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Perfecting the Art of Service An Interview with Andrew Turner, General Manager, Baccarat Hotel & Residences-New York Baccarat Hotel & Residences - New York model room (left) and reception (above) EDITORS’ NOTE Andrew Turner have for more than two centuries, it’s Would you touch on the food and bev- was named to his current post in one of those moments where the hairs erage component and how you plan to be June 2013. Prior to joining the on the back of your neck stand up. It successful in that area? Baccarat Hotel team, Turner was has to be absolutely perfect for them We are fortunate to have legendary restaura- General Manager of Anantara to release it. What we’re trying to do is teur Charles Masson as Director of Restaurants for Villas in Phuket, Thailand, where say, perfection is a moving target but both the hotel and our retail-level restaurant and his leadership was recognized with we want to be known for perfecting the talented Michelin-starred Chef Shea Gallante the company chairman’s Award of the art of service. leading our culinary offerings. Accessed through Excellence for outstanding contri- Will a luxury travel experience a private, street-level entrance, our restaurant, bution to service and fi nancial re- be about personalized service going Chevalier, is destined to become midtown’s next sults. Turner began his career at The forward? iconic establishment. Designed by Stephen Sills, InterContinental Sydney in his na- First, luxury has to be comfort- the space has a different spirit but maintains a tive Australia and he proceeded to Andrew Turner able and to establish that, we have to French sensibility. It’s a modern brasserie deluxe, work his way up The Ritz-Carlton understand that, in many cases, people so the food will be elevated yet comfortably fa- Hotel Company ladder, holding management want certain things just the way they like them. miliar – a place you’ll want to visit often, not just positions in Sydney, Australia; Atlanta, Georgia; Many travelers at the high end of the market once or twice a year for special occasions. Washington, D.C.; Shanghai, China; Doha, Qatar; know exactly what they want and how they like In the hotel, Gallante has created special and Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. it, often because they have traveled extensively menus for the magnifi cent Grand Salon and ad- and own a second home or holiday apartment jacent 60-foot bar that is modeled after the PROPERTY BRIEF Baccarat Hotel & Residences- somewhere in the world. In the luxury space, we stables of Versailles. Cocktails will be served in New York, (baccarathotels.com) which opens in differentiate ourselves in the way we make you mismatched Baccarat crystal stemware, making February 2015, is situated just off Fifth Avenue feel and those moments throughout your stay every night feel like a celebration. on 53rd Street, directly across the street from the defi ne your overall experience. How does the residence component im- Museum of Modern Art. In any hotel or resort, whether you stay pact the role of the GM? one night or three weeks, if someone asks you The residents are a very important part of How do you defi ne what Baccarat stands for about your stay at the hotel, it’s likely going to our business, as they have trusted us to make and how will this property be the fl agship? come down to a kind gesture or involve inter- Baccarat their home, so it’s critical to make them The crystal brand, which was established actions that you’ve had with employees who feel welcome whenever they come through the by King Louis XV, celebrated 250 years in 2014 made you feel comfortable and at home. This doors. We have invested greatly in our residence and since its inception, has been anchored in level of personalized service is certainly here staff. We have a residence director and a core perfection and artisanship. We are closely tied to stay. At Baccarat Hotel, the hosts and con- team that will take care of all of our residents to the history of our brand and aim to bring cierges, chefs, bartenders, and bellmen will be to make sure they feel comfortable. They also that true craftsmanship and sense of art de vivre the best of the best, trained to anticipate ev- should feel that their interaction with our staff – into the service space. Baccarat is a multi-sensory ery guest’s need. In fact, we are developing a whether at the bar, spa, or restaurant – is genuine brand in that you can see, feel, and experience it. Master of Service training and apprenticeship and seamless. The impact that has for the overall That said, there will be no shortage of crystal program inspired by the craftsmen whose pre- tower and residence experiences is crucial to our integrated into the hotel – from the custom furni- cision in crystal making has earned them the success. ture, tableware, chandeliers, and amenities, the prestigious Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (MOF) For a new property, how do you offer magic of the brand will shine through. title (an award for special abilities across a vari- the technology but make sure you don’t lose What makes us unique is that we’re 114 ety of categories). that human touch? rooms and that gives us the ability to provide How do the 114 keys break down? We offer state-of-the art technology in-room something very intimate and profoundly per- Twenty six of the 114 keys are suites and and have provided the capabilities that guests sonalized, where some of the bigger hotels may span anywhere from 620 square feet for the desire to communicate through an app, but they struggle to do that. We still have all of the fa- Classic Suite to around 820 square feet for the can also pick up the menu and hit zero on their cilities of a large, luxury international hotel. We Prestige Suite. We also have two signature suites: phones to order their lunch or dinner. have a 55-foot swimming pool, an exceptional the Harcourt Suite named after Baccarat’s iconic To me, the technology helps. We need to spa, a fantastic gym, a freestanding restaurant at stemware, and the Baccarat Suite, which is offer it, because it is expected, but we also need street level with a bar, and a lounge upstairs with around 1,800 square feet. to make sure that we don’t overcomplicate lux- another bar. So guests will fi nd an intimate hotel The suite mix is important. In the New ury. It has to fl ow naturally and it has to work with all the infrastructure of a large one. York market, there is a certain client that likes for the customer. We also can’t ignore the per- Our core ethos and service philosophy will space when he travels. Our service is the same sonalization – the impact of a handwritten note, be “Not the best that you can do, but the best that across the entire hotel but there are some ame- or of saying “Good morning, nice to see you,” of can be done.” If you’re in the factory in Baccarat nities that slightly differ if you take one of our meeting the guests personally and shaking their and watch them produce the crystal like they suites. hands.• 156 LEADERS POSTED WITH PERMISSION. COPYRIGHT © 2015 LEADERS MAGAZINE, INC. VOLUME 38, NUMBER 1.

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