Your favourite reporter met with Nicolas Charlotte, the new F&B Manager of the Saint James Paris.
jamie: What does your job consist in?
Nicolas Charlotte: I manage a team of 15 people working at the restaurant, the bar, the room-service and the private rooms of the hotel. I am responsible for the smooth functioning of these departments and for making these teams work with the same goal : satisfying our guests. My team and I are concerned about providing our faithful guests and members of our Club the best personalized service and improving it daily.
I also work closely with the Chef Cyrille Robert. Always in contact with our guests in the restaurant, I could be considered as his spokesperson, but the way he cooks is so brilliant that it does not need to be highlighted! Thanks to his experience at the Saint James Paris and to his reputation, he’s able to give me a lot of information about his job. Once clients are sat, they just need good suggestions for wine!
j: Your curriculum in a few words? Why choosing Le Saint James Paris?
NC: After my hospitality and catering school, I’ve started my career in a four-stared hotel in the first district of Paris (from 1998 to 2002). I then joined a famous catering group until 2010. This experience allowed me to work for Le Louvre and Quai Branly museum restaurants. Then I decided to join Le Saint James Paris.
In-between, I also travelled during one year all over the world: nine months in Australia and New Zealand, three months in South-East Asia. It has been a wonderful experience, full of adventures, discoveries but also adrenaline!
Joining the Saint James, just fully renovated, and taking part to this wonderful project is very challenging. This is also one of the reasons why I have chosen this property, one of the most beautiful and exclusive addresses in Paris.
Imagined and directed by Bambi Sloan, the renovation has given a new perspective to this unique place. An ideal environment to work, where development opportunities are a real challenge for me!
j: What is the best improvement you think you will implement for the Club members?
NC: The culture of “YES” among my team! Any request of our guests and Club members has to be satisfied, and all the problems solved. It is my leitmotiv!
j: If Saint James was a song ?
NC : « Paradise » by Sade. Calm and serenity… This is what we feel when we discover the Saint James. Everyone working here is very welcoming, generous and trustworthy, not only towards new colleagues as they have been with me, but also towards each of our guests.
j: Your motto ?
NC : « Travels reveal the trivial side of the serious people, and the serious side of the trivial people », by Anne-Sophie Swetchine. We are lucky to work for people who travel to us… That’s also one of the reasons why I do this job!
If I had to choose between serious or trivial, I would say that a bit of each is the best recipe! (more…)