Nino Altomonte - a real estate developer and owner of Le Palais Art Hotel

27.10.2015 15:23 | redakce

Nino Altomonte is an Italian entrepreneur and a founder of Torino-Praga Invest, has received several prestigious awards such as BEST OF REALTY and he is also the owner of the five-star Le Palais Art Hotel. Dr. Altomonte specializes in the development of commercial and residential properties and he was able to put his skills and his incredible sense for detail and art into this luxurious hotel in Vinohrady. He considers the hotel a small château and an oasis of peace and beauty. Le Palais Art Hotel  takes pride in its unique interior and in suites that you can’t find anywhere else in Prague.  Let’s set out on a journey which promises to discover the secrets and beauty of the hotel. The owner himself has agreed to guide us around. 

What makes someone one enrich his developer business with owning a hotel?Well, just to say, this is not my core business. It’s true that I have built up a few small hotels before. But what I really do is develop luxury residential projects. Not to be immodest but I’m one of the few people on the Czech market who understand luxury real estate. I am trying to put my experience into this hotel. When I bought it, my idea was to change it into top luxury real estate, something really extraordinary. This concept is very successful abroad. But nothing like this exists in the Czech Republic. My vision was to create ten to fifteen apartments with all the services such as limousine service, cleaning services, reception, sauna, massage, spa and gym.

In 2008 the economic crisis arrived. How did that influnce your business?

There were basically two impacts: firstly it spread worldwide, secondly, particularly here in Prague, it caused lowering of hotel prices due to far too many competitors. Going down with prices isn’t for me actually. And it’s completely wrong for Le Palais.

How did you approach the situation?I saw a great potential in this hotel. It has an incredible location. It is quiet, calm and magic, only a few steps from the city centre and aimed at the special segment of clients. That’s why I started rebranding the hotel. I did the website and the logo first. For somebody, it can mean a small thing. Not for me. It’s very important to start with a logo where you can develop your concept around. So I introduced a new website, a new face that people can connect with luxury. There are a lot of hotels in Prague where you can just stay overnight. I don’t want people only to sleep there. I focus on selling them experience rather than just accommodation.

What kind of art are you surrounded here with?

As you can see all around here (sitting in the lounge of the hotel), I bought some pieces of art. We have 52 graphics by Le Corbusier which makes the biggest collection in Central Europe. People can come here and admire art. We also have here the entire collection of Miloš Reindl who was a pupil of Emil Fila. Reindl was not well known to the Czech public. However, he was a great artist with big potential and I really want to promote him in the Czech market. I dedicated two rooms to him. I hired an architect and made him redo the rooms into Reindl’s studio.

Sometimes it’s possible to see some pieces  by other artists in the hotel.  What’s their significance?We got pieces by Jadran Šetlík and for glasswork Gordana Turok. We also have a nice collection of photos by Pavel Brunclík. I’m trying to put some art into this hotel. I would like people to come here and really admire this kind of thing. I wanted this place to become an oasis of peace and comfort, that’s why I put art into the common space. Before the hotel was done in a British style and it felt very strong. The market might have been different twelve years ago. My interest is to change it into a peaceful and quiet place where people can relax, breathe and enjoy the atmosphere.

foto: archiv Le Palais Art Hotel Prague

Where do you see everyday challenges in Le Palais Art Hotel after the renovation in 2014?

One part was to rebrand the hotel. The second part is to work with the team. There are employees who have been working here for ten years doing the same things day after day. Before they were there just waiting for the time to pass. It’s difficult to explain them that I have a different vision and that they need to work in a different way. Nevertheless, I’ m trying to change that. Of course we have people here who don’t want to face any modifications, perhaps because they come from the old school. However, what I’m doing is that I am making the staff put some passion and heart into their work. And that way everybody can be satisfied. And I think I’m managing that well and we’re going in the right direction. Surely it is taking some time. And I believe that our hotel will be very successful. It’s only a question of time.

Can you talk about 'the gem' in your hotel that you are proud of?       

I am really proud of our suites. They are the best on this market. A couple of them were done by Luděk Marold who painted them completely. Marold used to be a guest of the former owner.

I’ve read on your website that there are twelve suites here, aren’t there? Yes, that’s right. But only six of them are really extraordinary.

Do you compete or cooperate with famous international hotel chains?            

