DELPORTE HOSPITALITY MAGThe B2B magazine of generous hospitality® · 180+ articles published since 2011 · 10k newsletter subscribers
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Training & coaching

Service culture, management, careers and transmission: my thoughts on training hospitality teams.

Panel at the Forum Hotel&Spa: the audience seated before the Luxury Resort Development screen
The hospitality of tomorrow

"Behind the scenes of ultra-luxury hospitality: the human touch at the heart of exception".

At the Forum Hotel&Spa, an annual gathering in Paris of international experts in the fields of well-being, luxury hotels and health, a central question emerged: how can we attract and retain talent in a sector where the customer experience is based above all on the quality of the human bond? This meeting gave me the…

April 20, 2026 · 8 min
Professional kitchen: a manager shows a tablet to a chef in a toque, plated dishes in the foreground
Employee experience

How to recognize a school that truly prepares you for hospitality careers?

When choosing a hospitality school, many students and parents ask themselves the same question: how do you distinguish a school that sells a dream from one that prepares you for the reality of the field? This subject is more essential than ever, as the sector has deeply evolved, and not all schools are keeping up with…

April 15, 2026 · 6 min
Forum Hotel&Spa panel in a palace ballroom, two speakers at the microphone facing the audience
Employee experience

"Ultra-luxury hospitality: a team art guided by leadership".

Every year, the Forum Hotel&Spa in Paris brings together personalities committed to thinking about well-being, luxury and hospitality. It was in this context that I attended a number of fascinating conferences, some of which have fed deeply into my own analysis of contemporary hospitality. The topics addressed…

April 8, 2026 · 5 min
Laurent Delporte and a hotel executive in front of the Luxury Hospitality Conference banner
Employee experience

Why does excellence in the hotel business start with people?

At the Luxury Hospitality Conference in Milan, an international event that brings together professionals, managers and hoteliers every year, I had the opportunity to listen to and talk at length with Markus Venzin, Managing Director ofEHL. These discussions with Markus have profoundly enriched my thinking on an…

April 3, 2026 · 10 min
Laurent Delporte speaking on an HEC Paris Luxury panel, in front of the Tomorrow's Luxury Lifestyles screen
Employee experience

Reinventing hospitality: people and emotion

I had the pleasure of taking part in the HEC Paris Luxury Summit 2026 on the theme: From Comfort to Connection: how hospitality is shaping tomorrow’s luxury. I was invited to join Thibaut Drege, General Manager of the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris, on a panel discussion. Together, we explored the future of…

March 24, 2026 · 7 min
Hotel lounge with orange wood arches, a black and white drawn ceiling and tan leather armchairs
Employee experience

Why train as a luxury hotelier in 2026?

In an ever-changing world, the luxury hotel industry remains a demanding, refined sector, where detail makes all the difference. Service excellence can’t be improvised: it has to be cultivated. To keep pace with customers’ expectations, ever more refined, personalized and sensitive, training is becoming an essential…

January 18, 2026 · 8 min
Luxury boutique entrance and welcoming design
Guest experience

How to Succeed in Welcoming Customers in a Luxury Store

In the luxury world, customer welcoming is neither simple protocol nor basic politeness. It is the first sensory, emotional, and human contact between the brand and the visitor. From the very first interaction, sometimes a look, a smile, or a chosen phrase, the brand's universe is expressed. I remember a visit to…

December 2, 2025 · 7 min
Laurent Delporte at the lectern of the Luxury Hospitality Conference, beside the event banner
Hotel expertise

Why organize a conference on the definition of luxury hotels?

