Hotel Jerome and the Art of Quiet Luxury | Stephane Lacroix

Hotel Jerome general manager Stephane Lacroix shares how Aspen’s historic luxury hotel preserves its soul, builds a culture of service and delivers a guest experience rooted in quiet luxury. Why This Episode MattersWhy true luxury is more about attention than flashHow historic hotels stay relevant without losing their sense of placeWhat leaders can do to build trust before asking employees to performWhy excellent  service depends on communication and recovery, not perfectionBanterMark Pascal and Francis Schott begin their Aspen Food & Wine Classic adventure at Hotel Jerome, where they found what they considered the best cocktail bar in Aspen: Bad Harriet. The clue that someone was paying attention? A bottle of Hans Reisetbauer Carrot Eau de Vie on the back bar, which is not exactly the sort of thing that wanders in by accident.The ConversationStephane Lacroix joins Mark and Francis at Hotel Jerome in Aspen to talk about leadership, luxury and the daily work of making guests feel deeply cared for. He traces his path from French hospitality and sommelier training to roles at some of the world’s most celebrated hotels and restaurants, including Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, the Ritz Paris, the Watergate Hotel, Hotel Bel-Air and Baccarat Hotel New York.The conversation centers on Hotel Jerome, a historic Aspen property that Stephane describes as having real soul. Rather than reinventing the hotel, his work is to protect its character, connect with the community and keep the guest experience current without making it feel generic.Mark shares a story from Julie’s childhood visit to Hotel Jerome, when a young guest who wanted McDonald’s was served exactly that under a cloche. For Mark and Francis, it becomes a perfect example of hospitality: making someone feel like the most important person in the room.Stephane also discusses training, trust, service recovery and why great hospitality cannot be scripted. The team is expected to communicate mistakes, recover quickly and quietly watch over guests without overwhelming them. By the end, he defines modern luxury as “quiet luxury”: knowing who your guests are, being there when they need you and letting them be when they do not.Timestamps0:00 Mark and Francis introduce Hotel Jerome and Bad Harriet3:30 Stephane Lacroix joins from Aspen4:40 From French hospitality school to Ducasse, the Ritz and the Watergate9:30 Why hospitality people should only text from the car12:15 The McDonald’s-under-a-cloche story15:00 Hotel Jerome’s history, soul and sense of place18:30 Resetting the hotel and the team each spring25:00 Understated luxury and Aspen’s local culture30:30 Training, trust and avoiding scripted service35:30 Mistakes, recovery and treating every guest like a VIP41:00 Quiet luxury and the power of human connectionBioStephane Lacroix is the general manager of Hotel Jerome in Aspen, Colorado, part of Auberge Resorts Collection. His hospitality career includes work at Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, the Ritz Paris, the Watergate Hotel, Hotel Bel-Air, the Beverly Hills Hotel, Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills and Baccarat Hotel New York. At Hotel Jerome, he leads one of Aspen’s most historic luxury hotels with a focus on culture, community and deeply personal service.InfoHotel JeromePart of Auberge Resorts CollectionAspen, Coloradohttps://aubergeresorts.com/hoteljerome/Bad HarrietHotel Jerome’s speakeasy cocktail bar https://aubergeresorts.com/hoteljerome/dine/bad-harriet/We're bringing our kitchen to the farm!Join us at Dreyer Farms in Cranford, NJ for a Table-to-Farm Dinner.Sunday, September 13 @ 5:30https://www.stageleft.com/event/91326-table-to-farm-dinner/ Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regularhttps://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/Stage Left Wine Shophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/Our PlacesStage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/Reach Out to The [email protected]