FULL GALOPIN

The new GM of the Regent Grand Hotel Bordeaux and a former Hongkonger, MICHEL GALOPIN talks to GERRIE LIM about the allure of Bordeaux as a region, wine and brand

FROM A DISTANCE, he appears the paragon of French sartorial elegance, yet up close and personal over a lunch table at Cepage, he reveals himself to be so much more. Michel Galopin, in spite of his impeccable credentials as an international hotelier, exudes no false airs and brooks no uneasy silences as he swirls his glass, a nice Pomerol from Bordeaux, and explains his new bailiwick – the concept of the “wine destination hotel,” a premium pied-a-terre for wine lovers from Asia.

Galopin, the newly appointed general manager of the lavish 150-room Regent Grand Hotel Bordeaux, was also here on a sentimental return to the city where he spent many of his formative years – nine of them at The Peninsula Hong Kong (where he was food and beverage director and worked with Philippe Starck on the creation of the restaurant Felix) and three at The Regent (now the InterContinental). A man of relatively humble beginnings who spent his early years as a garcon d’etage at The Ritz in Paris, he now believes his profession entails “using your experience to play psychologist” – a formidable asset, surely, as he lures new guests to Bordeaux through his own love of Asia.

What are you bringing back to Hong Kong, with your new position at The Regent in Bordeaux?
I am an ambassador for Bordeaux now, but I also see myself as the ambassador for Hong Kong to Bordeaux. I am always talking about Hong Kong to people there. I am doing this because of my heart – part of my heart is still in Asia. I was in Asia for 16 years – two years in Bangkok at The Oriental, 12 years in Hong Kong and then two years in Seoul at The Shilla.

What do you remember most fondly of your professional life in Hong Kong?
The years I spent at The Regent, where we had a wonderful wine cellar. Rudi Greiner, who was my mentor, was the general manager at the time and he had a vision of “bringing the world to The Regent” in terms of wine selection. We had wines
from California, Australia, Italy and France – it was the first time in Hong Kong that any place had such a wine cellar. And then I did a London Wine and Spirit Institute diploma course, with a Master of Wine for 12 weeks, here in Hong Kong. I passed the exam and that’s when I realised that the world of wine was something that was really special to me.

More wine lovers from Asia, especially from China, see Bordeaux as a brand now, don’t you think?
Yes, I have been saying this too – Burgundy is not a brand, it’s an area, but Bordeaux is a brand. The domaines in Burgundy are very, very small and very individual, while our chateaux in Bordeaux are much larger. I would say Bordeaux is a brand like you would say Louis Vuitton or Bentley or Cartier is a brand, and that Bordeaux has an image that is very easy to understand. And easy to visit – we’re not too far away from here, you can get to us by Air France or Cathay Pacific, and we are only one hour by plane from Paris or three hours by the fast train. I take the train myself when I go to Paris.

I understand you went over to Bordeaux from the Côte d’Azur?
I was in the south of France near Monaco, at the Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat for 12 years. The Côte d’Azur is a lot of fun, but
one cannot have fun all the time [laughs]. It’s wonderful but I am someone who doesn’t want to rest, you see.

You have a diploma in management from Cornell, so what are you, really? A food and beverage guy or a hotel management guy?
I would say that I am a “product man.” I like to see things arriving, being enjoyed, and seeing guests leave the property with great joy and satisfaction. I do believe that “hospitality” is a great responsibility. We have a responsibility to make you happy from the minute you arrive to the minute you leave.

You’re now 57 and you’ve been in the business a long time. What would you say is the secret of your longevity?
Faith. I think you have to have faith in what you do. It is a seven-days-a-week, 24-hour job, and I would say that if you don’t like people or you don’t like the product, don’t do this job. It’s time-consuming and, if you are married, you have to have a wife who understands the priorities, the emergencies – who understands the business.

What is your ultimate message to prospective Asian guests, in terms of seeing your property as a wine destination hotel?
My message is a very short one: Come to see me, and I will take care of you. It’s kind of my motto. Other hotel managers can say that too, but I think I have a better understanding of Asian people – of what they need, how they feel, what makes them happy – from my own experiences in Asia. For Asian wine lovers, we have good connections with the chateaux and we can arrange wine visits and wine tours. Right now, I see that five percent of our guests come from Asia. My aim is to get that to 20 percent.