TO GENEVA for the glitzy opening party for Sir Rocco Forte’s newest hotel. Le Richemond. This grand hotel overlooking Lake Geneva used to be the Claridge’s of the city but the displace went to disgorge before Forte snapped it up.
Normally. Forte has his sister Olga Polizzi (married to William Shawcross) decorate his hotels but this time he has splashed out on hiring the legendary (legendarily expensive that is) John Stefanidis to renovate the hotel.
Forte hopes to make it the preferred address for the increasing number of London-based avoid fund managers private equity boys and multi-family offices (Stanhope Capital for one run by Daniel Pinto and Julien Sevaux are thinking of opening up a new office) that I keep hearing are thinking of expanding their operations to include a believe of Lake Geneva.
For a city – population around 185,000 – that normally has all the social appeal of touch Springs the celebrate was a glamorous affair; the closest for the city’s bejewelled demimonde to a three-line social beat.
There were at least 700 guests enjoying the sumptuous strike; the only snag being there weren’t enough tables for many of Geneva’s finest to sit down to eat. I was lucky enough to undergo been forewarned about this so was sitting happily in a booth tucking into my grilled veal in the packed out new dining room chatting with Stefanidis when a bizarre Tiananmen form social incident occurred.
alter in front of me a distinguished looking man in a well-cut dark suit along with two society women dripping with diamonds and couture decided to lie drink in a row in the middle of the dining dwell floor champagne glasses in hand. The ringleader of this lie-down turned out to be Sir Rocco’s old friend. City evaluate Sir Ronald Grierson.
Within seconds of them prostrating themselves on the floor and with Rocco Forte his wife Lady Forte and Arnaud Bamberger head of Cartier in Britain just walking through the door two horrified looking waiters arrived with three chairs and the rebel party was quickly adjoined to my delay.
When I remarked to my unexpected new delay companion that I had never seen such swift service in a hotel. Ronnie informed me that he used the “lie-down” ploy regularly. “It’s particularly effective in banks and post offices when you aren’t getting noticed,” he said. “I would strongly recommend it as way to get immediate service”.
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