Of course we’re trying to cooperate. But honestly, I’m a bit of an outsider. I’m out of this business. I am focusing on different matters such as beauty, concept and something extraordinary. I’m not interested in figures. Nevertheless, one doesn’t want to be losing money either.

Do you follow the latest trends in the hotel industry or do you rather follow your intuition?

Well, yes, I do. I travel a lot. For example I’ve been to Istanbul, Moscow and Frankfurt before. What I’m really interested in is to discover the culture of a client. And you’d be very surprised what foreign tourists look for. Most people would think it is luxury. But it’s not actually. It is rather specific atmosphere, courtesy and nice staff. It’s not enough just to own a luxurious hotel. You also need pleasant staff and only with them your hotel can become excellent.

 

Where do you seek your potential staff?          

You see, I have been hiring people all my life, either for my office in the developer business or for hotels. I’m trying to study people in restaurants and in hotels where I come as a guest, and not only in Prague. I tend to trust people once I can see some potential in them. And later these people usually discover in themselves that they can do much more. I don’t believe that much in CV’s. They tend to miss something. When I observe people, I can see whether they put their heart, passion and will into their work and whether they are really determined to work.

The Hotel industry is infamous for big staff turnover. Do you agree with this?

I agree indeed. It’s very difficult to find perfect staff. Unfortunately, there’s no culture for this kind of thing in this market in the Czech Republic. You can see it in restaurants and hotels. 

foto: archiv Le Palais Art Hotel Prague

Can you persuade me about the fact that Czech hotel industry does not lag behind the west?             

Surely I can. Maybe it lagged behind in the past. I travel a lot and have some comparison. And I have to say that nowadays there are a lot of beautiful hotels in the Czech Republic with nice concepts. You see, not everything is perfect abroad either.

How can one be always step ahead of his client, predict client's needs without his awareness?          

Well, it depends. You either book your hotel on the basis of a recommendation from your friend and that way you know what to expect. Or you choose your hotel on the web and perhaps check TripAdvisor too and read various reviews. My experience is that 90% of your expectations are formed by your experience. However, your expectations are always higher than your own experience. Your expectations always contain more than what you finally receive. That’s the experience of most travellers. Your expectations are hardly ever lower. Therefore I always try to surprise people and bring them something better and extraordinary.

Have you ever encountered a very difficult client?      

The hotel industry is a difficult one. There are always difficult guests complaining about things. But we try.  We always do our best. Our team listens to them and tries to solve problems. And there are also so called professional complainers who try to gain something. In any case we have very good reviews.

What do you want your guests to leave with once they checked out of the hotel?

With a smile. And with nice memories. They shouldn’t remember only Prague but also nice atmosphere, art by Le Corbusier, kind people. They should remember our hotel.

 

Have you ever received an unusual request from your client? Celebrities seem to form part of your clients and those guests can sometimes have exceptional demands.         

Well, we need to talk about real celebrities. There are people who aren’t celebrities. We have had guests such as Bonnie Tyler or Ennio Moriconne. And these people are very simple and very nice.  At the beginning they come with a long list of what they want to eat for breakfast and dinner and after half an hour chatting to our chef they go along with us. Sometimes it is better to let us do everything.

Le Palais Art Hotel is a luxurious hotel. What should one, especially nowadays, imagine under that label? The notion of the term luxurious has surely shifted forward.          

There are many items around to explain luxury in this hotel. There aren’t that many hotels like this in Prague that can remind you of a small castle. We have a Rolls- Royce and limousine. We can also close the whole floor for private events. If needed, we close one part of the restaurant to provide an exclusive lunch for our guest.

Can you talk about security in your hotel? It is an everyday topic influencing travel.  

First of all, this location is very safe. We are at the end of the street and there aren’t that many ways to escape. There are a lot residences and complexes. People live here. We have a reception, a concierge and camera systems everywhere, including the underground parking and the common grounds. And we have a police station right across the street.

The Italians are a passionate nation in comparison with the Czechs. How does your passion project itself into the hotel?

People who work with me can confirm you that I am crazy about details. If I don’t like a renovated place that has just been done, I am able to destroy everything and start from the scratch. Often people don’t understand it. But once everything is redone, they can finally understand the difference.

