Hotel Jerome general manager Stephane Lacroix shares how Aspen’s historic luxury hotel preserves its soul, builds a culture of service and delivers a guest experience rooted in quiet luxury.
Why This Episode Matters
- Why true luxury is more about attention than flash
- How historic hotels stay relevant without losing their sense of place
- What leaders can do to build trust before asking employees to perform
- Why excellent service depends on communication and recovery, not perfection
Banter
Mark Pascal and Francis Schott begin their Aspen Food & Wine Classic adventure at Hotel Jerome, where they found what they considered the best cocktail bar in Aspen: Bad Harriet. The clue that someone was paying attention? A bottle of Hans Reisetbauer Carrot Eau de Vie on the back bar, which is not exactly the sort of thing that wanders in by accident.
The Conversation
Stephane Lacroix joins Mark and Francis at Hotel Jerome in Aspen to talk about leadership, luxury and the daily work of making guests feel deeply cared for. He traces his path from French hospitality and sommelier training to roles at some of the world’s most celebrated hotels and restaurants, including Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, the Ritz Paris, the Watergate Hotel, Hotel Bel-Air and Baccarat Hotel New York.
The conversation centers on Hotel Jerome, a historic Aspen property that Stephane describes as having real soul. Rather than reinventing the hotel, his work is to protect its character, connect with the community and keep the guest experience current without making it feel generic.
Mark shares a story from Julie’s childhood visit to Hotel Jerome, when a young guest who wanted McDonald’s was served exactly that under a cloche. For Mark and Francis, it becomes a perfect example of hospitality: making someone feel like the most important person in the room.
Stephane also discusses training, trust, service recovery and why great hospitality cannot be scripted. The team is expected to communicate mistakes, recover quickly and quietly watch over guests without overwhelming them. By the end, he defines modern luxury as “quiet luxury”: knowing who your guests are, being there when they need you and letting them be when they do not.
Timestamps
0:00 Mark and Francis introduce Hotel Jerome and Bad Harriet
3:30 Stephane Lacroix joins from Aspen
4:40 From French hospitality school to Ducasse, the Ritz and the Watergate
9:30 Why hospitality people should only text from the car
12:15 The McDonald’s-under-a-cloche story
15:00 Hotel Jerome’s history, soul and sense of place
18:30 Resetting the hotel and the team each spring
25:00 Understated luxury and Aspen’s local culture
30:30 Training, trust and avoiding scripted service
35:30 Mistakes, recovery and treating every guest like a VIP
41:00 Quiet luxury and the power of human connection
Bio
Stephane Lacroix is the general manager of Hotel Jerome in Aspen, Colorado, part of Auberge Resorts Collection. His hospitality career includes work at Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, the Ritz Paris, the Watergate Hotel, Hotel Bel-Air, the Beverly Hills Hotel, Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills and Baccarat Hotel New York. At Hotel Jerome, he leads one of Aspen’s most historic luxury hotels with a focus on culture, community and deeply personal service.
Info
Hotel Jerome
Part of Auberge Resorts Collection
Aspen, Colorado
https://aubergeresorts.com/hoteljerome/
Bad Harriet
Hotel Jerome’s speakeasy cocktail bar https://aubergeresorts.com/hoteljerome/dine/bad-harriet/
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