Olivier Lordonnois has found his new hotel home after leaving the business he has loved and worked in since age 18 – the luxury Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York City, which is expected to open in the second quarter of 2022.
The new chief operating officer of Flâneur Hospitality and managing director of the New York City-based developer’s inaugural flagship property was working in the private membership club sector for the past three years after an eight-year stint running The Mark in New York City. His pedigree also includes stops at Hôtel de Crillon, the Ritz Paris, The Lanesborough in London, as well as Hôtel Costes in Paris. He told HOTELS exclusively on Tuesday before the announcement of his appointment that he truly missed the hotel business and is exciting for the new opportunity to bring a new luxury hotel to life that is being developed by real estate entrepreneur Alex Ohebshalom.
The goal for The Fifth Avenue Hotel is to compete with the city’s elite luxury products. At the same time, Ohebshalom and Lordonnois will look for new projects potentially anywhere in the world. A few projects are on the boards, but the group is not close to making any announcements.
In the meantime, Lordonnois is pulling together his executive team and said he is not too worried about staffing the new property based on who he thinks he can recruit to leadership roles.
Located on 28th Street and Fifth Avenue in New York City, The Fifth Avenue Hotel is based in a 116-year-old historic landmark building, which has been restored, while a new 24-story glass tower is being added to house a combined 110 guest rooms and an additional 43 suites. The property is being designed by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio and multi-level F&B is going to be run by a big-name chef soon to be announced. The hotel, affiliating with The Leading Hotels of the World, will also feature a two-story library and study, a 5,000-square-foot ballroom, a 2,500-square-foot private dining space, a wine cellar, an outdoor terrace and a fitness center.
Flâneur Hospitality’s mission is stated as delivering a sense of serendipity and delight, while offering unparalleled comfort, intimacy and inspired service. Now it is up to Lordonnois to carry out the plan in New York and elsewhere. He shared his thoughts with HOTELS about the opportunities.
HOTELS: Are you glad to be back in the hotel space?
Olivier Lordonnois: It is what I’ve done since 18. So, I’m obviously very comfortable with hotels. I’ve had many offers over the last three years to get back in the hotel industry, but nothing really was appealing to me, until I met with Alex (Ohebshalom) and really fell in love with the project and his vision.
It’s rare nowadays to find a project that could potentially really define a neighborhood, and this neighborhood is changing quite fast. There are a couple of interesting projects around the corner. But this one, I think, is really significant.
Alex put so much thinking and so much heart into this project. His choice of Martin Brudnizki as designer, an historic building on Fifth Avenue, what they’ve done with the with the tower – it is all very unique… What I like about the project is its individuality and sense of uniqueness, which I think is becoming rarer and rarer.
There are so many core details and really interesting elements that will attract the attention of the guests in a very unique way that will create that emotional connection similar to a painting or a piece of furniture. Everything’s been designed so that you have double-take moments, allows you to escape daily routines and have a sense you’re in a special place.
H: What’s the strategy for driving business?
OL: We have a story to tell here about the property and the neighborhood. Apart from the usual efforts, it’s about talking to people helping them understand what the neighborhood is about and what they can find staying here. They’ll realize that the ambience, the decor and service is as good as any 5-star hotel in the city – except we will try to surpass that on a daily basis.
H: Are you concerned about your ability to staff the property?
OL: The ambition is such that I think it might be contagious. Each person that have in mind for the heads of departments is an incredible leader, and they’ll bring with them incredible people. So, I’m not so worried about it.
H: Do you expect a fair amount of group business?
OL: The groups are going to be smaller. I don’t see a bunch of buses in front of the hotel. It is going to be small groups and a lot of individuals staying with us.
H: What is the projected ADR?
OL: I’m not sure I can share at this point. But we are going to be what one would expect from a 5-star in a city like New York. We’re aiming for the stars and we certainly have a product that can take us there.
With everything that we’re putting in place, the fantastic work that’s been done already on the interior design and what we will do in terms of service, I think we have many ways to outperform.
H: What can you tell us about the F&B plan?
OL: We will be announcing it very shortly, and it’s with a very famous name in the city… The only thing I can tell you is that the operator is somebody who’s revered for many years, has incredible talent and the room itself, which is located in the historical building, is absolutely stunning. It’s a one of a kind setting. But it’s not going to be a restaurant where you want to go once a year; it’s the restaurant where you’re going to be willing to go once a month, if not more often than that. So, it’s really important that we get local clients. It’s going to be innovative without being intimidating.
H: What can you tell us about Flâneur Hospitality growth plans?
OL: I’ve been looking at a few other properties with Alex. We are not waiting necessarily for The Fifth Avenue Hotel to open… They don’t have a preconceived idea of the size of the properties or the location. It could be a 20-key property in Japan and it could be a bigger property in Paris. We’re looking for unique geographical places and really unique buildings. It’s really more of a blank canvas. There are a lot of things that we are passing on because they don’t have the uniqueness or the unique character. But we are planning on growing the brand and opening more hotels in the not too distant future… We are very open-minded in our approach and I think that’s going to facilitate the growth tremendously.
