LEGEND
The pool area was designed by Karl Lagerfeld , who created and photographed the fresco ( right ).
“
I PREFER TO PUT MY MONEY INTO DOING SOMETHING AMAZING AND THEN LETTING PEOPLE PUBLICIZE IT .
— FADI BOUSTANY
”
food on the cart , what is there to improve ? " The presentation , the plates ... It ’ s fine now , it ’ s OK , but it could be better .”
ADAPTING TO CHANGE Boustany ' s own strategy centers around adaptation , professionally and personally : A diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in 2005 has limited his mobility . He doesn ' t define himself by it . “ Most people who complain about their state , it won ’ t move them further … It does affect a little bit how you do things . But just a little bit .”
Adaptation also means finding new ways to differentiate from competitors such as the Société des Bains de Mer ’ s Hotel de Paris and Hermitage Hotel . But “ our real competition , and their real completion , is not Monaco . It ’ s other destinations ,” Boustany says . “ In some ways , I see them as partners .”
While he pursues other real estate projects , he is a “ maybe ” on developing another hotel . He prefers to focus on upping the wow factor at the Metropole , including refreshing and updating the public spaces , restaurants and guest rooms . But he remains discreet . “ I prefer to put my money into doing something amazing and then letting people publicize it ,” he says . “ It takes more time , but when it works , it works .”
Talk about the
PASSION
Serge Ethuin had barely settled into the GM role at the Royal Monceau in Paris before he was approached about the same job at the Metropole . A 30-year veteran of Hilton with postings at luxury properties including Waldorf Astoria ' s Rome Cavalieri , he declined to pursue the opportunity . But when he was invited to dine with the Boustany brothers , he headed to Monte Carlo — you don ' t turn down an invitation like that . He knew the Metropole not just by reputation but as an occasional , appreciative guest .
“ I just fell in love with those guys ,” he says of the encounter . “ The vision , the way they were talking about the hotel , the passion . The importance put on quality , reputation , image . When I was working for international chains , you often hear about profitability , profitability . Not that here we don ’ t care about profitability , but the return on image , on reputation , on quality , is as important as the financial returns .”
He became GM in 2015 , overseeing 300 employees in the high season and nurturing the local custom that makes up 90 % of bar and restaurant patrons . Patrons might not be a strong enough word : Ethuin says some residents come about 300 times a year . “ It ’ s almost their home ,” he says . “ They know the hotel better than I do .”
Attempting to calculate the stratospheric annual checks that regulars rack up at a Michelin-ranked version of a local pub ? It ’ s helpful to note that a Forbes estimate puts nearly a third of Monaco ’ s 2017 population at millionaire status . So plans to replace Robuchon ’ s restaurant , slated for early 2020 , with a more casual take on French gastronomy must innovate — exquisitely . “ We are trying to renew the offer but keeping an atmosphere that has been recognized , selected , and to reach those Monégasques that are almost addicted to it ,” he says .
“ We are probably the only industry where people are leaving our hotels with nothing . They might steal a few things from time to time — you don ’ t smoke anymore in hotels so we have no ashtrays — but they are leaving with nothing at all but memories . That is something that is totally emotional . So my job is to sell dreams .”
22 hotelsmag . com April 2018