jean Floureusse, founder of the concept hotel Hameau des Baux, where he has recently integrated a boutique spirit. What this means: he’s established an exhibition gallery and artist boutique, both of which are redesigned every year, just like an actual gallery. In the space designated […]
Olivier Lapidus and the Art of Welcoming
Olivier Lapidus and the Art of Welcoming A few months ago, I addressed the theme of “high-fashion hospitality.” In line with this theme, allow me to introduce you to Olivier Lapidus, a fashion designer turned interior designer who is perhaps most well known for designing the Félicien Hotel. There, he imported his style, his innovations […]
Culinary Voyage Around the World
A Voyage with Patrick Charvet, Chef Upon meeting Patrick Charvet, the previous head chef at the Hyatt Paris Madeleine, it struck me that he is one of the rare chefs in France to have traveled around the world in search of new culinary horizons. To me, it seems more essential than ever these days to […]
Inspiration Journal: Hotel Professions
Professions in the Hospitality Industry My section on “Inspiration Journals” presents various hotel ambiances along themes that develop according to my visits, my readings, and my given mood. Today I want to turn the spotlight on those artisans who are involved in your hotel stays by examining the wide variety of careers in the hotel industry—those […]
