September 2007
From the farm to the fork: Fairmont offers a fresh new take on menus
Responding to guests' need to please their palates while also minding their health, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts announces a brand wide commitment to offer menus that focus on what we can do for the earth, as well as the taste buds. The first hotel company to formally commit to using, wherever possible, sustainable, locally sourced and organically grown products as part of everyday food service operations, Fairmont takes the lead in this green revolution on a plate. As part of an ongoing process in which Fairmont will continuously assess where it can make a difference through responsible food purchasing practices, menus across the chain will reflect this focus on fresh cuisine by fall. This new initiative follows the move to eliminate all artificial trans fat from dining offerings earlier this year.
Fairmont's Green Partnership, the company's award-winning environmental program, encourages guests to think green when traveling and offering healthful and delicious menu choices that highlight organic wines, local purveyors and on-site herb gardens is a natural extension. Fairmont has taken the proactive step of reviewing its purchasing and food sourcing practices to see in which areas more sustainable choices can be incorporated, both at a hotel and a corporate level. For example, all hotels worldwide offer guests the choice of menu items prepared with organic eggs.
Consumers today are increasingly interested in where their food is sourced and how it is produced, and Fairmont menus will provide those sources by highlighting local, organic ingredients and the purveyors who produce them.
Like-minded partners on a brand level currently include The Metropolitan Tea Company Ltd., North America's first member of the Ethical Tea Partnership, who have created a specially branded line called Tea at The Fairmont, served at all hotels. Tea at The Fairmont products are sourced through Fair Trade organizations (in the countries where available), and over the next two years, most of the line is phasing into organic production. Hotels must also offer organic or biodynamic wines from producers such as Bonterra Vineyards, the world's leading producer of wines made from certified organically grown grapes.
"Our guests are very savvy, experienced diners, and they also are becoming more conscious of how their consumer choices affect the planet," notes Serge Simard, Fairmont's Vice President, Food & Beverage. "While individual contributions certainly do make a difference, the actions of institutions often have a greater impact. Our new approach will make it easy for our guests to make individual, sustainable food choices as part of a global effort."
He continues, "We want our guests to know that when they dine at Fairmont, not only can they count on the very best, freshest ingredients and a true experience of the destination through their culinary choices, there will always be a range of sustainable options for them to consider.
El Bulli molecular gastronomy kit from Infusions
Help is at hand for caterers itching to experiment with some of the unusual concoctions from Spain's celebrated El Bulli restaurant. Suffolk-based Infusions has snapped up the UK agency for the Texturas line of natural food derivatives created by El Bulli's Ferran and Albert Adrià and produced by Solé Graells of Barcelona to help chefs make their own hot gelatins, airs, foams, spherical gnocchi, pasta-less pea ravioli or fruit suspended in liquid.
The range to prepare sphere-shaped caviar, eggs, or ravioli comprises tins of Algin to gelify liquids that are then submerged in a Calcic bath, with added Citras to correct acidity.
A starter kit priced at £42.95 brings together these three essentials, along with a tool kit of two syringes and dosing and collecting spoons. This range also includes Gluco to overcome difficulties in dissolving.
The emulsifier range includes Lecite to convert liquids into airs, along with Sucro and Glice to mix fats and waters, with prices ranging from £6.95 to £17.95 per tin. There are also five gelification products (Agar, Kappa, Iota, Gellan and Metil) to achieve a variety of textures of hot and cold gelatins that cost between £11.95 to £25.95.
London ninth most expensive city in the world
London has dropped three places among the world’s most expensive travel destinations, according to HRG UK's half year hotel survey.
Despite the capital posting a steady 5% increase in average room rates in the six months to June to £152, it fell to ninth position in the survey following increased growth among other international destinations.
The UK on a whole saw a slight increase in average room rates, up 4.3% or £4.40 per night, which reflects the similar steady trend set in 2006.
