Maxime Blot

🍴 Denis Courtiade, recognized as the world's best maître d’hôtel, has been the director at the restaurant in Plaza Athénée for 25 years. He started as an apprentice at 16 and became a director at Louis XV in Monaco by 25. Courtiade co-founded the association "Au Service des Talents De Demain" and created the Trophée Maître d’Hôtel competition. He authored two books, "Pour Vous Servir" and "L’Hospitalité, le Mentorat," and emphasizes the importance of transmission, human valorization, and a positive work environment. His management style focuses on understanding team needs, autonomy, trust, and a tailored approach to each individual. Courtiade's mentoring involves sharing his experience and knowledge to help others grow.

🛈 Florence Kowalski, an expert in SPA and hospitality, lives in Canada providing consulting and ghostwriting services. Key points to improve spa profitability include: opening to local clientele, focusing on wellness spaces over treatment rooms, offering in-room wellbeing services, optimizing product sales, and managing costs effectively. A strong content strategy for hotels involves a clear website targeting the right audience, engaging newsletters, responsive handling of customer reviews, strategic social media presence, and prioritizing quality over quantity in content creation.

🏃 Paul Pécriaux, director of the event agency Lemon Grass Events for 18 years, passionate about sports, having competed in numerous triathlons and Ironman events, organizes corporate sports events. One such event is "10 Km des étoiles," a race for hotel and restaurant professionals, emphasizing team cohesion and productivity. Join the 7th edition on March 23, 2025, which is also open to individuals.

👨‍💼 Laure Solelhac, an HR professional with international experience, shares insights from Mauritius. Originating from Carcassonne and having studied in Montpellier, she worked in Australia and Paris before settling in Mauritius. Now in the hotel sector, she also became a labor law attorney. She emphasizes the importance of HR in hotels (necessary for more than 40-50 employees), structured onboarding, respecting trial periods, proper notification for probation termination, justified and documented dismissals, and preparing for potential litigation.