The world of luxury hotels fascinates, inspires and questions. For many, it’s a picture of sumptuous palaces, spectacular suites and unparalleled service. Yet behind this window hides a complex reality, made up of codes, rigor and constant demands. At DELPORTE HOSPITALITY, we regularly observe that teams of suppliers,…

November 27, 2025 · 8 min
Beachfront resort infinity pool, day beds under white parasols facing the turquoise lagoon
The art of welcoming

Hospitality: When the Art of Service Becomes a Memorable Human Experience

I had the pleasure of reconnecting with Édouard Grosmangin, general manager of Rosewood Mayakoba in Mexico and regional head, a professional whose commitment to his teams and guests has been recognized for many years. We met back in high school, when I noticed his smile and his ability to take an interest in others.…

November 22, 2025 · 8 min
Painted-facade mountain hotel surrounded by snow-laden firs, a gondola passing overhead
Guest experience

High-End Service in Ski Resorts

The palaces of Courchevel are iconic addresses in luxury hospitality, offering an unrivaled experience in one of the world's most prestigious ski resorts. Among the most famous are establishments renowned for their exceptional service, comfort, and attention to detail. These palaces compete not only with one another,…

November 12, 2025 · 4 min
François Delahaye speaking at a Forum Hotel&Spa panel, facing a seated audience
Employee experience

The art of helping others grow: François Delahaye, hospitality from the heart

I took part in the Forum Hotel&Spa, a day rich in meetings and reflections, brilliantly organized by Vlady Kovanic at the heart of the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris. This annual event brings together the key players in the spa, wellness and prestige hotel sectors, to discuss the major issues shaping the future…

October 28, 2025 · 6 min
Five young people sitting side by side, each absorbed in a phone or tablet
Employee experience

Generation Z and Hospitality Careers: Toward a New Culture of Work

"Not wanting to endure my daily life does not make me lazy." This sentence, spoken by Camille, 24, in a France 3 Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur report, resonates deeply in the professional world. It expresses with clarity what an entire generation feels: a strong desire to take back control of their time, to find meaning…

October 24, 2025 · 5 min
Red title card, Transmitting excellence, with the Réseau Excellence EPV and DELPORTE HOSPITALITY logos
Employee experience

Transmitting Excellence: How Luxury Formalizes and Passes On Craftsmanship

In the world of luxury, craftsmanship is a precious wealth, often silent, yet essential. It reveals itself both tangibly, in the hand that shapes, the precision of a gesture, the attention to detail, and intangibly, in the mind that observes, feels and passes on. This expertise goes far beyond technical skill. It…

October 1, 2025 · 6 min
Laurent Delporte speaking in front of a screen of words: exhaustion, pressure, disengagement, demotivation
Employee experience

Welcoming ourselves before welcoming others: towards a hospitality aligned with being

In this article, I’d like to share the conviction that drives me deeply: true luxury is no longer measured by ostentation, but by the quality of presence, the appropriateness of the experience, and the inner freedom that a place or service can offer. In a world where everything is speeding up, where standardization…

September 11, 2025 · 6 min
Elegant table setup at Alain Ducasse's restaurant in Tokyo
Guest experience

From Reorganizing a Profession to a Service Signature

The current era encourages us to reconsider things, and above all to stop thinking that life is static, that organizations are set in stone, and that we cannot change anything. Quite the contrary, it is up to each of us to act so that a situation we dislike evolves in a different direction. The organization of…

May 16, 2025 · 7 min
Red title card, Innovation through hospitality and human connection, with the Réseau Excellence EPV and DELPORTE HOSPITALITY logos
The art of welcoming

Beyond Luxury: Innovation through Hospitality and Human Connection

Laurent Delporte is an expert partner of the Excellence Contract Network, each month, find an article in the newsletter of the members of this network shared here. Having visited more than 400 luxury hotels around the world, I have observed what truly separates an exceptional experience from a simple high-end stay.…

April 10, 2025 · 4 min
Laurent Delporte speaking standing before a seated audience in a conference room
Employee experience

Why Employee Experience Drives Luxury Hotel Service

In the world of luxury hospitality, hotels invest considerable budgets in architecture, design, spas, restaurants and immersive experiences. Yet behind every memorable experience lies one fundamental element without which no palace hotel can truly stand apart: its people. In hospitality, the quality of service rests…

December 16, 2024 · 7 min
Collaborative team meeting within a luxury hotel
Employee experience