Moscow continues to top the survey with the highest average hotel rates at £236, with the price of the average room having increased 7% compared with last year.
Outside of Europe and North America, of the top 10, Hong Kong and Bangalore experienced a fall in average room rates. Significantly, Bangalore saw room rates drop 7% as the economy experienced a slowdown due to a plateau in its growth as a base for corporate outsourcing and international call centres.
Dubai continued to experience growth in average room rates, having climbed four places to become the third most expensive city after Moscow and New York City.
Top 10 Most Expensive Cities Worldwide
2007
Ranking |
City |
2007 Average
Room Rate GBP |
2006 Average
Room Rate GBP |
2006
Ranking |
1 |
Moscow |
236.06 |
220.57 |
1 |
2 |
NYC |
180.29 |
173.83 |
2 |
3 |
Dubai |
166.73 |
155.56 |
7 |
4 |
Paris |
165.84 |
158.01 |
3 |
5 |
Bangalore |
162.04 |
174.56 |
- |
6 |
Milan |
159.62 |
152.91 |
4 |
7 |
Stockholm |
156.44 |
142.14 |
8 |
8 |
Hong Kong |
153.86 |
154.91 |
5 |
9 |
London |
152.20 |
145.14 |
6 |
10 |
Rome |
151.38 |
143.33 |
10 |
Fairmont Le Montreux Palace, Switzerland
On the shores of Lake Geneva, this latest addition to Fairmont's international portfolio is housed in a 1906-built belle-époque style building with views of the Alps. It offers dining options including La Brasserie du Palace and the fine-dining restaurant Jaan.
• Opened: 6 June
• Owner: Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
• General manager: Michael Smithuis
• Head chef: Laurent Vogel
• Bedrooms: 235
• Facilities: Include two bars and a nightclub and four restaurants. There is a 2,000sq m spa with a fitness centre, and conference facilities comprise six meeting and banqueting rooms catering for as many as 1,200 people.
• Prices: From SFr529 (£217)
• Address: Grand Rue 100, Montreux, Switzerland, CH-1820
• Telephone: 00 41 21 962 1212
• Website: www.fairmont.com/montreux
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The Fairmont Château Frontenac has appointed Nicole Lapointe Director of Sales and Marketing. She was most recently the Regional Sales Manager at Les Hôtels Villegia.
Fabio Trabocchi has joined Fiamma Osteria in New York as Chef/Partner, succeeding Michael White, who has moved to Alto and L’Impero as Executive Chef. For the past seven years, Trabocchi has served as Executive Chef for award-winning Maestro at the Ritz-Carlton Tyson’s Corner. Previously, he was based in London as Executive Chef at Floriana Restaurant and the Grissini London Restaurant at the former Hyatt Carlton Tower.
Thierry Debailleul has been appointed Executive Chef at Foxwoods in Connecticut. He was formerly the Executive Chef of the Pointe South Mountain in Phoenix. Prior to that, he opened the Westin Stonebriar in Texas as Executive Chef.
The Four Seasons San Francisco has appointed Sébastien Duclos Restaurant Manager of Seasons Restaurant. He joined the company in 2002 at the Four Seasons Toronto and has held various food and beverage positions at the Four Seasons New York and the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues in Geneva.
Paul White has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Orient-Express, replacing Simon Sherwood. White had left Orient-Express merely two months ago after sixteen years, to accept an opportunity with a London investment firm. He had been the Chief Financial officer at Orient-Express since September 2005.
Lausanne graduate Beatrice Belehradek is leaving her position of General Manager at Paris' Hotel Lutetia to become the General Manager of the Sofitel Paris Arc de Triomphe.
Another Lausanne graduate, Christophe Laure, has left InterContinental after fifteen years, to become the General Manager of the Hyatt La Manga, in Spain. Laure recently served as General Manager of the InterContinental Malta, following a stint as Hotel Manager at Paris’ Grand Hotel InterContinental.
