innovation
THE dorchester renovation
As phase one of The Dorchester renovation comes to a close, its charismatic general manager Luca Virgilio reflects on his part in the project and the next chapter in Dorchester Collection’s story
The Dorchester has completed the first phase of its magical transformation, which began in 2022. As Dorchester Collection’s flagship hotel, it has always been beautifully maintained and continually invested in, to the delight of guests. However, it had been almost 40 years since The Dorchester’s last full renovation and, according to general manager Luca Virgilio, it was time for a new chapter to begin.
“This is the hotel that carries the name for the whole collection,” Mr Virgilio says, gesturing to the stunning surrounds of The Dorchester’s new Vesper Bar. “It is the mothership and, of course, we can’t discount the fact that London is a very competitive city.” With new hotels opening in the British capital every year, it was The Dorchester’s turn for a new era. “This is not just a renovation,” he emphasises. “It’s a rebranding and a full repositioning.”
Today, the breathtakingly elegant, reimagined spaces breathe new life into the property, from The Promenade through to the Artists’ Bar and Cake & Flowers boutique.
From Rome to London
Initially appointed at the Hotel Eden in 2014, when it was purchased by Dorchester Collection, Mr Virgilio is no stranger to renovation projects, having overseen the Rome hotel’s stunning 17-month transformation. Perhaps it shouldn’t have come as a surprise, then, when a phone call came from Mr Cowdray in 2021 about an exciting new position in London.
“I knew that works at The Dorchester were in the pipeline, but I never dreamed I would be invited to be a part of it,” Mr Virgilio says. For the general manager at Hotel Eden, there was only one possible outcome. “I was flattered. I was honoured and I was ready,” he adds. “So, I accepted the position on the call – on the condition that my family agreed!”
To London it was for Mr Virgilio and his family to be part of a legendary, never-ending story.
Business as usual
The Dorchester stayed open throughout the renovations. A phased and stage approach, however, is not without its challenges, as Mr Virgilio quickly learned in February 2022. “The first stage was probably the most invasive,” he says. “We tackled the ground floor, forecourt and the entrance all at once.”
From the welcome to the luggage handling, all the usual elements of a seamless guest arrival saw a radical shift in the space of 24 hours. “We completely moved the whole flow of arrival on site, from the reception to restaurants. This meant teams quickly adapting to something that was not logistically born that way,” Mr Virgilio explains. “The dynamics changed completely.”
The Dorchester employees rose to the challenge with aplomb. “We were dealing with a hotel, a building site, and this on the back of Covid. But all we knew it was for a greater good,” he says.
Running a renovation project and a world-class hotel simultaneously is no mean feat, it seems, but the teams were ready. “They were incredible at all levels,” Mr Virgilio affirms. He gives the example of the oft-overlooked sales and marketing team, who were, of course, still going about their business of selling the hotel admirably, even though it was very a different offer for guests.
Testament to the professionalism and hard work of everyone, the renovated ground floor reopened to rapturous acclaim in January 2023.
Keeping the spirit alive
Mr Virgilio can’t overemphasise the teams’ professionalism and empathy throughout the project. “Everybody supported each other,” he says. “We all came together because we were proud to be part of this journey.”
Keeping the essence and aura of the iconic hotel was of paramount importance. “We have so much history and so much love,” he continues. “We needed to reinvent spaces in such a way that the people who have loved the hotel for years could recognise it, and at the same time bring a sense of modernity and freshness to attract a new demographic and new type of clientele.”
The responsibility weighed heavily, but the results speak for themselves, and the guest feedback is fantastic. Mr Virgilio happily extols his renovation highlights, from the new-world-old-world charm of Vesper Bar to the English garden-like beauty of The Promenade, though he won’t be drawn on a favourite space: “When you’re a parent you love your children equally,” he laughs. “At The Dorchester, every space has its own reason, its own purpose and its own identity. Every space makes us proud.”
The future
Seeing the project come to fruition was a particularly rewarding moment for Mr Virgilio: “The renovation is for the clients but also for the team. When we reopened the space, everyone seemed to stand taller.”
So, what advice does he have for a sister hotel taking on a project like this? “Make your team from top to bottom part of the journey,” he concludes. “Make them aware, create the excitement and show them the dream, because you will need to work together to make it happen.”
Cake and flowers all round.