Luxury hospitality
The hotel and catering industry have changed more over the past three decades than in two centuries. At that time, the guests were contented, at best, with what was offered to them as comfort and services, too happy to find room and board when traveling.
The evolution of the hospitality industry originally came from innovators who were among the tradespeople and investor-owners. Customers discovering the improvements of each other, could appreciate the effects, and began to claim them over time.
Today, it is a showcase and offers the best in terms of hospitality, services and comfort, but many innovations hit this sector and revolutionize the layout, professions and skills.
It should also be remembered that the luxury hotel industry is at the center of the luxury sphere in general with globalization and the development of tourism. Shopping, health, games are no longer ancillary to accommodation but become a reason for travel. The luxury hotel is then central to the stay.
A little history
The word hotel appears around the 1050s (ostel = accommodation) in the sense of residence or lodging. The concept comes from the Latin hospital, room for guests.
The notion of accommodation then corresponded to trips whose motivation was often either religious or warlike.
It was only in 1740 that the big European cities began to equip themselves with important establishments with a comfort which adapted to the standard of living of the time and to the development of the railway network.
Luxury tourism saw the light of day in London in 1820 and took more than a century to truly establish itself in France (1936, the first social laws).
The oldest large Parisian hotels were built at this time in order to welcome foreign visitors to the Universal Exhibition of 1855, then 1900
.
The word Palace borrows from English its meaning of “a luxury hotel of international renown”. The term is used since 1884 in the United States to designate a “commercial establishment of great size, of good taste and of great luxury”.
The hotel then opens the way to a whole mythology linked to the aura of travel, pleasure, luxury and leisure which is linked to a centuries-old tradition of hospitality, specific to all civilizations of the world. The word became French in 1905.
The founder of this new luxury industry was called Chartes RITZ and he opened various establishments in Rome (1893), Paris (1898), London (1899). Luxury hotels such as the Ritz, Carlton and Lutétia opened their doors at this time.
Specificities of luxury in the hotel industry
Luxury in the hotel industry is a skill that generates “a combination of sensations”.
The luxury hotel industry provides more than any other sector:
Personalization: this is the constant challenge of the hotel industry. In response to a clientele whose demand continues to increase, we try to make them feel a sense of pride, make them understand who they are.
Intimacy: even if in the luxury hotel industry the staff must always listen to the customer in order to meet their needs as much as possible, there must be a barrier which must give the impression of being impassable. so as not to offend the privacy of it.
Exclusivity: for a hotel to maintain its luxury image, it is essential that it has a unique appearance, that it has exclusivity over at least one of its elements.
The novelty: innovation is essential for luxury hotel services because customers are looking for this aspect, they are looking for discovery.
Authenticity: this criterion is similar to the previous two, luxury must then be exclusive, unique and Great attention to detail. The slightest flaw in luxury belongs to everything must be perfect.
Surprises: the customer must be surprised! The hotel must create the gifts. It is customary in the luxury hotel industry to pay attention to customers by offering them a few gifts. Luxury hotel rooms are often embellished with little touches that are much appreciated by customers such as fruit baskets, bottles of champagne, gifts for children.
The alleviation of all constraints: a tourist stay in a hotel, whether for business or leisure, must be removed from any inconvenience from the material point of view but also from the personal point of view of the client, make him forget his worries, free up time or discretionnary time, to enjoy the moment.
A luxury hotel is also differentiated by its sense of loyalty: the attention to detail, the memorization of customer preferences, personalized care … all these elements have a strong influence on the image of the hotel and explain why some clients return regularly and recommend the establishment to other potential clients.
Eating a meal and trusting the hotelier to eat, therefore welcoming external nourishment into your body, is the most intimate social and personal act there is, and it takes place in hotels.
Jean-Luc Frusetta
Luxury hotels and gastronomy
The hotel industry has an unwavering link with conviviality, and luxury hotels with gastronomy.
It was Mr. César Ritz who initiated this tradition thanks to the presence of Auguste Escoffier, famous Chef of his time, in the restaurant of his London hotel: the Hotel Savoy. This development was essential in order to satisfy the demanding palates of hotel guests.
Today, most restaurants in luxury hotels display at least one star in the Michelin guide, some hotels go even further by choosing increasingly prestigious and talented chefs, such as the Plaza Athénée with Alain Ducasse, chef triple star.
Finally, the luxury hotel business, made up of hotels and restaurants, shares “the art of welcoming”. The criteria are excellent service, luxury service, and quality cuisine. Luxury is described there as an “art of living”.
Criteria specific to luxury hotels
For hotels on French territory, the law of July 22, 2009 established a new classification procedure for tourist hotels: from 1 to 5 stars, as well as the “palace” label. The “0 star” and “4 star luxury” categories therefore no longer exist. The standards are not harmonized internationally so the classification varies from one country to another.
The name “palace”, for example, is a concept with no legal value, based on the recognition of customers and professionals. Not to mention that the stars in hotels no longer have any link with reality because certain palaces display four-star signs to avoid the VAT applied to luxury accommodation in France. Moreover, in the world, there are hotels beyond “5 stars” such as the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, built in the shape of a sailboat, classified “7 stars”.
A hotel is deemed to be luxury if, throughout the year or only during certain periods, the price of services exceeds the threshold of 550 euros. If a hotel is able to charge such a price for a given period, it cannot afford to degrade its services the rest of the year. With the rise in occupancy rates, the increase in average prices and demand (1000 euros on average for a night), palaces never fall below 65% occupancy rate, a sort of point zero profitability for hotels of this standard. The ranking is obtained by fulfilling a certain number of criteria.
For the “5 stars”, there is a specific welcome and particular attention to the customer, adapted to high-contribution international customers. Common areas must be spacious: a minimum of 90m² and the double room must offer a minimum of 24m² including sanitary facilities. For this category of hotel and if it has more than 30 rooms, reception must be provided 24 hours a day with at least two foreign languages including English.
Finally, 5-star hotels offer personalized support and service to the customer (room service, installation support, valet and maid at all hours, concierge, valet parking, etc.), and the possibility of dining at the hotel. ‘hotel. There are also a number of optional services: swimming pool, possibility of relaxing massage, tennis, hairdresser, spa, entertainer in the fitness room… A decree dated November 8, 2010 from the Ministry of Tourism defines the criteria for obtaining the “distinction palace” designation. Thirteen luxury hotels in France (among the 5 stars) have already received this label. It is awarded based on compliance with specifications and the opinion of a jury made up of 10 leading figures. The palace is “a place that gives you the feeling of living a rare, unique moment” according to François Delalaye. This is also why Atout France decided to limit the labels to a maximum of fifteen exceptional establishments.