Two years ago I won many awards in the Czech Republic for the best real estate. A couple of years ago I won with the Rivergate project. For example, look at the core of those walls. (Lounge of the hotel) I spent two weeks doing it, changing architects as nobody fitted my concept. It took me two weeks to find the right colour. And I had one hundred samples. I kept coming here in the morning, during the day and in the evening to check the final colour. Or that fabric there serves as a frame for those pictures, completely hand-made. The whole thing is a private collection that you wouldn’t find anywhere else. There is good potential in the Czech Republic. A lot of things are done by hand. Also these tables are part of the collection. I was longing for something really exclusive.

Can you describe an interesting piece that might grab guests’ attention?

For example the reception area is very interesting too. There is a big piece of onyx behind the reception desk. It took us a couple of months with my architect to find the right one. The stone is placed in such a position where both positive and negative parts can be pictured. You’ll find a dark mirror on the ceiling for doubling the effect. In short, there is magic in small details. 

You are working on several developer projects too. Can you compare developer business and hotel industry? Are there any similarities in these two?     

To develop a hotel is a little bit different to development of a residential project. Technical things are the same finally. Each one has a different concept. You either accommodate a family or a hundred people. I specialise in residential projects. But I’m also able to do hotels.

Your wife and you, how do you complement one another in business?            

Normally I don’t work with my wife. She takes care of the management of the hotel. And that is not my job actually.

What's your wife's role and how she influences you in your business life?     

She helps me because she is like me, very focused on details. Sometimes she is the only one who can spot mistakes as she is somebody who comes from the outside and who is not involved in the process of a project.

How do you spend your free time?

I spend my free time mostly with my children. Unfortunately, in Prague there is not so much to do it. I try to go abroad a lot. Here in Prague you can’t go to the sea as it is far away, local mountains are very crowded and they aren’t the mountains I like anyway. Sometimes we go to the country, to observe the landscape and visit castles. 

Apart from that I enjoy my work. My work is my hobby. I also like going for a car ride or a boat ride. But I really love my work. When I am away from my office for longer than a few days, I really start getting nervous.

Do you consider yourself a workaholic?             

Well, I know people who are, but they are driven by money. I rather focus on creating things. I want something to leave behind. Of course the goal is not to lose either or else I couldn’t do my work.

What do you enjoy about Czech culture?          

I always find very serious people in business. It’s not like that everywhere in the world. Therefore I am able to do and manage my projects without any troubles. The only thing is that the Czechs tend to be always negative. They don’t try to make bigger effort to create something better. But they are changing the attitude. My colleagues can see finally the results and they realize that creating something different requires putting more energy, passion and heart into their work. Czech people love culture too, especially the old ones. This is maybe something coming from the old school. I don’t see a similar interest in other cultures.

foto: archiv Le Palais Art Hotel Prague

What do you miss about the Italian culture?   

I miss optimism. And I miss smiles. The mentality of the Czech people is always a little bit negative. In Italy you go for a cup of coffee in the morning, you have a chat with a barman that gives you a smile and you start a good day. And that gesture doesn’t cost anybody anything. Unfortunately I can’t see this attitude here in the Czech Republic. I try to teach my employees and colleagues to bring the sun in their pocket when they come to work. It’s very important. I always see people around saying it’s not possible. I always hear from my architects that things are not possible. It might be due to money or a building permission. And I always ask why it is not possible. I want people to be coming with solutions, not with problems. I expect solutions. At the beginning it was difficult. Now my employees know that they have to come to me with solutions. Fortunately things are getting better.

You seem to be a versatile type of a man. Can you unveil your future plans? 

At the moment I am working on a very nice project in Spalená in Prague 1. And I also have a couple of luxurious projects from the top-end of the market and unique to Prague. But I prefer not to talk about them.

We will finish with a hotel topic. How often do you come here?          

I travel a lot but when I am in Prague I try to come here every day. I come for lunch or dinner or for a business appointment. Or I just make an excuse to be able to come here. This is the only way to check how it works here.

Thank you.

 

Text: Radana Kořínková

Photo: Jadran Šetlík and archiv Le Palais

Le Palais Art Hotel Prague  www.lepalaishotel.eu

Czech translation

Production: Michaela Lejsková

Publisher: Profesní Magazín Best of www.ibestof.cz      

Produkce: Michaela Lejsková and Henry Van De venter

Publisher: Profesní Magazín Best of www.ibestof.cz

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