Rankings : The five-star trail

The fifth star, which was introduced in France a few months ago, has put an end to the French exception. Last June, when the new classification was launched, eleven establishments came forward, followed by 26 at the end of August and 54 at the end of December... The list goes on and on. According to the Secretary of State for Tourism, Hervé Novelli, there should be around a hundred names on the list. This will undoubtedly give foreign visitors a better understanding of the French hotel sector. "In France, the very high-end clientele is 85% Anglo-Saxon and Asian. And their benchmark is five-star hotels. It was difficult to explain to them that our four-star luxury hotels and certain other four-star hotels were at the same level", explains Michel Jauslin, General Manager of the Park Hyatt Paris Vendôme. As for the French, they will be able to book in a hotel they don't know without fear of an unpleasant surprise.

To reach the firmament of the fifth star, establishments must meet 124 criteria. "These are standards that the very top-of-the-range establishments already met. We didn't wait for the fifth star to offer a personalised service", comments Didier Boidin, Vice President France, Benelux and Mediterranean Basin at IHG. Even if certain criteria may seem a little outdated, not always taking into account the evolution of the clientele or the customs of the present day. A five-star hotel must, for example, have valet parking or offer parking facilities. "But it's been a long time since our customers stopped at the wheel of their Bentley or Rolls Royce outside our doors after crossing France. These days, they travel by plane or train and arrive at their hotel by taxi, if not metro, because they prefer speed," adds Didier Boidin. On the other hand, they need to be connected, to have computers and wi-fi.

So who are the pioneers of France's fifth star? Apart from a handful of historic palaces (see box), there are chain brands that are clearly positioned internationally at the very top end of the market. The Hyatt Madeleine and the Park Hyatt Vendôme, the Renaissance Paris Vendôme, the Marriott Champs-Élysées and the Four Seasons Resort Provence have finally been able to boast the same number of stars as other establishments of the same brand elsewhere in the world. Uniformity is saved. "What's more, we had to anticipate the movements of the competition. The Madeleine (frequented mainly by business travellers, editor's note) could indeed have remained a four-star hotel. But it would have been at a disadvantage compared with its neighbour, the Sofitel Faubourg, which has exactly the same clientele and is about to be awarded its fifth star," explains Michel Jauslin. From Fouquet's to Normandy, all the Barrière group's establishments are also decorated.

Sofitel, which has recently started to move upmarket, is aiming to gradually upgrade all its hotels to five stars. While this may be easy for some hotels, for others it means major work, as in Lyon and Marseille. The first - and so far only - five-star hotels in the two cities. "We had to work on the quality of the staff's welcome, teach them how to position themselves, how to apply make-up and how to accompany customers", explains Loïc Fauchille, general manager of the two units. The Sofitel Vieux Port has also been completely renovated. A €15 million project "to give a new connotation, to bring the port into the hotel". "We created a lobby bar, an alternative to our gourmet restaurant. It attracted a new, younger clientele, and very quickly became the trendiest place in Marseille", he adds. The hotel also boasts a 600 m2 spa. After all, it is now almost unthinkable for a five-star hotel to do without wellness. Here, you can enjoy a massage with a view of the Vieux Port, the Panier district - the setting for the soap opera "Plus Belle la Vie" - and Fort Saint-Jean: the city's most beautiful panorama stands out against a bright blue sky, in the fantastic sunlight that plays on the water in the basin and the stone of the buildings. Marseille will welcome its second five-star hotel in 2011. Intercontinental is to move into the buildings of the former Hôtel Dieu, which overlooks the Vieux Port and has welcomed illustrious patients such as Arthur Rimbaud, who died there on his return from Africa. "It's a place that fits perfectly with our brand: an exceptional building, one that's steeped in history if possible," says Didier Boidin. At the end of a major renovation project, the building, which dates back to 1595, will have 140 rooms and suites, as well as several conference rooms.

Services and atmosphere

With a few other exceptions, most of France's first five-star hotels are relatively small - fewer than 150 rooms - and often independent. "They need the fifth star to establish their reputation and stand out from the crowd of four-star hotels," says Michel Jauslin. The Champs-Élysées Plaza, on rue de Berri in Paris, did not hesitate to submit its application. A formality, according to its owner and manager. "We had already embarked on a major programme before the launch of the new classification. We just had to make a few adjustments during the works. For example, for disabled access - one of the essential criteria for achieving the highest classification, and a real challenge in a small Haussmann-style building. We created a special door with a ramp integrated into the façade and a second dedicated lift", explains Dominique Ruchaud. This 35-room boutique hotel has been given "a real facelift". "We wanted to blend the classic with the contemporary, playing with furniture, colours, fabrics and, in the bathrooms, whirlpool baths and chronotherapy", continues the Plaza's manager. The hotel also has a spa, which is very rare in the capital's boutique hotels.

Because the prestige conferred by a fifth star is not enough to stand out from the crowd. Services and atmosphere continue to make the difference. The Hyatt Paris Vendôme continues to "work on its suites". Like the three presidential suites, which are spa suites with a hammam and treatment table. Of course, special attention is paid to bedding and several hoteliers have teamed up with major fashion and beauty brands: Carita at Sofitel and Hermès at the Champs-Élysées Plaza. "A nod to French luxury. It's rare for guests visiting Paris not to pay a visit to the boutique on rue Saint-Honoré", notes Dominique Ruchaud.

Les Airelles, in Courchevel, also called on the famous house, not for its fragrances or silk scarves, but for its emblematic horse-drawn carriage. The five-star hotel has commissioned a life-size reproduction. This unique piece is reserved exclusively for hotel guests who wish to travel around the Savoyard resort in a horse-drawn carriage. The Strato, the sixth five-star hotel in the resort, relies on the reputation of Rossignol skis. This 25-room boutique hotel at the foot of the slopes tells the story of skiing in black and white photos and a cosy contemporary decor. Not all of these hotels have a three-star restaurant, like Maison Pic. Unless it's the restaurant itself that has added a few rooms...

Strategic renunciation

Some establishments that were expected to be at the top of the new classification have not yet taken the plunge. For example, none of the members of Starwood Hotels & Resorts has yet responded to the call. Nor have the Méridien, Westin or Prince of Wales. The same goes for Radisson Blu and Hilton. At Intercontinental, the very famous Grand Hôtel, whose windows overlook the Opéra Garnier, has not wished to change class. "A strategic choice", explains Didier Boidin, who is also the manager of this establishment, which cannot rely solely on individual guests to fill its 470 rooms. "We inevitably need seminars and incentives. But today's corporate specifications are clear: no ostentation", he continues. His establishment, the setting for numerous films and novels, already enjoys a worldwide reputation. "Travellers stay at the Grand Hotel, not the Intercontinental. A fifth star really wouldn't have brought us any new individual customers, but it would probably have meant us losing out on business tenders," adds Didier Boidin. Prestige, yes, but not against market trends. The fifth star will have to wait for the upturn...