An American (Stuck) in Paris
Virtuoso’s creative director of marketing, Melisa Lunt, shares how her family found big hospitality at a small Parisian boutique hotel in the aftermath of the Icelandic volcano eruption:
They say the measure of a person (or in this case, a company) is best judged in times of challenge, not in times of convenience. That could not have been more true than during our recent stay at Virtuoso property Esprit Saint Germain in Paris.
My husband, John, 3-year-old daughter, Olivia, and I decided to treat ourselves to two nights in Paris at the highly recommended Esprit Saint Germain following a week-long vacation in Germany.
The tone for our entire stay was set when we dragged our travel-weary selves into the hotel April 14. We received a warm greeting, had our luggage whisked away and were able to go to our room right away, even though it was only 11 am. The luggage made it there before we did! Not one detail was missed in our chic lodgings, including a special bed already made for Olivia – which she wasted no time in bouncing on.
Then on April 15, the adventure really began!
We learned from the front desk that there would be “slight delays” at the airport due to a volcano eruption in Iceland. Anticipating that this would only be a one-day setback, the hotel’s general manager, Francesca La Mastra, immediately made arrangements for us in a new room. I have no idea what amount of juggling was necessary to assure that we – along with everyone else who suddenly found themselves stranded – had a place to stay. But Francesca handled the situation with grace and calm, traits we would soon learn were the norm at Esprit Saint Germain.
By Friday, April 16, it became clear that Mother Nature was in charge. Airport closures blanketed Europe. The best hope we had was a flight the following Wednesday and the news weighed heavily on us. I immediately went to see Francesca, who listened to me like an old friend I had known for years. In her take-charge manner, Francesca insisted that as long as we were stuck in Paris, we would not be turned away. She acted as if the hotel had an endless number of rooms to accommodate its guests for an indefinite period of time, behaving as a true Virtuoso in this time of stress!
By Saturday, we had settled into a routine of exploring the city between phone calls and online searches of ways to get home. And we got to know our fellow hotel guests. We assumed that we would run into at least a few travelers that had booked their stay through a Virtuoso member – we were, after all, at a Virtuoso preferred property. But we had no idea that 100 percent of the guests we met would be Virtuoso! We all became fast friends – finding ourselves together each morning at breakfast checking in on each other’s travel status – and I felt so much pride being a part of such a strong network.
The littlest Virtuoso among us – our 3-year-old daughter, Olivia – won over a few hearts, including the hotel staff. They even made her an honorary front-desk staff member!
Little details go a long way under normal circumstances, and become so much more important in times of stress. Esprit Saint Germain did not disappoint. Each afternoon we found tasty little treats in our room; perhaps grapes and oranges or fresh berries. Just the thing for tired travelers (and tiny tots!).
On Wednesday, April 21, we finally made it out of Europe and back home safely. Six days later than planned, but with memories that will last a lifetime. A million “merci’s” to Laurence, Francesca, Djenane, Vanessa, Audrey and everyone at Esprit Saint Germain – for their kindness and hospitality!
Find out more about Virtuoso here.
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