Opération séduction au George V

In Paris, the Palace George V organized a strategic evening to win back its foreign clientele, particularly from America, after 18 months of the pandemic. The goal was to secure bookings for the coming months, especially the holiday season. Chef Simone Zanoni of the Michelin-starred Italian restaurant played a key role in seducing the travel agency executives, presenting his tomato ravioli in a half wheel of parmesan, aiming for a "wow effect" with many surprises to leave guests impressed. The event was a success, with American guests expressing their delight. The George V, a luxury hotel built in 1928, has historically hosted celebrities like The Beatles, Madonna, Céline Dion, and Michael Jordan. However, after closing during the first lockdown, it struggled to regain its foreign clientele. For the holiday season, the hotel launched an effort to re-attract these guests, with Chef Zanoni leading the highly anticipated New Year's Eve party. A significant new initiative was the creation of a completely homemade breakfast, a first for the institution. Guillaume Cabrol, a head baker poached from a competitor, the Plaza Athénée, was tasked with this mission. Cabrol redesigned everything, from raw materials and dough kneading to the visual aspect of the croissant, a centerpiece of French breakfast. He also planned to offer unique creations like "creffins," a croissant-muffin hybrid, to appeal to Anglo-Saxon customers. His initial creations were met with feedback from pastry chef Michael Bartocetti regarding croissant size, which Cabrol had to adjust. Another distinguishing feature of the palace is its floral decoration, overseen by head florist Delphine. The hotel uses over 11,000 flowers monthly, with a budget of 60,000 euros. They even have a rose variety created exclusively for them. The unique presentation style, with bouquets arranged to be fully visible upon entering a room rather than just showing stems, is a signature of the George V, known worldwide. This style originated with American Jeff Littam, who started at the hotel over 20 years ago and is now a florist to stars. Based on his recommendations, Delphine's team never crosses stems and mixes no more than three flower essences. For a royal suite, costing 24,000 euros per night, Delphine installs no fewer than 11 bouquets. This floral strategy helps the hotel stand out in the competitive Parisian market. Chef Zanoni, in his personal life, enjoys a balanced routine with his family. He has transformed his home kitchen into a film set where his wife, Greta, films their recipes for social media, attracting customers to his restaurant. For the New Year's dinner, Zanoni was tasked with creating six dishes. He sourced ingredients from the hotel's 3000 m2 vegetable garden in Versailles, which provides 40% of his restaurant's needs. He also champions eco-friendly production techniques, using coffee grounds from the hotel to grow oyster mushrooms, which he incorporates into his New Year's soup. For the New Year's menu, he prepared a seasonal creamy soup with pumpkin and oyster mushrooms, enhanced with Parmesan and served alongside large langoustines. The holiday season also tested the housekeeping staff. Carla, a 20-year-old intern from the prestigious Vattel hotel management school, was learning the demanding codes of luxury hospitality. Her mother was surprised by her seriousness. After mastering bedroom preparation, Carla began training as a governess, a key position responsible for checking rooms before guests arrive. Sophie, her supervisor, meticulously taught her the required standards, emphasizing attention to detail and impeccable service, even setting traps during an evaluation. Carla was warned that mistakes were unacceptable. During her qualifying exam in a 110 square meter duplex, Carla demonstrated a good technical eye but needed to improve her speed. Despite making two mistakes, she successfully passed the exam, gaining confidence and valuable experience. The next day, Sophie entrusted Carla with preparing a suite for VIP clients. However, due to a last-minute change, Sophie herself had to prepare the suite for a family of regular clients. Alice, the guest manager, ensured every detail matched the family's preferences, from pillow choices to special amenities like popcorn, fruit, candy, and two galettes des rois for Epiphany. The hotel manager, Thibaud Drej, personally conducted a final check, spotting a damaged Louis XV chest of drawers, which had to be replaced urgently. In the rush, a bronze decoration fell, and the marble slab was left off, requiring Sophie and Alice to fix it themselves just minutes before the guests arrived. The Brazilian family, regulars who spend 10,000 euros per night, were delighted with their stay and the personalized attention. On December 31st, the restaurant Le Georges prepared for 85 New Year's Eve guests. Restaurant manager Damien faced the challenge of reorganizing the dining room to accommodate social distancing, which included moving a crystal-based table worth 200,000 euros. A last-minute request for a table for six from an ultra-VIP regular, who spends half the year at the hotel, further complicated arrangements. Despite the restaurant being full, Damien managed to accommodate them. In the kitchen, Chef Zanoni made final adjustments to his New Year's menu, costing 780 euros per person. He refined the presentation of his creamy soup and ensured perfect serving temperature with a thermometer. Guests, many of whom were regulars, appreciated the simple yet tasty Italian cuisine. At midnight, the palace regained a festive atmosphere not seen in a year and a half, signaling a hopeful return to pre-crisis visitor numbers for the George V with the return of its foreign clientele.