Following in the footsteps of brands like Bulgari, Audmars
and Piguet, French luxury food purveyor Fauchon is entering the hospitality
business with the opening of its first hotel in Paris on Sept. 1.
Fauchon Hospitality president and CEO Jacques-Olivier
Chauvin, formerly of Relais & Chateaux, said the hotel group was set up
earlier this year to leverage the brand's 130-year-old legacy as innovators of
fine Parisian gastronomy into a five-star, experiential-based hospitality
company.
"The strategy is to establish a portfolio of Fauchon L'Hotel
branded properties, with a goal of 20 hotels over the next decade," he
said. "With Fauchon's legacy in all aspects of the culinary industry, it
is a natural next step to open our own hotels. It has been essential for us to
define a concept that truly sets us apart, so we are not just another hotel
brand."
What sets the brand apart, he said, will be its "gourmet
approach at all moments in the guest experience," including an in-room "gourmet
bar" that will be stocked with a complimentary selection of Fauchon
products and carefully curated local experiences.
As for expansion plans, the company said it is currently in
advanced discussions for hotels in Doha, Qatar, and Kyoto, Japan, as well
another top European destination. It said it is also in contact with a major U.S.
operating company.