Competition is healthy and delivers better service to the guest. Looking back over the past 15 years, the Park Hyatt was the first newcomer to arrive (2002), and it began shaking up the established codes by offering a contemporary design that stood apart from most other Parisian palaces. Since then, other brands have moved in, such as Raffles, Shangri-La, Mandarin Oriental, Peninsula, and soon Rosewood, within the Hôtel de Crillon (opening in 2017).
This sparked a major renovation program across most of the palaces. Hotels have had to rise to the level not only of their Parisian peers, but of competitors around the world. Many great hotels have opened in Asia or the Middle East, each constantly competing with the very best concepts. As a result, guests are growing accustomed to the best the world has to offer, not just what Paris provides.
While decor matters, service remains the fundamental factor that sets palaces apart. It's relatively easy to renovate a hotel once the owner has the budget and the time to do so; it's a real challenge to hire nearly 500 staff members within a few months for a hotel's opening. Between a hotel whose teams have worked together for generations and one that has just opened with an entirely new staff, the difference in service is palpable and doesn't fool the guest. It takes years to build the extra soul that certain hotels need. A house like the Plaza Athénée lets guests feel at home. When the hotel closed in 2013 and 2014 for renovation, the owner kept the entire staff and used the opportunity to send many of them to other hotels, so they could gain a different experience. Back at the hotel, guests find their bearings again and reunite with the teams they know well. Those teams, in turn, know their guests well and know exactly how to serve them.
It's not the pool, the spa, the restaurant, or the new rooms of a newly opened palace that will make a guest leave one hotel for another. What guests are truly looking for is the level of service and the staff's genuine care. Beyond the competition among palaces, there is above all a healthy rivalry to attract new guests from different backgrounds. Paris is vast and wants to welcome the entire world, so we need ever more beautiful rooms, each one outshining the last!
The multiplication of hotel awards
Today, awards are numerous and multiply every week. Some hotels in Paris try to collect them and boast about their trophies. Others remain more discreet. I believe true recognition comes from guest loyalty and their kindness in recommending the hotel.
Most new hotels struggle with the difficulties tied to opening. It takes a few years for all of a hotel's departments to function well together. A hotel needs history and experience, and that inevitably takes time. Established hotels have a head start, and new entrants must make the most of that by being more creative, building their own story, and finding what sets them apart.
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