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Robert D’HENRY architects: His vision of French “Art of Welcoming”
I met the architect Robert D’ Henry at the Hotel and Spa Forum organized in The George V Four Seasons Paris.
It was an interesting forum where professionals from different European countries came to listen to international experts who present their knowledge and experience of “Art of Welcoming”.
What is your business approach of French “art de recevoir”? Do you think that French “art de recevoir” is a differentiating factor for luxury hotels and spas?
Regarding the french Art de recevoir, the french art of welcoming we reinterpret for our Spa Guest expérience : Welcoming guests is an important ritual : we warmly greet a Client upon entry and offer them a warm cup of herbal Tea of their choice, while escorting them over to a lounge area. There we remove their street shoes and exchang them for a lovely pair of mongrammed slippers from the Spa.
For our VIP guests this is accompanied with a foot reflexology massage and foot bath, within our VIP suite where Guests enjoy a beverage of their choice, including champagne and then recieve an intoxicating foot massage. From this welcoming ritual, Clients are brought to the changing rooms where they discard their street clothes and embrace a cocooning robe.
In the design of our spas, we concern ourselves with the entrance. We believe that spa patrons need to feel integrated and welcomed from the moment they arrive to the facility. Much detail is given to the doorways, entryways and in all of our spas, the path of treatment is defined with a carefully crafted “spa procession” that ensures that patrons will not have to concern themselves with being lost.
The Setai New York
Laurent Delporte, an editor and conference speaker, is a strategic expert in the sector of hotels. A visionary, he brings his unique look on hotels in service to the decision-makers in the industry, whether to enhance the development of new projects or strategic visions.
Laurent has visited and audited over 350 hotels across the world and also participates in mystery visits to provide quality control for the world’s finest hotels.
