Hospitality, beyond material comfort In the collective imagination, hospitality in the medical environment is often limited to a few visible elements: cleanliness of rooms, quality of meals, comfort of furnishings. However, reducing this concept to material aspects impoverishes its scope. The term “hospitality”, derived from the Latin hospes – meaning both host and guest – […]
In 2025 and 2026, the spa sector is at a strategic turning point. At the latest Forum Hôtel & Spa, the leading event in Paris for professionals in the well-being and upscale hotel sectors, this issue and the transformations taking place in the industry were at the heart of discussions. Beyond the care provided or […]
Compared to the past, our lifestyles tend to undergo change more rapidly. The trend of the moment quickly becomes outdated. The codes that are in one day are replaced the next. What was true two years ago is no longer true today—and particularly so in the world of luxury hotels. Globalization has imposed its standards […]
…and what it means to be a palace in 2020 A true Palace is one that brings together under one roof the best talents. Everything must be in place on site in order to deliver the best products and services. For instance, when it comes to food, it must have a bakery, a pastry chef, […]
Numerous international brands go looking in search of French expertise in the luxury hotel world. A considerable number of hotel managers around the world are French. They thus pass down their expertise to their teams on a daily basis and see to the excellence of their service. This goes the same for chefs. The finest […]
I recently had the chance to discover Ryokan Kurashiki and Ryokan Yama No Chaya, two historic establishments that are perfect embodiments of the Ryokan style of hospitality found in Japan. They are part of the Ryokan Collection, which brings together a select group of traditional Ryokans in Japan in an effort to introduce this style […]
I attended the 2017 edition of the ILTM Conference in Cannes, where I had the occasion to discover some extraordinary hotel brands. Luxury hotel brands often play a fine gamble between maintaining a core brand identity through a historically iconic collection while seeking to reinterpret and translate that identity into new locations around the world. […]
The past two decades have seen a global increase in catastrophic events (terrorism, natural disasters, etc.), giving rise to growing public demand for an approach that takes security into greater account. This trend has not spared luxury hotels, which have found themselves obliged to adopt ever higher levels of security and resilience. So what exactly […]
I attended the 2017 edition of the ILTM Conference in Cannes. Over the course of the program, I sought out numerous hoteliers and hospitality experts to discover the latest emerging themes and challenges in the luxury hotel industry. One theme that has fascinated me over the years is the subject of digital technology. It is […]
Rivalry Among the ‘Newest’ Palaces in Paris A little competition is always healthy and, when done right, usually leads to better client service. When I think about the situation over the last 15 years, it’s worth noting that the Park Hyatt was the first to establish itself (2002) and begin disrupting codes by offering a […]
The Inevitable Development of Digital Technology in Hotels Since their arrival, digital technology and the Internet have transformed our ways of life and our ways of consuming, as so often happens with the arrival of such progress. It has been this way, and it remains inevitable. Luxury hotels cannot close their eyes on digital transformations […]
Well-Being at a Hotel I first grew aware of the innovative spirit and work led by the Phélippeau family following the 2014 opening of their hotel, Château des Tourelles, and its thalassotherapy center. They have reinvted the welcoming and follow-up of their clients over the course of their cares. The teams on site demonstrate a […]
Luxury Has Become France’s DNA What is luxury ‘à la française’ in the sector of high-end hotels? Is there such a thing as a French hotel tradition? Here’s a question that someone asked me recently. I now have the pleasure of sharing my answer directly with you. It was in the 19th century that the […]
Sleeping in the dark: How does one sleep well in a room? How do you prefer to sleep? In total darkness, in plain light, or in semi-darkness? In plain light, you will you will never have a problem with sleeping in hotels; any room will work fine, and you will likely be able to sleep […]
The Opening of a Hotel: The Verdict At the moment of a hotel’s opening, everything is at its most beautiful and marvelous. The hotel invites the press to spoil them and sends its PR team to show around everything there is to be seen. So it’s an interesting exercise to return to the hotel a […]
FIAC: Contemporary art and luxury hotels—towards a new Eldorado? At the latest Foire Internationale d’Art Contemporain (FIAC) in Paris, I reflected on the importance of contemporary art in Palaces and 5-star hotels. A fervent defender of the French art of welcoming, I am of the belief that contemporary art has always been an integral element of our DNA. […]
The Stages of Construction for the Mélia La Défense Paris Hotel I recently met with an investor who was seeking to acquire a hotel for the first time. He asked me if it was better to acquire an existing hotel or to sign on to construct a new hotel. The answer to this, of course, […]
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 […]
Inspiration Journal My section on “Inspiration Journals” presents various hotel ambiances along themes that develop according to my visits, my readings, and my given mood. Christmas Cheer Take advantage of the magic of Christmas to enjoy a stay in a hotel with a universe out of the ordinary and open to discovery. You will come […]
Meet Pierre Gagnaire : When you open a restaurant in a foreign country, do you bring a French touch to the establishment? What are the codes that you rework? I try as much as possible to deliver my point of view when I’m developing the concepts for my restaurants. For instance, in Seoul, we designed a restaurant where I exercised […]
My Pinterest I have the pleasure today of introducing you to my PINTEREST page: www.pinterest.com/laurentdelporte. What is it all about? The Pinterest social network allows users to ‘pin’ items into a virtual bulletin board reflecting their interests, as well as follow posts from other users. Pinterest has experienced an exponential growth, boasting 23 million users as of this past […]
