The hotel branch of the famous LOV Group created the Airelles Collection in 2017. LOV Hotel Collection previously included the luxury establishments Les Airelles (Courchevel), Airelles Val d’Isère, Chalet Ormello (Courchevel), Aman le Mélézin (Courchevel), Le Chalet de Pierres (Courchevel), Pan Deï Palais (Saint-Tropez) and La Bastide de Gordes (Gordes). Sumptuous addresses, mountain and sea with no less than three Palaces – Les Airelles in Courchevel and Airelles Gordes, La Bastide à Gordes as well as Airelles St-Tropez, Le Château de la Messardière. The last addition to these exceptional destinations is Airelles Château de Versailles, Le Grand Contrôle, located in the very heart of the Palace of Versailles estate, one of the only addresses in the Collection open year-round.
As the preparation for the summer season is underway, Vendôm Talents had the pleasure of speaking with the Managers of the Summer Maisons of the Airelles Collection.
Airelles Gordes, La Bastide
This Palace is located in one of the most beautiful villages of France, Gordes. In the heart of Luberon, this superb hotel, perfectly combining authenticity and exceptional services, like a peaceful retreat, but where all the senses can be filled. From the historical magic to the magnetism of the place, not to mention a rich gastronomic culinary offer or the promises of well-being of its Sisley spa, the new jewel of La Bastide promises this year the addition of a Ladurée tea room.
Madeleine Munier, its General Manager, talks to Vendôm today about the uniqueness of this address and the unique soul given to the place thanks to its employees.
Vendôm Talents - What are, for you, the professions/departments under the most pressure?
Madeleine Munier - Our challenges lie mainly in our Food and Beverage Department, because at La Bastide our culinary offer includes four restaurants, a bar and a Ladurée tea room. With their range being different, we are looking for various types of profiles. Our needs are very much based on the room service - demi-chef de rang, clerk,... We are still looking for the following: a sous-chef, chefs de partie, demi-chefs de partie pastry and a pastry clerk for our new point of sale this year, the Ladurée Tea Room. I would also like to add: chefs de partie, demi-chefs de partie and commis for our historic restaurant, L'Orangerie, and for Clover Gordes by Chef Jean-François Piège. We are also recruiting talents at the bar, for our point of sale: Le TIGrr.
V. T. - What skills are you looking for in your future employees?
M. M. – The know-how, above all! His motivation, his passion for the profession. The desire to please is the heart of our business! Regarding the experience, it depends on the type of position. On a position of leader of rank, it will always be important, but we favor the attitude more than anything. The CV is just a piece of paper, after all! We want to spend time with each candidate to familiarize ourselves and get acquainted with each personality, because that's what ultimately matters. We can all make mistakes, but if they are made with kindness, kindness, a smile, it will pass better than with a person who seems not to have recognized it and to have ignored it.
V. T. - How do you onboard your new employees?
M. M. - We are very fortunate to be able to have our employees develop and grow between our Winter Maisons and our Summer Maisons. Some employees even choose our establishment that is open year-round, Le Grand Contrôle which opened in June 2021. We try as much as possible to promote our employees within our Maisons. We favor our pool before opening recruitment on a vacant position. In the same way, we focus above all on our former interns who already know our Maisons, their personality and their values well.
V. T. - Factually, you find yourself as a seasonal address on short temporalities. What are your methods of welcoming your new employees?
M. M. - We go through different processes. Initially, we rely on the basis of our employees who already know our House. Those who have already spent one or more seasons with us, or who are aware of another Airelles address and its DNA. We have also set up, by service and department, specially dedicated reception manuals. Of course, in addition, we present newcomers with welcome booklets that reveal the address and all the values of the group and its rhetoric. Associates working both in the front and in the back-office benefit from a visit of all the places and services of the address in order to grasp the totality of the customer experience.
We pushed this idea to the point of setting up a selection of "employee of the month". We invite to the table of one of our restaurants so that they live and fully integrate into the experience of La Bastide, on the customer side.
The reception of seasonal workers also depends on the quality of the accommodation we offer them. We assume that if our employees are satisfied with their private space, this will have a positive impact on customer reception. Every year, we seek to improve their comfort. This year, we decided to not only offer a weekly yoga class, but also sports outings in the region to develop links/relationships and collaboration between teams in a lively and playful way and outside the professional context.
V. T. - A few words to define your superb address?
M. M. - La Bastide offers above all an exceptional environment. Gordes is located on a rocky peak, its sunrises and sunsets are absolutely magical. The establishment is divided into ten floors. Our different services are therefore located on serveral terraces: restaurants, bar, etc. I would add, in my opinion, that despite this majestic environment, its exceptional heritage, La Bastide could not be this inescapable Palace without the soul of the men and women who make it come alive on a daily basis. A soul that I will summarize as follows: simplicity, kindness, know-how and passion for the job, which our employees should know how to convey at every moment. It is also thanks to all the teams that we think, every year, about new surprises, structures, which amaze each season, both couples and families, because The Airelles Collection is, above all, designed for the happiness of all!
