"The more we learn about China, the more we find that we know very little", "The definition of luxury is 'there is room for choice'", "We will try our best to meet the wishes of our guests to the greatest extent possible"... Recently, Alexandre Desseigne-Barrière, the fourth-generation heir of the French Groupe Barrière and executive vice president of the group's hotel, catering and group transformation, was interviewed by Oushi, who first sincerely expressed his support for China and cheered for China on the epidemic, and warmly praised the great courage of the Chinese people to overcome difficulties. In addition, when talking about his understanding and attitude towards Chinese culture, he modestly stated that "the more he tries to understand China, the more he feels that he lacks an understanding of the subtleties of its culture", and that close cooperation with the localization team is the "key to success". Because of this, he hired Xiaobing de Fremond as the Director of the China Department of the Bahry Group, in order to better meet the individual needs of Chinese guests.
"Heir" Alexander Dessenje-Bahry. (Image source: Courtesy of Bahry Group)
As a family-owned company with a history of more than 100 years and "100% France", the Bahrery Group is "the benchmark for the operation of luxury hotels" and "an important player in the field of leisure and entertainment": founded in 1912 in Deauville, Normandy, France, this group based on the integrated resort model has 18 luxury hotels, 7 high-end restaurants (including the famous Café Fouquet), 33 leisure and entertainment centers, 6 spas and 3 golf courses.
Exterior view of the Hotel Fouquet Paris.(Photo by Pan Yueping, a reporter of the European Times)
Ace: "Personalized", "Nuanced" service
When asked about the Group's core competencies, Dessai-Bahry sincerely stated that the "French concept of living" goes beyond ordinary standards and processes, and they also pride themselves on providing professional, rigorous and meticulous service: "We are committed to providing personalized service to each guest".
Speaking of which, he tells us a small example: a little girl who stayed at the Le Majestic Hotel in Cannes dropped her beloved carry-on doll at the hotel, when the staff had no time to take the doll to the airport, so they took a number of "tourist photos" of dolls clocking in at the beach, swimming pools, restaurants and other places and sent them to their little owners, and imitated the tone of the dolls to reassure: "It won't be long before I will come back to you, but now I plan to extend the holiday for a few more days... I'm all right here": "Although it doesn't cost much to take these pictures, it brings relief to the child... The child's parents were also pleasantly surprised ... It is also the care of these subtleties that makes the guests choose us again..."
In addition, guests are equipped with a "Golden Key" personal butler. The selection criteria for the "Golden Key" butler are very high: the application premise is to serve as the deputy head of the concierge department (or above) for more than two years, be proficient in 2-3 languages, be recommended by 2 members, etc., and be able to be served by the Golden Key butler is also a status symbol. For example, the Hôtel Barrière Le Fouquet's Paris, located at the corner of the Champs Elysées and George V, offers butler service from the Presidential Suite to the Superior Rooms, compared to the average of 2.6 employees in the group serving a room, where more than 4 people serve a room.
Dessenne-Bahry refers to the Golden Key Butler as a "magician" who can overcome difficulties and use amazing execution to achieve seemingly insurmountable wishes for guests at the "last minute": "Many of the requirements are 'unattainable'... However, we always do our best to meet the wishes of our customers to the greatest extent possible."
"Luxury is defined as 'selective'"
According to Dessane-Bahry, the Group has always respected the customs and customs of its guests around the world and strives to meet their individual needs. For example, the Group is now studying how to better adapt to the needs and rhythms of Chinese guests: "At present, we plan to launch a Chinese breakfast... In fact, the definition of luxury is 'there is room for choice': whether you want to have a French breakfast or a Chinese breakfast, your requirements should be met."
He also modestly said that the more he tried to understand China, the more he realized that he knew very little: "In trying to understand China, I felt that I still lacked understanding of the subtleties of many cultures." The same is true of the experience in Japan: "With a humble mindset, research with local partners can bring out really good products and services".
A "tailor-made" vacation model for the locals
The Group's hotels, without exception, are located in the "prime location" of their cities. Compared with other high-end hotel chains, what are its "trump cards"? In fact, the Group has long proposed a unique concept of "modern French casualism", in which Dessane-Bahry emphasizes in his presentation of the Group's business model that they ensure that every resort that integrates hotels, golf, spas, entertainment and catering is "tailor-made" and therefore each project is unique and highly localized: "We are not creating a standardized luxury hotel... And don't replicate successful models elsewhere as they are... Instead, it provides products and services according to the local environment and cultural characteristics, which is our DNA... Working with local forces is key", and hotels are "actively involved in organizing the local cultural life" so that the resort concept is fully integrated into the local way of life.
