Going the extra mile
Our guests are at the heart of everything we do. As director of guest relations for Hôtel Plaza Athénée, nobody knows this better than Louise Prévost. Here she shares with us just some of the many ways she brings this philosophy to life.
Moments to cherish
Delivering a wonderful experience for our guests is everything for us. We want our guests to experience something different every time they stay with us and to cherish every moment. It doesn’t matter if it’s their first time or if they’re regulars. We always strive to get to know them all as individuals and to personalise their time with us.
A chance to be creative
With so many people visiting the hotel for all kinds of occasions, it’s our responsibility to make sure that their stay is everything they imagined and more. In anticipation of their arrival, we think about the reason for their visit and use our creativity to make sure we can exceed their expectations.
Special occasions
For birthdays, proposals and honeymoons, we always strive to make sure the occasion is memorable. We often lend a suite with a magnificent view of the Eiffel Tower for a really romantic proposal. Our restaurant team are also particularly well-rehearsed when it comes to judging just the right moment to unveil an engagement ring, or birthday cake, with great ceremony from underneath a cloche. We’ve even had a recent proposal on our ice rink!
One regular guest asked for dinner to be served in their suite for her husband’s birthday. After dinner, they went through to the sitting room and his favourite singer, a very well -known one, was waiting to sing to them. Those are the kind of once-in-a-lifetime moments you don’t forget and are wonderful to be a part of. We arranged for another guest to have dinner at the Eiffel Tower; she thought she was meeting her husband but he had arranged for her best friend, who she hadn’t seen for years, to meet her as a surprise ‒ and she certainly was very surprised.
Family friendly
For families we always take extra care to make sure the children feel really special and welcomed in their own right. With kids it’s often the little things that really mean a lot to them, like having balloons in their room on arrival or a family photo. I really enjoy this part of my job; it’s lots of fun and really rewarding.
Element of surprise
Often the best reactions are the result of just a little thought and attention. For example, we had a family whose children loved the fact that they were staying in the hotel where one of the Smurf movies was filmed. To surprise the children I had the film ready for them to watch and hid small Smurf figurines around their suite for them to discover. They were absolutely delighted and so were their parents, as it kept their children entertained.
All our guests get the chance to personalise their room or suite. To help you get a good night’s sleep we encourage you to choose your pillow type from our extensive menu. Likewise, if we know your preferred air-conditioning temperate we’ll set it ready for your arrival. We understand how these things can instantly give you a sense of home. Other ideas include a bouquet of your favourite flowers or carefully chosen bottle of wine.
I look forward to the opportunity of personally welcoming you to Hôtel Plaza Athénée.
Our aim is to make your stay exceptional, so please let us know how we can help.
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