PDM : When did you start your career in hospitality ? And , did you ever think you would be the General Manager of the ultimate luxury hotel , Château de Versailles - Le Grand Contrôle , a unique luxury heritage boutique hotel located inside the Palace of Versailles , the royal residence where Marie Antoinette lived ?
JR : My first experiences in the hotel industry started in 1992 with seasonal jobs as a bellhop and valet at the Le Meurice Hotel ( Paris ). In 1999 , after hotel school , my career really began with my first job in the Marriott Group in Paris , and thereafter in Chicago ( IL , USA ) in 2001 . I am currently the General Manager of the Les Airelles property : Château de Versailles - Le Grand Contrôle . I have always been motivated and ambitious to evolve during my career . I have certainly enjoyed management . However , my career choices have always been in response to an opportunity , and have never been calculated .
PDM : In your bio , it states that you opened a 4-star boutique hotel in Paris as a front office manager . In that position , you would have undoubtedly worked carefully behind the scenes when curating the hotel , particularly when it came to housekeeping and offering bespoke service to your exclusive clientele . How much input did you have ensuring that the hotel ran smoothly ?
JR : At the beginning of my career , I had the opportunity to be the head of reception of a 4-star boutique hotel that was opening . My responsibilities went beyond that position and I was involved in many aspects of the hotel ’ s operations during this opening . I certainly participated in the smooth running of this establishment by setting up all of the working procedures , by recruiting the accommodation teams ( reception and floors ), and organising the services and training at the hotel .