See the offers: https://www.vendomtalents.com/fr/entreprises/la-bastide-gordes
Airelles St-Tropez, Château de la Messardière
The Château de la Messardière is one of the two addresses of the Collection in Saint-Tropez and its second Palace. Like all the addresses in the collection, the family is king. The property is perched on a hill with a magnetic view of the umbrella pines and vineyards spreading towards the mythical Bay of Pampelonne, South-Side, and the equally seductive Gulf of St-Tropez, North-Side. This luxury flourishes on a huge estate of more than 12 hectares dotted with umbrella pines and cypresses, beds of fragrant lavender and groves of olive and citrus trees. The apricot-hued castle was built in 1904 by Henri Brisson as a wedding gift for his wife and later became a hotel, redesigned by the Airelles in 2020 and 2021.
The General Manager of the Palace, Mauro Governato, having worked in the most beautiful international groups – Four Seasons, Kerzner, among others – gives us the particularities of recruitment in this inescapable seasonal address on the Côte d'Azur.
Vendôm Talents - What are, for you, the professions/departments under the most pressure?
Mauro Governato - I will say that all departments of hospitality - F&B, maintenance, booking, technical, etc. - are experiencing a difficult recruitment period.
We may have felt a certain general disenchantment with this demanding industry, because the generation that projects itself there has expectations – especially in terms of face-to-face – that do not necessarily correspond to the reality of these professions.
It's not just about seasonal addresses; cities, mountains, sea are also impacted. In France, at the moment, you have to know that there are around 300,000 jobs openings (that are being struggled to fill). In Italy, the figure is roughly equivalent, as for Switzerland, it is the same although it houses some of the best hotel schools in the world.
V. T . – Can you imagine long-term sustainable solutions?
M. G. - I don't think there is a "magic" global solution. We must ask ourselves the right questions in order to find answers that are satisfactory to all. Admittedly, they can be risky, especially in terms of employee privileges. However, they will definitely have an impact on customer satisfaction.
The wage issue may be the heart of the solution, but it is not unique. Effective management must value the actions of its teams on a daily basis; make every person grow, every day. In seasonal environments, we must also think about the comfort and integration of our employees.
We are faced with new generations, more mobile, but who also expect more from being able to combine professional and personal life in a healthy way. Here, perhaps, lies the main problem.
V. T . - What skills are you looking for in your future employees?
M. G. - Definitely, the attitude and the ability to be flexible and see beyond the horizon, as well as a behavior that knows that it is not only related to a unique technical performance, but also instilled in an academic way. Our employees must be able to help other departments, even if they are on the margins of their discipline, and vice versa. The advantage of luxury trades is to be able to meet a certain level of requirement. In my opinion, this attitude reflects, on a daily basis, respect for employees and their function.
V. T . - How do you onboard your new employees?
M. G. - Our integration program is based on the transmission of knowledge and best practices by our long-standing employees. We are fortunate to have about 60% of our employes who come back, mainly managers, and about 50% on the operational. We owe these advantageous figures to the structure of the Airelles addresses, which are located both at the sea and in the mountains. We are therefore able to offer our employees two different experiences; which also allows them to better project themselves in their career development from one address to another.
We also have a manual that allows them to train themselves on a daily basis.
The third key point of the integration of new employees is the involvement of the Heads of Departments who must transmit the DNA and excellence of the Airelles service in the most benevolent way possible to the new recruits.
V. T . - A few words to define your superb address?
M. G. - Le Château de la Messardière is a unique destination, because this Palace manages to combine the chic, fun and glamour of Saint-Tropez. Adding the beauty of nature and the beach, below, the Maison offers our guests an oasis of peace, an intimate place allowing an exceptional disconnection from the throes of everyday life. Le Château de la Messardière proposes, in a single address, an idyllic holiday for yourself and for the whole family.
See the offers : https://www.vendomtalents.com/fr/entreprises/chateau-de-la-messardiere
Airelles St-Tropez - Pan Deï Palais
This confidential 5-star address is a bubble of serenity in the very heart of the bubbling village of Saint-Tropez, a sweet invitation to travel and change of scenery. It was in the 19th century that General Allard, who went to war in India, fell in love with Princess Pan Dei. She settled in Saint-Tropez to avoid the funeral tradition of self-immolation when Allard was killed in battle. With sister properties in Courchevel and Gordes, this boutique hotel has been designed to tell its own Indian love story. Rich fabrics, reminiscent of the beauty of the Orient, highlighted by dark wooden furniture at the entrance. Its brand-new table, Cookoovaya, offers all the character, freshness and sweetness of Greek gastronomy, to be enjoyed on the terrace or under the pergola.
