HOME
The reputation of the Negresco precedes it. Since it opened its doors in 1912, this Niçoise Palace has climbed to the summit of the hotel industry and has made a place for itself in the highly exclusive club of the jewels of French hotels. By any measure, the hotel had surely found the recipe for success. Yet far from resting on its laurels, the Negresco is a hotel in constant renewal.
“99% of the tourist industry knows the Negresco.”
Chambre Negresco
The Negresco, a brand apart from the rest
Open since 1912, the Negresco earned its true status of nobility in 1957, when Jeanne Augier, a passionate collector of art, acquired the hotel. Since then, the likes of Winston Churchill to the Beatles to Princess Grace of Monaco, played a part in writing the rich history of this mythical hotel.
A “palace”? some may appreciate being qualified as a Palace; others don’t. The term “palace” is very French; it was very much in vogue a few years ago, but we hear it much less these days. For me, a Palace is an establishment that is guided above all by emotion, where the staff team are always one step ahead and anticipate the needs of the client. The decoration is certainly important, but what is essential is the human character of the reception, the sense of service, and the emotion.
Whatever it may be, Palace or no Palace, we insists on the statement that there is only one Negresco. “It is a magical hotel, “a brand apart from the rest. 99% of the tourist industry knows the Negresco. And it is clear that the Negresco has comfortably created a position of its own, born from the owner ‘s passion for art. Niki de Saint-Phalle, Hyacinthe Rigaud, Salvador Dalí, etc.: the hotel indeed is home to collections of priceless value which have contributed to its uniqueness and notoriety.
The Negresco is also one of the only French hotels to have received the French government’s recognition of EPV (Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant), or Living Heritage Company. Being part of this circle is a source of pride and originality for the hotel: “EPV brings together ambassadors of the French savoir-faire,” explains the Manager.
Art is naturally one of the key pillars of the client experience at the Negresco. Each new employee thus receives a welcome kit that helps them familiarize themselves with the works of art displayed in the hotel: The storytelling is very important !
Towards a more personal service
But even if its reception is already very personalized, the Negresco does not stop there. It hopes to go even further. The hotel is part of the founding members of Leading Hotels of the World, and he follows the brand standards. A few years ago, the quality controls were still highly formalized in protocols, but they have tended to increasingly value a more personalized service: engaging in conversation with the client, regularly asking him how his stay is going… they offer training to their employees so that they can fully understand the demands of a tailored service.”
As evidence of the growing importance of this closeness with clients, the Negresco has recently recruited a new Maître d’Hôtel for its restaurant La Rotonde, joining the Negresco from a previous position at Disney.
The client at the heart of the strategy of the hotel
If service holds such a compelling importance at the Negresco, it is because the clients are at the heart of the strategy of the hotel. The manager and his staff teams make it a point of honor to read and respond to all comments from clients (on TripAdvisor, the LHW website, etc.). The clients’ reviews and feedback also serve as a precious source of information for reflecting on the strategy of the hotel, identifying room for improvement, and finding new ideas for innovating.
A future oriented around the latest technology?
Digital technology ranks high among the innovations sought after by the clientele of our hotel. Staying faithful to one’s heritage and keeping up with the times are not incompatible. The Negresco has understood this well, and the employees will soon be equipped with tablets to better organize their work and follow their tasks more easily. It’s important to provide the potential of technology to enrich the client experience: That’s what the clients want.
The Negresco and sustainable development
The growing interest of the Negresco in sustainable development is also upon the initiative of its clients, especially among its German and Swiss clients. The hotel team have decided two years ago to obtain the Ecolabel certification, which is more rigorous than Green Globe. This involves, among other things, limiting the welcome products in the room and passing on to a range of organic products. This was not easy, since there were no iconic brands at the time that offered them at the time. But they found one that created a range of organic products. This practice has allowed us to both make significant savings (with around a 10% cost reduction in our welcome products) and reduce plastic waste.”
The Ecolabel certification also obliges the hotel to serve fresh seasonal products, privilege local resources and recycle waste by turning it, for instance, into compost.
A story to be continued!
Negresco lobby
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.