Luxury Hospitality & the Quest for Meaning: Towards Participatory Management

I was called upon to implement a unifying project in a hotel with 350 employees. The idea was to involve all team members in the reorganization of the hotel. We gathered them in plenary sessions and then in groups of about ten people to give everyone a voice. In each subcommittee, employees, regardless of their level…

December 16, 2024 · 5 min
Denis Courtiade signing his book Pour vous servir, copies stacked in front of him
Employee experience

Service Professions: Transmission, Excellence and Generous Hospitality

Talking about service professions is one thing. Living them alongside Denis Courtiade is another. This meeting is part of an approach that has guided me for many years: go into the field, observe, listen, understand what makes up the reality of hospitality. In luxury hospitality, but also in many sectors seeking…

December 8, 2020 · 6 min
Black and white portrait of Sir Rocco Forte, smiling, light jacket and open-collar shirt
The art of welcoming

Rocco Forte Hotels: The Art of Welcoming, Leadership and Guest Experience

I recently had the privilege of meeting with Sir Rocco Forte, the paterfamilias behind the luxury hotel group under his name: Rocco Forte Hotels. He helped me discover the unique art of welcoming at Rocco Forte Hotels. To start with, it’s the attitude of the staff and how you prepare them. You have to be…

October 5, 2019 · 3 min
Meeting at the Raffles and Banyan Tree stand at the ILTM show, in front of both brand logos
Hotel expertise

Digital Technology at Raffles Europejski Warsaw

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.…

February 20, 2019 · 4 min
Hôtel de Crillon bedroom: grey upholstered headboard, white bedding and a gilded bench at the foot
The art of welcoming

L'Hôtel de Crillon puts the spotlight back on service à la française

Rosewood has chosen to return to the classic cornerstones of French luxury by placing a butler in each of its rooms. No need for an automatic curtain system to close the curtains: this will instead be left to your butler. Clients who have grown used to international hotels will learn to rediscover the pleasure of…

January 31, 2019 · 2 min
Aerial night view of a Ritz-Carlton tower, its illuminated sign above the lit avenues
The art of welcoming

The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai: The Art of Welcoming

I recently had the chance to discover the wonderful Ritz-Carlton Hotel during my latest visit to Shanghai. The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai is one of the most elegant 5-star hotels in the Financial District, evoking all the glamour of 1930s Shanghai in a modern tower in the Lujiazui finance zone. The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai…

January 24, 2019 · 3 min
Traditional Japanese village at dusk: paved lane, wooden houses and tiled roofs facing the mountains
The art of welcoming

Ryokan Kurashiki and Yama No Chaya: The Japanese Art of Welcoming

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…

January 17, 2019 · 4 min
Hotel Sacher in Vienna, its red-awninged facade lit at night, facing the State Opera
The art of welcoming

Hotel Sacher: The Austrian Art of Welcoming

Interview with Reiner Heilmann, GM of Hotel Sacher On my most recent trip to Vienna (2018), I had the pleasure of discovering Hotel Sacher, a luxurious institution central to the local history and culture of Vienna. True to its name, Hotel Sacher is famous for being the birthplace of the traditional Viennese delicacy,…

January 10, 2019 · 3 min
Laurent Delporte and a hotel director in front of a Fairmont panel at a trade show
The art of welcoming

Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam: The French Art of Welcoming Meets Local Culture

In luxury hospitality, the most memorable experiences are often those that successfully combine identity, culture, and service into one coherent narrative. Hotels are no longer simply places to stay, they have become destinations in themselves, where history, design, and human connection converge to create a lasting…

December 13, 2018 · 5 min
Meeting at The Ritz-Carlton stand at the ILTM show in Cannes, in front of the brand's logo
The art of welcoming

The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto: The Art of Welcoming

I attended the 2017 edition of the ILTM Conference in Cannes, where I had the occasion to discover some extraordinary hotel brands. One of these was the Ritz-Carlton in Kyoto, Japan. Nestled along the banks of the Kamogawa river and featuring spectacular views of the Higashiyama Mountain, the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto offers…

December 2, 2018 · 5 min
The Grand Hotel d'Angkor lit at dusk, its white porch steps and golden sign
The art of welcoming