Aya Hanova, its General Manager, opened the doors of this setting to us and tells us about the value of her employees.
Vendôm Talents - What are, for you, the professions/departments under the most pressure?
Aya Hanova - We must be aware that we encounter difficulties in all professions: accommodation, catering, cooking... The most urgent concern, in particular commis de rang, chef de rang, gouvernant(e), femme ou valet de chambre, etc.
This reality has always existed for seasonal Maisons. Indeed, temporality matters a lot and we must plan our needs well in advance and improve our recruitment processes.
Another reality has also been added to this weakness: the health crisis. Covid has not only changed the behavior of our customers, but also that of employees. We have to deal with these new parameters. Our addresses are growing, which is a guarantee indicator of our dynamism.
I have worked in hotels in Paris - Le Barrière Fouquet's, Le Royal Monceau, the Four Seasons - George V, but also in Le Crillon - in Dubai too! These establishments include 90% permanent contracts. Pan Deï Palais is my first experience of seasonal address. Although we are open all year round, we have two distinct seasons. So management is very different. It is therefore important for us to review our HR philosophy to succeed in retaining our seasonal workers.
V. T . What skills are you looking for in your future employees?
A. H. - I don't think there are really any rules, a lot of things are done "by feeling". For young department heads I will say the CV, the experience, but I think that everyone has the right to his chance. It goes through the attitude, because this changes everything. This is the first thing the customer feels undeniably. If he is in front of someone who is very technically competent, but he does not feel emotional intelligence, the contact will not pass. However, even if the employee commits an oddity and recognizes it, our host will be able to perceive his goodwill and the quality of the service he wishes to deliver to him.
It is not we, managers, who dictate best practices to employees, but customers! Hospitality is a demanding profession, we must be attentive and efficient all the time, while knowing how to improve continuously.
So, I will say what we are looking for in our employees are: (positive) attitude, benevolence, the will to always improve. We welcome seasonal workers who sometimes do not want to make their career in the hotel industry - even if they have diplomas. Only, this approach, this contact with all types of people fascinates and enriches them. They are convinced that it can help them in their future career: encounters with various histories, cultures, personalities, ... the contact with hosts with very diverse backgrounds finally offers immense possibilities to open up to various types of professions throughout a lifetime.
I will conclude that everything is based on the human/person. Recruitment is key for all of our service trades. On the other hand, it is true that the Post-Covid period has changed behaviour immensely. It is therefore necessary for us, managers, to analyze, understand and imagine the practices of tomorrow.
V. T . How do you onboard your new employees?
A. H. - We are always improving, because Airelles is fortunate to be a very young, dynamic group open to all kinds of ideas and actions. We listen to our seasonal workers, especially in terms of housing conditions. On this point Airelles makes it a point of honor to offer the best accommodations to their employees. Thus, at Pan Deï Palais, we can invest in the improvement of employee housing, because we own them. We, as always, have a little attention for the welcoming. The luxury professions implicate a very high level of requirements that we also owe to our employees.
The Collection is still young, but we feel that this dynamic is working well. Many employees continue their contract in the winter season to get acquainted with all of our Maisons. Our challenge is to maintain and sustain key positions: managers, supervisors, etc.
Each Airelles Maison has, of course, its own personality. However, thanks to the centralization of our HR based in Paris, we can carry out a constant watch in order to properly coordinate the management of our houses.
We have, of course, integration days in not only the Maison where they will evolve, but also in our sister Maisons. As we only have six Maisons in the Collection, it is easier for them to integrate the operation of each of them. Having addresses on a human scale, it certainly makes the task easier in view of the fierce competition that we encounter in the South. This is also an advantage, because if we lose one of our seasonal workers, another may be tempted by the Airelles experience. I would add that the South region is rather in an average higher than the salary scales applying in our professions; which is a huge advantage!
V. T . A few words to define your superb address?
A. H. - The Pan Deï Palais, I would say, is a hidden screen, a little gem that has a very exclusive side. Note that restaurants are only open in the evening for non-resident clients; during the day the Maison is reserved for resident customers. The Pan Deï Palais is a timeless place, very quiet. When you enter through the gardens, everything seems new, full of surprises and promises from elsewhere, and this, in the heart of Saint-Tropez! The address has, in fact, been thought of as the interior of an Indian palace, with its exoticism, its fullness, its serenity. The change of scenery, both architectural and geographical, is very significant, without being invasive and also suits the tastes of all. The Pan Deï Palais is a real inner journey within a festive destination.
See the offers : https://www.vendomtalents.com/fr/entreprises/pan-dei-palais
