7-Stars: Bentleys and Butlers
In a luxury market that seems to know no boundaries in terms of setting new standards in product and service, the recently opened Town House Galleria in Milan has wasted no time propelling itself to the top of the pile of being Europe’s first seven-star hotel.
It is not, of course, the first property in the world to lay claim to such extravagant status – the Burj Al Arab in Dubai and Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi have seen to that – but it is the first to seriously pursue official seven-star accreditation. The Galleria asked SGS,( Check the classification criteria) a leading Swiss testing and certification company, to create a voluntary seven-star hotel classification that the hotel could then be tested against.
So what does a hotel have to do to be two stars above what we had previously considered to be unassailable? At first glance, the Town House Galleria is indistinct from many other five-star properties. It is magnificently situated in the city’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping center, the 24 suites are appointed with the finest furnishings and modern conveniences. The restaurant provides excellent cuisine but these features are now considered standard in any of the world’s finest properties and, shock, horror, there isn’t even a spa!
What distinguishes the Town House Galleria from its five-star competitors and, indeed, the material extravagances of the Burj Al Arab and Emirates Palace, is its focus on providing an exquisitely personalized service. Before arrival, guests are contacted to ensure that their requirements are met to the finest detail – the temperature of the room, cotton or linen bed sheets, the music in the stereo, the type of pillow, and so on.
Upon arrival, this service is taken to a whole new level, and, if the Bentley limousine isn’t enough to project the Galleria beyond meager five-star status, then the private butler surely is. This service is on hand to ensure that the visitor experience is as seamless as possible and enables guests to defer those more stressful routines – finding availability at the best restaurants, booking premium seats at a show, ironing shirts, shining shoes, arranging tours, even finding souvenirs – to a willing, and very able, third party.
Naturally, this new precedent of personalized luxury comes at a cost – at least €800 a night to be precise. However, there is no doubt that the market for such a product exists in increasing abundance, and we can expect demand for the Galleria to be huge.
Given the speed with which the luxury travel industry is developing, one cannot help but think that Milan’s new jewel has signaled a taste of things to come and that sooner, rather than later, seven-star hotels will be a common component of many more cities. (via Locum Consulting)
In New York, the owners of the legendary Plaza Hotel in New York have decided that the investment of $1B deserves an extra star, so it re-opens, writes Bloomberg News, as a hotel which lives in the “6-star luxury stratosphere, this kind of luxury will comfort those who don’t want surprises - or character - in their hotel visit.
With room rates starting about $1,000 per night, Fairmont, the hotel operator, promises a highly personalized guest experience. A white-gloved butler presides over each floor, ready with a cup of coffee or a reservation at the Palm Court or Oak Room.— (via Bloomberg)
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