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so kind and accommodating ; it really made our stay memorable .”
Fewer endorsements are better than a celebrity endorsement . Especially if it ’ s unsolicited and comes from one of Hollywood ’ s most celebrated actors . Hotels and hotel companies rarely , if ever , comment on or namecheck guests — famous or otherwise . It ’ s no surprise , then , when Omer Acar , the CEO of Raffles and Fairmont , two luxury brands under France ’ s Accor , declines to directly comment on Cranston ’ s Canadian escapade , but like any savvy leader , he understands the influence , the suasion , the truth unvarnished of social media .
“ It is very important , but genuine posts are what I care
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most about ,” he said . “ Because this is not an advertising campaign , but real people following other real people , who are experiencing your hotels .” It doesn ’ t hurt when the real person is a six-time Emmy winner and protagonist of what is considered one of the greatest dramas of all time . Acar gets it : “ It ’ s great to inspire someone to want to visit , but they have to arrive to the same experience they saw in the pretty pictures and video online ,” he said . “ Consistency , genuineness and sincerity , these are what mean the most to me and what are most important to us as a luxury hotel operator .”
Luckily for the Turkish-born Acar , he has a wealth of luxury history from which to draw on from both brands . Fairmont
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Hotels and Resorts has a storied heritage , now with almost 90 hotels across 30 countries . It has literally played a role in the arc of pop history . Room 1742 at Montreal ’ s Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth , née The Queen Elizabeth , was the location for John Lennon and Yoko Ono recording “ Give Peace a Chance ” during their 1969 anti-war Bed-In . The Plaza in New York hosted author Truman Capote ’ s Black and White Ball , which still carries the moniker of “ Party of the Century .”
PAST TO PRESENT Fairmont ’ s legacy stretches back to the late 19th century and Canada when grand railway hotels , like Banff Springs , like the Elizabeth ,
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like Toronto ’ s Fairmont Royal York , like Quebec ’ s Fairmont Le Château , began sprouting up . Fairmont San Francisco became the first U . S . hotel to bear the Fairmont name , the building having survived the 1906 earthquake .
“ The key is not resting on the past , but building upon it ,” Acar said . “ If you only talk about and celebrate the past , then you become a museum .” But Fairmont ’ s railway history still serves as its north star , as Acar explained . “ Fairmont ’ s greatest strength is being a connector — our hotels are at the epicenter of every destination .”
Location and positioning are at the nucleus of Fairmont ’ s new hotel signings and development . Notable recent openings include Cape Grace ,
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Looking south through Central Park at The Plaza in New York , a hotel that Fairmont Hotels and Resorts took over management of in 2005 . |
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60 hotelsmag . com September 2024 |