Éric Boonstoppel, General Manager of Fouquet's Barrière

What are the current trends in the Paris hotel industry?

Éric Boonstoppel - First of all, space. Our smallest room is 37 m2, whereas the standard for a five-star hotel is 20 m2. Secondly, you need impeccable service, but without arrogance. We have 350 staff, including 32 butlers, for just 107 rooms. The other trend is cutting-edge technology. As for decoration, the important thing is to be neither a palace-museum, nor a trendy place that will be out of fashion in three years' time. You have to be timeless, but in tune with the times. And the ultimate aim is to bring something new to the Parisian scene.

What makes Fouquet's Barrière a "palace for the 21st century"?

E. B. - Even though we're still young on the scene, having opened in November 2006, we were the first to be awarded our fifth star last June. Our modern approach is to support 'responsible luxury', where quality and sustainability coexist.

Is "responsible luxury" an ecological positioning?

E. B. - Of course. We are no longer in an era of shameless waste. We are the only Parisian luxury hotel to have obtained triple certification: ISO 1401, SA 8000 and ISO 9001. But the real luxury lies in giving guests a choice. For example, we have limousines, Mercedes and Lexus hybrids. Nine times out of ten, the customer will prefer the Lexus. We offer e-Solexes and electric bikes, and we use plastic crates for product deliveries. As a result, we have reduced packaging waste by 50 %. At the moment, 140 different ecological actions are being implemented in our establishment.