François Delahaye states that individual care for each guest keeps the relevant brand: “We take care of our employees and, for this reason, they always take care of our guests”
At 18, the French François Delahaye worked as a waiter in a hotel Owned by the Duke of Westminster, England, and had to be in a hurry to replace Duque Butler due to a health problem. During this period, there was a wedding of the British royal family on property. “I was there in the castle and, after the official photo with the bride and the bridegroom, when they left the door, guess who was in front of me? Queen Elizabeth, the mother queen! And I, in front of her with a tray, said:” Mom, would you like a glass of champagne? “Gentle ‘.
The episode was decisive for Delahaye to go to the luxury hotel sector. Since 2006, the manager has been Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Dorchester collection, which brings together ten luxury hotels, including Plaza Athénée – one of the most luxurious hotels in the world, in the heart of Paris – where he is also general manager.
TO EstadãoThe executive states that the secret of the success of the Dorchester brand is in the individual treatment dedicated to each customer. “For me, luxury is time. For my wife, it is space. For my children, wi-fi.”
How do you keep the Dorchester collection network so relevant over the years for the luxury segment?
I think, before, we are very lucky. We have a collection of fantastic hotels located in the best addresses of the best cities. Plaza Athénée is located in Avenue Montaigne (in Paris). Dorchester is in Mayfair (London). Beverly Hills is on (Avenue) Sunset Boulevard (Los Angeles). In addition, something very important to remain pertinent is the way we used the culture “we care” (we worry, free translation). We take care of our employees. And for this reason, they always take care of our guests. Simple as that. Even in catastrophic situations such as Covid, we kept all employees and salaries updated. Of course, it cost us a lot of money. But when the situation began to normalize in 2021, we were ready with the best employees, well trained, rested. And we managed to distinguish ourselves and become even more relevant.
How do you reconcile the attention and resources necessary to maintain a highly qualified team and the need to keep the business profitable?
It’s quite simple, because we don’t start this company to make money. We started doing the best company in the world. So before we chose the best position. We bought these hotels. We invest in the excellence of the service, the excellence of having the best chef, the best employee. So we pay them a good salary. And when these employees are well cared for, they remain for a long time. So the guests, when they come back, are recognized by employees. And we are expensive experiences. In Brazil, you have good examples of rather rich people who have employees in their homes. And these employees have been needed for a long time. It is the same process. They take care of employees, as if they were a family. And since they take care of them, they take care of the people owned by the house. It is the same process that we use with our staff.
So you don’t have financial pressure on business?
No. It’s a different way of seeing things. Our company and our owners (Brunei investment agency) do not have to pay for hotels. They bought the hotel. Most of our competitors have no money. So they borrow money, buy hotels and often cannot afford the loan. And that’s why they take the employee, they take the guest to pay the investment. To compete in our area, you must be rich to buy hotels and then take care of the employee. And then he becomes what we are, which is the best hotel company.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbwh-wcd-to
You have hotels in California, Europe and Dubai. Isn’t Latin America in the plans?
We have never found the right choice. Let’s take the example of San Paolo. San Paolo is a corporate destination, not a tourism. People go business. It is not our audience. Our audience goes to California and London, Paris, Milan and Rome and Dubai for leisure. And they go to the best hotels that we mainly have for shopping and for cultural holidays.
What about Rio? Have you ever thought about the Palazzo di Copacabana?
Oh yes, I would like to have the Palazzo Copacabana. But unfortunately, someone else purchased it (the hotel belongs to the French group Lvmh).
What are the main reasons for your success?
First of all, you must have passion. I think you have to be passionate about the business you have. It’s not just an investment. It must be someone who loves the activity of welcoming people, please. If you are just greedy and you just want to make money, it won’t work.
How do you define luxury today? Is it different from 20, 30 years ago?
I think the needs of the new guests are not the same. For example, will your children expect the same from a hotel? At the beginning, I was looking for a hotel with comfort. No noise and good food. Now my children want wifi, more than anything else. My wife likes the space. His luxury request is space. My luxury request is time. If people in the hotel are helping me to save time, I would like it.
Source: Terra
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