Philippe Requin, CEO of Grace Hotels Group, talks about his passion for service and hospitality, hosting artists in their new hotel in 798, and his favorite champagne
Interview and photo by Jordan Thomas Mitchell

Philippe Requin of Grace Hotel Group brings three decades of hospitality experience to 798, and if there is one thing he knows well, it’s service. He was raised by a restaurant family, and has worked with The Gavroche, the two-time Michelin restaurant in London, and the Mandarin Orchard Hotel in Singapore. Now Philippe and the Grace Hotel Group have set their roots in the flourishing 798 art district, where they will continue providing top-quality service, but with a touch of art.

Mr. Requin, is this your first time visiting Beijing? Call me Philippe. Actually, it is not. I was here in December of last year to check out the space that we ended up purchasing for Grace Beijing. I was definitely surprised upon arriving at the airport and more surprised when we drove into the city. Beijing is nothing at all like what I expected. But I was even more surprised when we came to visit the Yi House (the former owners of the Grace Beijing building). When I walked into the lobby, it was love at first sight.

What about this space have you fallen in love with? It fits perfectly with the Grace hotel concept. Each Grace hotel has its own unique location and we thought that 798 provided exclusivity not found with other hotels in Beijing. The hotel is also just beautiful.

Does Grace Beijing have plans to cooperate with local artists, businesses, and venues? That is part of our intention in choosing this location. After spending four weeks here, I had plenty of opportunities to meet artists, galleries and designers. The individuals that I spoke to are very enthusiastic and supportive. We feel welcomed to the neighborhood and I personally have been treated more like a friend that the CEO of a hotel group.

What’s your favorite bottle of champagne? Oh, that’s a very easy answer. I will explain it to you without upsetting any other brand. So, if you ask me my favorite it will have to be Louis Roederer. Back in ’87 or ’88 I was in New Zealand. At that time, I had the pleasure of welcoming many French champagne brands that were coming to investigate opportunities to grow. The Louis Roederer House came to stay with us and the CEO’s name was Fabrice. One night he invited my wife and I to dinner and we became good friends. My wife thought that he was so kind and charming that she turned to me and said, “One day, if we have a son he will be called Fabrice.” Today we have a son, he’s 20 years old, and his name is Fabrice.

“Everyone should take advantage of the Internet and technology, but in hospitality we must keep our feet on earth”

Philippe, how long have you been working in the hotel industry? 29 years. I think I was born behind a bar. [laughs] I was about 11 when I knew I wanted to become a waiter. I was so young I didn’t have the vision of what I really wanted, but I already loved the idea of serving. My mother started a nice Brassiere and I did the opening with her. After that I went to hotel school. I was also just lucky—I ended up working with the famous French restaurant group The Gavroche in London. I was then asked to manage the French restaurant in the Mandarin Orchard in Singapore. So I went and became the youngest manager of one of the most fashionable French restaurants on the top floor of one of the best hotels in the world.

How has the hospitality industry changed over the past 29 years? Well, the most obvious is that we didn’t have computers. So we used typewriters and checked people in by hand. The Internet has caused a revolution worldwide and is felt in every industry; likewise it’s changed the way we do hospitality. The Internet allows a customer to go directly to a search engine, browse all of the hotels in the world, and choose. They have the choice, which means that the competitive bar has risen and will continue to rise – you have to give the person a reason to choose you above the others. Something that will never change for Grace Hotels is the fact that we care for people. We truly care. We care about our customers, our team members, and our business partners. I’m still a little bit old fashioned – I prefer to speak face to face. I make sure to welcome every single one of my guests personally. Everyone should take advantage of the Internet and technology, but in hospitality we must keep our feet on the earth.

“I think I was born behind a bar. I was so young I didn’t have the vision of what I really wanted, but I already loved the idea of serving”

Grace Beijing hosted noted visual effects artist Ryszard Horowitz in October. What draws you guys to this particular artist? Horowitz approached us, actually, and told us that he was coming to 798 to exhibit some of his work at the Rose Gallery. We checked it out and we really enjoyed his art, so we asked him to stay with us. He took some time to talk to hotel guests, and to sign autographs, and it was a great experience that we hope to repeat with other artists of note coming to 798. We consider it a contribution to the art district.

Have you guys thought about hosting an artist residency? We haven’t, actually, but we do have rooms that are set up as artist studios. They are specifically designed for visiting artists.

The entire world is becoming more conscious of environmental destruction, waste, and overconsumption. How does a luxury hotel stay relevant to this trend? I can tell you that it’s easier to implement an environmentally friendly system in a hotel that we’ve built from the ground up—but there’s also benefit to moving into a building that we will recycle and use. Where possible, we use solar panels in our hotels and have stopped using paper in favor of digital mediums. In our rooms we have an energy saving keycard that must be inserted before the power can come on.