COVER STORY
WE DON ' T HAVE A RIGHT TO EXIST AS A MEDIOCRE COMPANY
– PETER BORER , COO , THE HONGKONG AND SHANGHAI HOTELS , LIMITED
Beyond London , consider The Peninsula Istanbul , which opened in February , along the Bosphorus waterfront in the historic district of Karaköy . “ It took over 10 years from finding the project to final delivery ,” Kwok said .
Patience paid off for both properties . On the location of the London property once sat a rather nondescript , 1960s-style office building that was razed to make way for the hotel , which is alongside Hyde Park Corner and Wellington Arch , in the tony Belgravia neighborhood . It is the first UK hotel for designer and leather enthusiast Peter Marino , who did the interiors . He was complemented by a slew of top British artisans , including Jenny Packham ( employee uniforms ), Claude Bosi ( F & B ), Timothy Han ( scent curation ) and more than 40 artists from The Royal Drawing School .
The property sits on a 150-year lease and as Borer told it , it ’ s been built to be around for 150 years . “ It ’ s not just the quality of the carpets ; it ' s the infrastructure of the building ,” Borer said , citing things like the “ finest ” piping , for instance , the “ fastest ” elevators and an air-conditioning system that emits the “ cleanest ” air .
The development of The Peninsula London , from the bricks and mortar to the ensuing experience , like Peninsula ’ s preceding hotels , is shaped and delivered by Peninsula and HSH . There are no intermediaries or partners to offer an opinion , which is decidedly difficult now in the age of asset – light lodging companies that trade on a name .
“ The fact that we ' re owners and operators allows us to stay true to our brand , because if you have to deal with many different owners , then , of course , they have different financial expectations ,” Borer said . “ And they may force you to make amends to what your brand image wants to be .”
OUR WAY Not so for Peninsula Hotels , which owns the bulk of its hotels , the exception being The Peninsula Beverly Hills and The Peninsula Paris , each of which HSH owns 20 %. Beyond hotels , HSH has interests in multifamily accommodations , restaurants , office buildings and Peak Tower in Hong Kong , one of the biggest tourist attractions in the city .
The Kadoorie philosophy , Borer relayed , is to not stand on just one leg . The Peninsula Shanghai was the first Peninsula hotel to offer residences ( there are 39 units ), while The Peninsula London boasts 26 units , with almost all already sold .
The Peninsula portfolio stretches from Chicago to Tokyo , with points in between and afar . As much as London is meant to be a city hotel , Borer defined The Peninsula Istanbul as a resort .
He referred to the Istanbul project as “ funny ,” only because the three existing buildings were , he said , “ quirky ,” in a Bauhaus style of way . “ Very funky ,” he said . “ When I first saw it , I ’ m like , ‘ Oh my god , what am I doing ?’”
It worked out well in the end , and a fourth building was added to house a ballroom . The hotel has some 250 meters of clear frontage on the Bosphorus and Peninsula added a garden containing more than 300 trees . “ It ’ s a very lush and romantic environment ,” Borer said .
LUXURY LESSONS Peninsula Hotels and other luxury properties of its ilk might seem like they
A Grand Deluxe Harbor View Suite at The Peninsula Hong Kong , which opened in 1928 .
56 hotelsmag . com September 2023