and convert them into dining suites and Chauvin says it worked so well that guests were still requesting them , even though the restaurants were open again . “ You can easily deliver the starter to the room and then 20 minutes later , the main course . And that ’ s a feast ,” he explains .
At the same time , finding food stuffs to fill out the menu became a problem at one point , to which the operator would ask guests what they want to eat , and they would try to find it for them .
Nonetheless , room service has remained strong because Fauchon Paris guest rooms have proper dining tables and were designed to act as more than just a bedroom . There is a special minibar cabinet with many Fauchon products offered for free with the obvious expectation that guests will leave the hotel having bought the goodies at the retail stands in the hotel . “ There is a real return on that . When you are generous , there is a return ,” Chauvin says .
In Kyoto , where there have been no international guests , again F & B has been a savior . “ The number one thing doing well in Kyoto is our retail with volume three times more than what we expected ,” Chauvin says . “ Japanese people are so desperate that they eat a lot of macarons .”
ARRANGING PRIORITIES What Chauvin has also learned through the pandemic has been not to diminish human contact with guests .
“ We ’ ve had so many French and European people coming to Paris just for the sake of saving their mental health – a true need to escape from something that was very tough ,” Chauvin says . “ So rather than actually putting up barriers , we lifted barriers . Our check-in is not over the counter ; we have a sitting room … So , when you have the proper mask and sit with the guest , you have a clear exchange . We have learned that we should not actually diminish anything in what we believe , which is number one , human contact .”
That attitude also works in concert with the hotel ’ s discreet emphasis on women travelers , predominantly with in-room amenities and hardware like hardwood floors that are very conducive to walking barefoot , backlit , transparent wardrobes that show off clothing , as many as 50 varieties of teas in the minibar and great lighting and branded hairdryers in the bath . The staff is also very deliberately trained to help women maintain their privacy and promote a feeling of safety . “ It shows that we were right in establishing this intimacy in the relationship , but also the privacy at the same time ,” Chauvin adds . “ It ’ s a fine line between both . So , that was something we try to train our people about .”
And because Fauchon has established itself since 1886 as a local beacon in hospitality , Chauvin believes it has helped attract young people to the hotel team . “ It ’ s good to attract guests ; it ’ s even better to attract staff .”
Fauchon will also be further attracting and recruiting team members this September when it opens its own 6,000 square meter , 500-student hospitality
Grand Entrance at the Fauchon in Kyoto school in Normandy , France . “ Staff is more important than clients … Cherish your teams and they will then take care of your clients ,” Chauvin implores . “ Is there anything better that you can tell them or give them than hope , vision and an education ? Of course , eventually they leave . But the one experience I want them to be really proud of is Fauchon . That would fulfill my day .”
For advice , Chauvin says he most often reaches out to the sole owner of the Fauchon empire for the past 20 years , Michel Ducros . “ He keeps telling me , ‘ keep going .’ And when there is a crisis , it is the best time to do many things that you would not be able to do in normal times – like investing . It ’ s a great time for renovating it , it ’ s a great time for training .”
Chauvin closes by suggesting that the pandemic has taught the hotel industry so much . “ We have found so many keys to type to take required action . Everybody is now aware of these keys and this new agility required to adapt … It ’ s like we have now the antibody of adaptation .”
74 hotelsmag . com March / April 2022