Staying in a grand hotel
The concierge, tipping, what to wear at the bar and at breakfast, and the quiet art of feeling at home: the customs of the great hotels, so you can truly enjoy them.
The doors revolve, the doorman greets you by name although you have never met, a porter has already taken your suitcase. Within seconds, you realise the rules are no longer quite the same. A grand hotel is not just a very expensive hotel. It is a house, with its customs, and those who know them enjoy it infinitely more than everyone else.
An official title
In France, “palace” is more than a word. Since 2010 it has been an official distinction, awarded to a handful of five-star hotels that meet very strict criteria of service, location, history and character. There are barely thirty in the whole country, in Paris, on the Riviera, in Courchevel and in Biarritz. The customs that follow, however, apply to all the great hotels, in France and abroad.
The concierge
The most valuable person in the hotel. An impossible table on a Saturday night, seats for a sold-out opera, a last-minute present, a tailor for an urgent alteration, an address nobody knows: the best concierges, often members of the Clefs d’Or association, recognisable by the two crossed keys on their lapels, can do almost anything. They like to be trusted, and to be asked early.
Always thank them, and a gesture is appreciated when the service has been exceptional. The most elegant way is to give it at the end of your stay, discreetly, in an envelope or a handshake.
Tipping
In France, service is included in the price and tipping is never compulsory. It rewards particular attention. Think of the porter on arrival, the valet, the housekeeper at the end of your stay, the maître d’ after a successful dinner. In the United States, on the other hand, it is part of people’s pay and is never skipped.
What to wear
The bar and the evening restaurant call for smart dress, even when nothing is written down. A jacket for men, a dress or elegant trousers for women. At breakfast, come down dressed, never in a bathrobe, however superb the hotel’s may be: the robe stays in the room, or at the spa.
Discretion
The true luxury of a grand hotel is calm. Speak softly in the lobby, do not take calls at the bar, do not photograph other guests. Celebrities choose these houses precisely because they know they will be left in peace. Staring at them is the surest sign of a one-night visitor.
In the great hotels, staff remember the habits of loyal guests: the preferred pillow, the morning paper, the room temperature, the evening cocktail. You will never be told, but by your third stay, everything will be ready before you ask.
Ask
This is the most useful piece of advice, and the most neglected. A grand hotel exists to meet requests, and you never seem demanding when you ask politely. A quieter room, an upgrade if you are celebrating a birthday, a late breakfast, pressing within the hour: all you have to do is ask, with a smile.
A guest in a grand hotel should feel at home, only better. It is up to them to allow it.