For example, the Hotel Barrière Le Normandy, a 2-minute walk from the Planche Promenade, faces the Deauville Tourist Avenue, with its "rustic" Appearance of a Normandy wooden ribbed house. In 2016, designer Nathalie Ryan created new room, suite and bathroom interiors in accordance with the tradition of vintage silk fabrics and French printed fabrics, highlighting the traditional elegance and comfort style.
The Le Majestic Hotel in Cannes was built in 1923-1926 as a loyal partner of the Cannes Film Festival, just a few steps from the Palais des Cinémoire, which welcomes the jury every year and is full of memories of the festival. In 1997, as the first Chinese to serve as a judge in Cannes, Gong Li stayed here.
In addition, the 30-year-old MICE service has always been the highlight of the Bahry Group resorts: from small meetings to large product launches, a variety of events can be found at the Bahry Resort.
The "home" of world film and television celebrities
Dessai-Bahry said that the Group has always been closely linked to the cultural industry, especially the film industry: it is one of the co-founders of the Deauville Film Festival in the United States, the official partner of the Dinard Film Festival in the United Kingdom, the first Cannes International Film Festival was held at the Hotel Barille in Nice, the "Le Majestic" restaurant is still the place where stars gather during the film festival, and the César Awards Ceremony Dinner is held every year at the Foucault Restaurant.
In fact, since the 1930s, Café Fouquet has been closely associated with the Caesars Film Festival. In addition, thanks to its unique location, Café Fouquet, which is adjacent to many cinemas, often welcomes many directors, who are seated here and listen to other guests' evaluations of the film. At that time, many directors also signed contracts here, and it is said that several French film new wave masters Chabrol, Godard and Truffaut also regarded this as "headquarters".
A glimpse of the luxury bedrooms of the Fouquet Hotel. (Image source: Courtesy of Bahry Group)
Film and television stars such as Audrey Hepburn, Sharon Stone, Brad Pitt, and Clint Eastwood have all stayed at the Fouquet Hotel, the Bahry Normandy Hotel in Deauville, and the Le Majestic Hotel in Cannes, while the Fukai Hotel, designed by luxury hotel designer Jacques Garcia, is also the scene of several films, such as Chanel, the Queen of Fashion.
The Signature Suite, which is themed at Studio Harcourt in Paris, which features portraits of celebrities, is equipped with a powder room and gym to maximize the convenience of celebrity portrait shooting schedules. The suite features precious moments recorded by a number of Yagu studios for many international stars, including Zhou Xun.
Not only that, as the first integrated art resort operator in Europe, the Bahrery Group has an independent art division specializing in art-related activities, which manages 24 concert halls and a theater, and operates nearly 4,000 performances, shows and stage plays every year. The Group is actively involved in the dissemination of works "Made in France", in particular through the Basil Bahrer Foundation to support the creation of young playwrights, and also organizes the "Gala d'Etoiles" (Star Dancers Festival) with solo dancers from the Paris Opera and Julien Lestel. For decades, the Group has hosted numerous super events around the world, hosting countless "top-notch" events.
Fouquet Restaurant: A symbol of French life
Located in the busiest part of Paris, just a few minutes' walk from the Arc de Triomphe, the Restaurant Fouquet is a mirror of Parisian history, and Dessai-Bahry calls it "a symbol of the French art de vivre". Indeed, it has always been popular with French cultural and political circles, and the Fouquet before the Caesars Film Festival seems to have become a conventional tradition, and there are many celebrities who have dined here. Former French President François Mitterrand is said to have been a regular at table 83; in 2007, former President Sarkozy also hosted a banquet here after his victory.
For more than 100 years, Fouquet has maintained the most traditional Flavor of French cuisine and continued to innovate while retaining the essence of French cuisine. Dessenne-Bahry explains: "We are very proud to work with Pierre Gagnaire, the world's top chef". In addition, the second French Chinese Food Festival 2019 was held at the Hotel Fouquet: "This event fully demonstrates Chinese cuisine... Celebrity chefs from Shunde, Guangdong Province, also had professional discussions with their French counterparts, which is a good opportunity for Sino-French gastronomic cultural exchanges."
Expand your business in China
The Group's current business is concentrated in France, Switzerland, Morocco, Egypt, Côte d'Ivoire, and will develop in New York in two years. Not only that, But Bakrrey also introduced his plans to develop hotels, restaurants, cultural events (film festivals) and other projects in China, where he will host or participate in the organization of e-sports (e-sport) events.
So, where will the first stop be? "Shanghai", because it is the "most international city", after which Beijing and Chengdu are possible sites. Not only that, but the Group's business model is also quietly changing with the younger generation: "In order to meet the new expectations of customers, we will also adapt the business model and business philosophy of catering, hotels, leisure centers and other business ideas for a new generation of consumers."