NEW YORK CITY Raymond Visan, founder of The George V Eatertainment Group, has died following a long battle with an undisclosed illness. He was 60.
Friends and colleagues will remember Visan as a talented, inspired and creative visionary, as well as a great and charismatic man. “He will remain forever in the hearts and souls of those who knew and loved him and his spirit and vision, and in the internationally acclaimed establishments he created,” his company says in a statement.
Funeral services were held today at Cimetière du Montparnasse, Paris.
Visan and his company are best known for launching the global chain of nightclubs known as Buddha-Bar. The concept has been converted into a hotel brand, with the first Buddha-Bar hotel opening last year in Prague. Four more of the boutique hotels are expected to open by next year, in Budapest, Paris, Panama City and Sal Hasheesh, Egypt.