All 400 guest rooms boast their own private balcony and heads of states ). That has cemented this hotel in the hearts and minds of the local community … That to me drove the positioning … This hotel has this incredible connection to the city in ways that other hotels don ’ t , to be blunt . And , so , everything we ’ re doing is building off that and building off the history of the hotel .”
GM ’ S FAVORITES Needless to say , COVID created some delays for the brand-new interior created from within the existing , curved exterior structure with landmark status , but Barnes says being able to put in a new infrastructure has actually made the process easier than some major renovations . His biggest challenge has been keeping a team engaged , and he shipped many of them out early in 2021 to other North American Fairmonts to keep them motivated . “ The bricks and the mortar can be stunning , but unless you have the right people in it , they won ’ t bring it to life ,” he adds .
When asked about his favorite spaces in the hotel , he points to Lumière , which is being managed by former 11 Madison Park GM Paul Quinn . The space created by EDG Design is filled with fixtures and furnishings from France and Barnes says , “ It has a wonderful feel to it , a mix of brand-new furnishings and antique products , like the bar top and light above that came from France .”
Barnes calls the spa dramatic and believes it is going to reset the stage in Los Angeles for wellness . “ And I don ’ t think anybody ’ s expecting that . So , I think that ’ s going to be the biggest surprise ,” he says .
Perhaps one of the more novel engineering feats at the Fairmont Century Plaza is the lobby windows , which can disappear into the floor through a hydraulic system . “ When I saw those windows in action , I could not believe they hadn ’ t been value engineered out ,” Barnes quips . “ But it is spectacular , with four panels at the front of the lobby and four at the back of the lobby that literally drop right into the floor … They will be open for a large percentage of the year , which will give us the only open-air lobby in Los Angeles .”
The rest of what Barnes needs to do is listen to his guests , as well as provide an element of relaxation and fun , he adds . “ It used to be that luxury was defined by the quality of the linens , the glassware and the china ,” he says . “ And those things are all still important , but they ’ re now a given . It ’ s the whole experience that we create for people . And I think that where our opportunity is here , is to take that incredible history of major events that went on here and bring it to life again .”
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