The Peninsula Paris, the brand's tenth hotel, will celebrate its fifth anniversary in August. How is this palace positioning itself on the Paris hotel scene?
Anne Dugenetay - The hotel has found its place in theluxury hotelseven if its beginnings were thwarted by the attacks on Paris in 2015. When you sell a palace, you sell the brand PeninsulaBut also France, Paris, the VIIIth and XVIth arrondissements. It was a difficult time for us, since we opened in August 2014. Business picked up again and we felt a real craze for the destination in 2018. The year was excellent until the turn of December. The hectic Saturdays in the capital do not encourage weekend and shopping customers. This effect continues and benefits other destinations such as London. There is a natural flow between the two cities. Working in London until December, I was able to see for myself just how much of an impact it has had on the economy. strong interest in Paris last year.
Peninsula will soon be opening a hotel in the British capital. What's the latest on this project?
Anne Dugenetay - It is always difficult to give a precise date for the works, but it will not open before 2021That much is certain. Another thing that is certain is that it will be an exceptional venue, overlooking Hyde Park and which will hold some wonderful surprises in store for travellers, but we can't say more than that today.
Let's come back to Peninsula Paris. What are its strengths in the face of increasingly strong competition, with the renovation of numerous palaces such as the Ritz and the Crillon, and the launch of the Peninsula Paris? recent reopening of the Lutetia ?
Anne Dugenetay - What sets us apart is our truly exceptional service, with a large number of staff dedicated to looking after travellers. Guests can feel this from the moment they arrive at the hotel, in the seamless way they are greeted and shown to their rooms. The rooms and suites, with their size starting at 35 m, also stand out. Everything is digital and intuitive. The Peninsula boasts four rooftop suites with private gardens, as well as one of the largest spas in Paris with a 20-metre swimming pool - a discreet yet unique venue - a private garage, a lift that takes guests directly to their VIP suites, and bullet-proof windows for delegations.
How many business guests does your hotel attract?
Anne Dugenetay - During the week, this is a major part of our clientele, with individual travellers, executive committees and also very upmarket incentives. All this is in addition to the celebrities who regularly visit our hotel and our involvement in major Parisian events such as Fashion Week. On this occasion, we offered an Eiffel Tower in Vuitton suitcases in the lobby. We are going to increase this type of partnerships with leading French luxury brands.
This makes the Peninsula a very chic meeting place for the local clientele...
Anne Dugenetay - We have managed to tame the Parisian clientele. The Peninsula's restaurant offering has been a great success from the outset, particularly the Sunday brunch in the lobby. The hotel offers a real voyage of discovery with the Cantonese restaurant Lili, recently headed up by a new chef from Peninsula Tokyo. And then there's l'Oiseau BlancWith its evocation of the beginnings of aviation, its sublime view over the rooftops of Paris and the menu created by chef and Meilleur Ouvrier de France Christophe Raoux. A magical, romantic place.
