Hospitality Design - July 2022 - 127

the visionary
The Palm Court at the Relais Henley in Henley-on-Thames,
England, complete with arched mirrors and fringed armchairs
The Quarterdeck Bar at the Relais Henley features
original wood beams and green accents
Grace Leo
Managing Partner, Relais Retreats
President + CEO, Grace Leo Consultancy
Launching a new business at the start of a pandemic would be
daunting for any entrepreneur, but Grace Leo, the visionary known for
developing, repositioning, and managing bijou properties across the
globe, was up for the challenge. Leo opened Hotel Montalembert, one of
Paris' fi rst boutique hotels, in 1989, and helmed design-led destinations
in places such as Mustique, St. Barth, Bali, New York, Marrakech, and
Switzerland. In 2014, Reignwood Investments called on her expertise to
spearhead the transformation of London's Port Authority landmark at
Ten Trinity Square into a Four Seasons Hotel and Residences.
Today, she is not only president and CEO of Grace Leo Consultancy,
but also managing partner of Relais Retreats, a new hotel group
founded alongside Singapore-based shipping magnate Tim Hartnoll,
who also owns Indonesia's eco-island resort Bawah Reserve. Relais
Retreats' brand DNA weaves worldly perspectives into English
waterside escapes within two hours of London. " Tim is passionate about
anything near water and collects vintage yachts, " says Leo. " For me, it
goes back to my Chinese roots and using feng shui elements of wind
and water in the search for good fortune, harmony, and abundance. "
Relais Retreats' fi rst property is the 40-room Relais Henley located
along the course for the famed Henley Royal Regatt a on the River
Thames. The 16th-century former coaching inn caught Leo's eye prepandemic
but was already under contract. That fell through in March
2020, and when businesses reopened the property became hers. " When
I see a building, it speaks to me, and I can easily visualize what it could
become, " says Leo. " I am someone who can make decisions quickly. "
This approach meant that in less than nine months and during two
lockdowns, the nearly 500-year-old Grade II relic was restored with
expertise from Nicholas de Klerk and Sze Wei Lee, cofounders of
London-based Translation Architecture, and Paris-based Pascal
Allaman, Leo's frequent design partner.
The same team is renovating the brand's second hotel, the 45-key
Relais Cooden Beach in Bexhill-on-Sea, formerly the 1930s holiday
home of the infl uential De La Warr family, who put the locale on the
map as the home of British Motorsports. Interiors are partially inspired
by the aesthetics of seaside towns Nantucket, Massachusett s and
Montauk, New York, as well as Deauville in Normandy, France.
" There's a renewed desire to discover places on our doorstep, " Leo
points out. " Looking back onto our own shores and heritage is positive
for the future, and there are many places in the UK I hope to help
people discover. "
hospitalitydesign.com July 2022
127
Photos by GREGOIRE GARDETTE and ALICJA KORBINSKA
http://www.hospitalitydesign.com
Hospitality Design - July 2022

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