Raffles: The Art of Welcoming

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…

November 29, 2018 · 8 min
The Peninsula entrance decorated for Christmas, with the two green Mini Coopers plated PEN 1 and PEN 2
The art of welcoming

Peninsula Chicago: The Art of Welcoming, an Interview with Maria Razumich-Zec

I met with Maria Razumich-Zec, General Manager of The Peninsula Chicago. Mrs Razumich-Zec joined the Peninsula Group as General Manager of The Peninsula Chicago in 2002 and was promoted to the position of Regional Vice-President, USA East Coast in 2007, with regional responsibilities covering The Peninsula Hotels in…

November 26, 2018 · 3 min
Cherry blossoms in front of Osaka Castle and its green tiled roofs
The art of welcoming

The Ryokan Collection: The Art of Welcoming

I discovered the Ryokan Collection, the world's first consortium of luxury ryokans, which are traditional Japanese inns and small luxury hotels. These small, family-run inns, many of them clustered in hot spring towns throughout Japan, have, over the centuries, developed Japan's special art of hospitality, called…

November 22, 2018 · 4 min
A Leela Palace lounge: warm wood panelling, a tiger canvas and a receptionist at the desk beyond
The art of welcoming

The Leela Palaces: The Art of Welcoming

I attended 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…

November 15, 2018 · 9 min
The Peninsula Beverly Hills lit at night, its glass canopy and arrival driveway
The art of welcoming

Peninsula Beverly Hills: The Art of Welcoming

I met with Offer Nissenbaum, the Managing Director of Peninsula Beverly Hills. Mr. Nissenbaum has held this position since December 2007, before which he was Regional Vice President of Operations for the NYC-based Omni Hotels, overseeing eight properties on the East Coast. Most recently, Offer received the coveted…

November 8, 2018 · 7 min
Banyan Tree Shanghai on the Bund: the hotel's curved facade lit up at dusk
The art of welcoming

Banyan Tree Shanghai on the Bund: Redefining the Urban Resort Experience

Named after the Banyan tree that is celebrated for providing shelter to weary travelers in Thailand, Banyan Tree is perhaps better known today as a unique brand bringing together a family of luxury hotel and resort brands. Since its beginnings in Thailand, it has come to share its unique art of welcoming around the…

October 11, 2018 · 3 min
Baccarat Hotel facade lit at night, its vertical glass blades and three dark porches
The art of welcoming

Interview with Hermann Elger, COO of Baccarat Hotels

I recently participated in the ILTM 2017 Shanghai conference and exhibition on luxury hospitality. Conferences are not only an excellent way to discover the latest trends and discourses in the luxury hotel sphere; they are also an exciting chance to encounter new brands from across the globe in a short matter of time.…

September 13, 2018 · 3 min
Capella resort with curved facades, its turquoise pool and loungers under parasols
The art of welcoming

Nicholas Clayton, CEO of Capella Hotels

Every so often, I get the chance to discover amazing hotel brands that draw me into their unique brand vision. Capella Hotels is one of these. With brands including Solis Hotels and the destination spa brand Auriga in addition to Capella Hotels and Resorts, Capella is hoping to have as many as forty luxury hotels…

August 11, 2018 · 2 min
Two Peninsula executives flanking a young bellboy in white uniform at the hotel entrance
Employee experience

The Human Dimension of the Peninsula Towards Its Staff

On my visit to the Peninsula Paris, I could sense that the brand placed importance on how they treat their staff members. This sentiment was confirmed upon my exchange with the General Managers of the Peninsula Chicago and the Peninsula Hong Kong. Upon meeting Peter C. Borer, Chief Operating Officer of Peninsula…

December 23, 2016 · 2 min
Kempinski Ishtar infinity pool facing the Dead Sea, sun loungers and palm trees
The art of welcoming

Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea

Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea, by Sébastien Mariette, General Manager of Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea. Our mission at Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea is to deliver impeccable service to guests who value individuality and excellence. Therefore, the experience we provide is based on personal preferences,…

September 30, 2016 · 3 min
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