Marcos Bekhit, Regional Vice President for Four Seasons, will now be based out of the new 170-room Four Seasons Bosphorus in Istanbul, as opposed to his previous home, the original Four Seasons Istanbul. His successor at the Four Seasons Istanbul is Tarek Mourad, whose experience with Four Seasons includes a stint as Hotel Manager at the Four Seasons Riyadh and one as Director of Rooms at the Four Seasons Cairo.
Jan Chovanec has returned to Swissôtel/Raffles International as General Manager of the Swissôtel Krasnye Holmy in Moscow. He had left the fold for a two-year stint as opening General Manager of the Conrad Indianapolis. Prior Swissôtel assignments for Chovanec included the top spot at the Swissôtel Bosphorus, the Watergate and the Swissôtel Chicago.
Patrick Carabin has been appointed General Manager of the Sofitel Grand Sopot in Poland. He was previously the Resident Manager of the Daewoo Hotel in Hanoi and the Acting General Manager at Le Méridien Amman.
Jean Pierre Soutric returns to Four Seasons as Director of Corporate and Travel Industry Sales – Europe, based in Paris. He had recently briefly left the company to join the pre-opening team at the Shangri-La Palais d’Iena as Director of Sales and Marketing, after being at the Four Seasons George Cinq for eleven years, most recently as Senior Director of Marketing, France.
Friederike Lockau has been promoted to Director of Sales and Marketing at the Four Seasons Prague, having joined the hotel a year ago. She was previously the Director of Sales at the Four Seasons Dublin and has held various positions at the Four Seasons Berlin and at the Pierre.
Antoine Maillon has been promoted to Group Director of Operations for Georges Blanc after serving as Financial Director for the past five years. He had originally joined the group in 1999 as Cost Controller.
Bruno Cristol has been promoted by Shangri-La to General Manager of the Shangri-La Marina in Cairns, from the position of Resident Manager at the Shangri-La Sydney (the former ANA). Cristol originally joined Shangri-La as Director of Food and Beverage at the Shangri-La Kowloon. He had joined from a stint at the Carlton InterContinental in Cannes, following ten years with Hyatt International in Australia.
Richard Saul has been appointed General Manager of the JW Marriott Jakarta, replacing Greg Allan who has taken up his new assignment at the Singapore Marriott. He was most recently the General Manager at the Renaissance Harbour View in Hong Kong.
Frédéric Colin will be the opening Executive Chef at the St. Regis Singapore. He successfully opened the St. Regis Bora Bora, following three years with André Balasz’ Hotels AB, as Executive Chef of the Raleigh and Sunset Beach.
Romuald Feger will be promoted at the St. Regis Bora Bora to Executive Chef, taking over from Frédéric Colin. Since September 2006, Feger has been the Chef de Cuisine at Lagon, the Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurant at the St. Regis Bora Bora. He previously served in the kitchens at the Palais de La Méditerranée in Nice and Le Cirque in New York.
Vincent Arnaud returns to the InterContinental Jordan as General Manager. Previously he served as the Hotel Manager at the hotel for three years, before moving to his most recent position in Beirut as General Manager at the Crowne Plaza.
Pascal Prigent has been appointed General Manager of the Anahita Residences and Villas in Mauritius. For the past four years, he served as Group Operations Manager for Veranda Resorts.
Brice Lunot is now in Mauritius at the Legends Hotel as Resident Manager. Eric Molle from the Sheraton Morea is replacing Lunot as Front Office Manager at Le Méridien Bora Bora.
Derrek Anderson joins Hilton Hotels in the new role of Vice President, Finance for the Middle East and Africa, based in Dubai. Anderson originally joined Hilton in 1999. He has had responsibility for regional portfolios as Financial Controller for UK and Ireland, Area Financial Controller for Middle East and Asia Pacific, and Regional Finance Director for South Asia, Japan and Micronesia.
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