Meet The Hotel Group Paving The Way For Wellness And Sustainability

Olivier Jolivet has been the chief government officer of COMO Group since 2017, overseeing the manufacturers portfolio of 15 main inns the world over—from London to the Maldives. Most not too long ago, Jolivet oversaw the model’s first European launch with COMO Castello Del Nero, a 12-century fortress set on 740-acres of undulating inexperienced in Tuscany.

What units COMO aside from different luxurious manufacturers and the way do you preserve a degree of distinction from different luxurious lodge manufacturers? Since its begin, COMO Group’s shareholders have stayed the identical, which has offered a uncommon sense of stability and the chance to suppose long run. It’s a aggressive benefit, notably when recruiting new expertise. COMO is greater than only a model, it’s a spirit and a life-style, which is why we’ve invested in trend, eating places, wellness and sport, and can proceed to take action as we develop.

What’s your strategy to sustainability for now and sooner or later? Our properties are positioned all all over the world and every vacation spot faces its personal distinctive challenges in the case of sustainability.

Latest successes embody appointing a Sustainability Supervisor at COMO Parrot Cay in Turks and Caicos to supervise tasks on the island, reminiscent of waste discount, water saving and our mission to eradicate single-use plastic bottles by 2023. Our Maldivian resorts, COMO Cocoa Island and COMO Maalifushi, are closely concerned in marine conservation initiatives, whereas COMO Uma Bhutan helps Clear Bhutan, a non-profit organisation working to make the nation zero-waste by 2030.

COMO Castello del Nero marks the manufacturers first enterprise into Europe—why Italy? What are you able to inform us in regards to the upcoming opening of COMO Le Montrachet in France? Italy is a vacation spot that by no means goes out of fashion, and as a world way of life model, it’s nearly unimaginable to keep away from. Tuscany specifically is likely one of the most stunning areas within the nation, with its wealthy historical past, stunning landscapes, traditions and delicacies, it is of nice worldwide enchantment. Opening the area’s first Asian-inspired wellness idea within the type of the lodge’s COMO Shambhala Retreat gives one thing new and distinctive to such a well-liked vacation spot.

COMO Le Montrachet, our subsequent European undertaking within the pipeline, is an thrilling one for us. We’re opening the property in Burgundy, which is extensively thought-about the world’s most prestigious wine areas and COMO would be the first worldwide lodge group to have a location there. It’s going to construct on our repute for providing genuine, domestically impressed eating experiences, and we’ve labored with long-time design associate, Paola Navone, on the interiors to offer it that distinct COMO really feel.

How do you stability making a model that’s each timeless and leading edge? I believe the key to a timeless lodge model is to have a robust model id and stick with clear core values. One among our factors of distinction, as an illustration, is the distinctive look of our properties. When designing a lodge or restoring an current constructing, now we have a deep understanding of what can and what can’t be modified: we all the time preserve the unique and historic parts intact. This manner we offer friends with state-of-the-art amenities and stylish areas which have a narrative to inform.

Bhutan is a comparatively uncommon nation within the portfolio. What’s the course of in the case of discovering and opening new properties? We place big significance on location when growing a brand new property, all the time fascinated about how a vacation spot hyperlinks with our model’s values. Bhutan has such a robust religious vitality, which vacationers looking for genuine experiences reply rather well to, so though it is likely to be thought-about uncommon, it’s really part of the world that makes numerous sense for the COMO model.

What does fashionable luxurious seem like? Whereas luxurious can imply various things to totally different individuals, COMO’s concept of luxurious is inconspicuous, refined, genuine and deeply intertwined with private wellbeing. We pay numerous consideration to the structure of our properties as a result of we wish to give our friends house to dream and a pure atmosphere the place they’ll recharge, relaxation and reconnect with themselves. And for me, luxurious has one thing to do with the connection between house and intimacy.

What tendencies are you noticing in journey in the mean time and in lodge bookings? The pandemic led to a shift in individuals’s priorities, with well being and wellness rating greater than ever. As a consequence, the pattern in direction of wellness-led tourism has continued to soar and in the present day many companies are sharpening their wellness choices to maintain up with this. Nonetheless, our wellness credentials are unmatched; COMO and COMO Shambhala are pioneering.

Privateness and intimate areas are additionally of utmost vital for luxurious vacationers, and we observed an elevated demand for COMO’s non-public villas and residences, in addition to non-public, unique experiences catering for small teams of associates or households.

In the present day, discerning vacationers eschew luxurious for luxurious’s sake and are extra serious about immersive, significant experiences that make them really feel a part of a wider story: the story of the vacation spot they’re discovering.

What provides you hope at this second? The turmoil of the previous few years has taken a toll on everyone, regardless of the place on the earth or what business they work in. Assembly individuals face-to-face was unimaginable, and making digital connections was the one approach. Now that the world is opening up once more, resuming in-person conferences and connecting with individuals from everywhere in the globe and listening to their inspiring tales, is energising and received’t be taken as a right once more.