Lavish Luxury for A-List Hotel Guests
Millionaires and movie stars get lavish treatment at the exclusive hotels.
May 17, 2007 — -- When you're a somebody, it's no fun being mistaken for a nobody. So if the luxury hotel you're checking into fails to connect the dots, it's unlikely that you'll be returning anytime soon.
Avoiding such situations is one of the main reasons why top hotels are able to maintain their appeal to the desirable of society.
Whether they're millionaire bankers or pop's newest starlets, chances are the hotel has its eyes on them as soon as they disembark the airplane.
"We have our limo drivers call 10 minutes out so we make sure we're ready to escort high-profile arrivals to the check-in desk," said Cory Ray, one of three guest relation managers at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills.
"We'll also give them a call three days prior to arrival to make any last minute arrangements and learn their kids' or pets' names," said Ray, whose job it is to ensure that VIPs and high-paying guests feel the benefit of their social standing.
The Beverly Wilshire sits along Wilshire Boulevard at the south end of Rodeo Drive. Immortalized by the 1990 film "Pretty Woman," it's one of the city's most upscale hotels in an exclusive part of town. The valet area is awash with Bentleys and Rolls Royces. President Bush stayed in the penthouse last year. Larry King visits the hotel gym every morning. It's that kind of place.
"We have to be everything to everyone, and with guests whose profile and demographic varies so massively we need to be able to adapt," said Radha Arora, regional vice president and general manager of the hotel. "Our staff are hired on their savvy not their industry experience."
First impressions, said Arora, are what make the difference. Impeccably dressed, Arora makes a good one. A tailor-made gray Zegna suit, offset with a blue checked shirt and bright orange Hermes tie. He sets the standard by which his staff aspire to match and explains that his experience working three years in the "aloha culture" of Hawaii is the reason he promotes an atmosphere where evidence of staff members' individual personalities is encouraged rather than suppressed.
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