Luxury Hotelier - September 2007 - (Page 34)

34| Properties Located directly across from Hyde Park, The Lanesborough, a St. Regis Hotel, calls the neighborhood of Knightsbridge home. Carrera marble surrounds double vanities, a spa bath and private shower stall in the Buckingham Suite [right]. the Waldorf=Astoria, The Remington Hotel in Houston, Texas (now the St. Regis Hotel, Houston), the Hotel Bel Air in Los Angeles and the Sorrento Hotel in Seattle, Washington. Gelardi initially was on board with Rosewood Hotels & Resorts from 1981 to 1985, and they invited him back into the fold as an executive vice president and managing director to open The Lanesborough in 1990. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide took hold of the management reins in 2002, branding it a St. Regis property. What sets the hotel apart from its competitors? Foremost, it’s Mr. Gelardi’s management style. He inspires fierce loyalty from his staff. Of some 300 employees, 30 have been with the hotel since it opened. Now factor in a combination of his irrefutable attention to detail, his incontrovertible competitiveness and his undeniable dedication to eschewing the ordinary. “Our opening team was fabulous,” Mr. Gelardi says. “And I’m proud to say that after all these years, this hotel’s success is still a direct result of teamwork.” “To create the level of service and atmosphere we aspire to requires the entire management team to lead by example and not pontificate upon how things are done,” says Paula McColgan, director of sales and marketing. The 95-room property prides itself on privacy (the hotel boasts its own security staff). Indeed, that privacy plays a large role in how the hotel continues to get a generous slice of London’s luxury hotel market share. Residential to the utmost degree, the 19th-century building boasts a rather small and always seriously quiet lobby, which acts as a perfect prelude to what lies ahead. Guests’ personal wishes and whims are well executed; no detail is overlooked and no request is ignored by the concierge staff. “The Lanesborough is nothing if not discreet,” Ms. McColgan adds. Originally built as a private residence standing squarely at the crossroads of Grosvenor Place and Knightsbridge at Hyde Park Corner, it also was home to St. George’s Hospital from 1733 until 1980. The original building was demolished, and a new building opened in 1844. Designed by William Wilkins (who is best known for designing London’s National Gallery in the mid-1830s), much of the original architectural details remained intact, including the classical Greek-revival exterior, which is considered one of the most distinguished architectural works in London. Artisans, supervised by England’s most eminent historical groups, including the Royal Fine Arts Commission, the Georgian Society, the Victorian Society and Luxury Hotelier | September 2007 | www.LuxuryHotelier.com http://www.LuxuryHotelier.com

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EDITOR’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER INFORM NETWORK PERSONALITIES INSIGHT INSIGHT PROPERTIES ROPERTIES INSPIRE DELIVER PROTOCOLS INSIGHT INNOVATE DEVELOPMENT INDULGE INSIGHT CONNECT UPDATE DOSSIER

Luxury Hotelier - September 2007

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