Timeless Elegance

An Interview with Franka Holtmann (front) with designers Philippe and Ara Starck (left); model on a Franka Holtmann, General Manager, Hotel Le Meurice Le Meurice bicycle at the property’s entrance (above); Salvador Dali at Le Meurice (below)

EDITORS’ NOTE Franka Holtmann has worked We are standing at the crossroads of two eras focus on Yannick Alléno. We initially worked at some of the fi nest addresses in Paris, from Le when we need to throw the old book away and closely to make sure his food concept fi t the Meridien Etoile and The Ritz, where she was Director write new rules. At Le Meurice, one of our major new environment and matched with the tastes of Sales and Marketing, to the Hôtel Plaza Athénée, assets compared to other Paris properties are our of a female clientele. True to his passion and where she was Hotel Manager and a key fi gure in recently refurbished rooms and suites. Another creativity, Yannick has continually delivered. its repositioning. Before joining Le Meurice in 2006, major asset is our team. In order to deliver excel- How much of a focus has your spa she was General Manager of Hôtel de Crillon. In lent service, staff must feel confi dent, understand product been? September 2008, Franka Holtmann was named the big picture, and know our guests’ wishes and At Le Meurice, the brand new “Spa Valmont “Hotelier of the year” by Virtuoso’s more than 6,000 needs intimately in order to anticipate them. pour Le Meurice” offers three luxurious treat- member travel advisors, as well as the editors of Nothing should ever be taken ment rooms including one dou- Virtuoso Life for the top spot in the 2008 Virtuoso for granted and we will continue ble suite. We chose to partner Best of the Best Awards. to work hard to maintain the with Valmont for its most avant- highest standards and improve garde skincare products and PROPERTY BRIEF The original Parisian palace our offerings. After achieving the treatments. A sauna, hammam, hotel since 1835, Le Meurice (www. lemeurice.com) “Palace Label,” the highest de- fi tness center, and the expertise is a member of the prestigious Dorchester Collection luxe hotel accolade awarded by of our therapists all contribute and is perfectly positioned in the heart of Paris, the French Ministry of Tourism, towards making our guests feel minutes from Place Vendôme and Rue Saint- we have to set the highest stan- their best. Honoré. The five-star property is an elegant com- dards and continually excel. How do you maintain bination of 18th-century architectural splendor Would you touch on some consistent service standards and elegant modern comfort and has played host of the former and current at the property? to international royalty, fashion designers, and projects for the property? Communication is key and numerous public figures for centuries. The hotel Modernizing needs to be I value the conversations I have offers 115 rooms, 23 full suites, and 22 junior handled with care so as not to be- with my team and our guests suites, including two Presidential Suites, and the come “fashionable” and “trendy” to continuously improve on Belle Etoile Royal Suite and Terrace. Guests in all to the detriment of the timeless our already exacting standards. rooms have access to high-speed Internet, multi- elegance and luxury we deliver. Regular audits allow us to iden- ple telephone lines, a direct line, a fax machine That is what led me to revamp tify and immediately rectify what upon request, and cable television. the hotel in 2007. My starting point was the could become issues if unattended. With the tre- property’s archives where I discovered that mendous support of Dorchester Collection, we How has Le Meurice fared during this time Salvador Dali and his wife Gala had played an benefi t from a global evaluation program that en- of economic turbulence? important part in the property’s modern history. ables us to measure guest satisfaction. Our last We were very fortunate in that, in 2007, I Philippe Starck was my first port of call but score showed that 90 percent of our guests are planned a new refurbishment program, and asked it was not a coincidence; his understanding extremely satisfi ed. Philippe Starck to work on the redesign of our pub- of Dali’s surrealism enabled him to success- Le Meurice is part of Dorchester lic areas and lighting. A year later, I asked Charles fully bring out Le Meurice’s true personality and Collection. What kind of value does this Jouffre – the French artisan-designer who created the grandeur. Early in 2012, we also completed bring to the property? sumptuous drapes and hangings of the Grand Foyer the renovation of our Presidential Suites on the Being part of a collection where individual- at the Opéra Garnier – to envision a warmer atmo- fi rst fl oor, creating the most spectacular succes- ity is cherished is a real plus. Le Meurice’s 200 sphere for Le Meurice’s rooms and suites. Le Meurice sion of suites to be found in any Paris ho- years of history, grandeur, and panache pairs became more welcoming with a touch of glamour tel, which include Salvador Dali’s former suite. nicely with Dorchester Collection’s unparalleled and humor. By the time the fi nancial crisis started, The rooms and suites’ refurbishment, started in experience and resources in owning and oper- we had a brand new offering, extremely attractive to 2008 by Charles Jouffre, is now complete. We ating some of the greatest iconic hotels in the new and existing guests. We had to adapt swiftly, yet also worked on a revitalizing facelift for our “Spa world. In our industry and especially in Paris, needed to be sensitive to the global market. We ap- Valmont pour Le Meurice.” We are also now competition is growing fast. Each property has plied a fl exible strategy offering a new pricing policy. working on a new project for our spectacular to defi ne its DNA and tell its own story and It turned out to be a good move as many new guests Belle Etoile Royale Suite. Dorchester Collection supports that. who came to try out our beautiful property became How challenging is it to be successful What is the key focus for the property regular visitors. At the same time, high potential mar- with the food and beverage component, es- in 2013? kets were emerging – affl uent Mexicans, Russians, pecially in Paris with so many great stand- In 2013, our priority is to offer our guests and Brazilians starting to visit Paris and stay at our alone restaurants? the best experiences ever: the best location, the property. It was perfect timing for us. It’s still important to have a gastronomic best views, the best Art de Vivre, the best rooms What is your outlook on growth for the offering that meets our clientele’s highest ex- and suites, the best cuisine, the best heritage, property? pectations. When I arrived in 2006, I decided to the best spa, and above all, elegance.• 70 LEADERS POSTED WITH PERMISSION. COPYRIGHT © 2013 LEADERS MAGAZINE, INC. VOLUME 36, NUMBER 1