An Irish céad míle fáilte: homegrown hospitality around the world

The Irish hospitality pros running hotels around the world tell Ali Dunworth how they have perfected the art of the great Irish welcome

Sat, 16 Mar, 2024 - 02:00

Karl O'Hanlon and Anita Forte own 3 luxury chateaus in the Languedoc

Karl O’Hanlon & Anita Forte, Languedoc

Karl O’Hanlon and Anita Forte, Irish hoteliers and owners of Domaine & Demeure Châteaus in the French Languedoc, are known for their laid-back luxury. Karl believes the Irish possess an inherent knack for hospitality.

“We’re like chameleons,” he says, “able to adapt to all sorts of different social scenarios. I think we have a natural hospitality.”

Natural, maybe, but Karl also earned his stripes working in hospitality before a business career beckoned. He got his first restaurant job at 15 and, in university, he worked in bars and restaurants and even became a part owner of a club in Dublin.

“But it was always for pocket money,” he says, “In today’s language, I suppose you’d call it a side hustle.”

That side hustle experience came in handy when in 2006, along with his wife and business partner Anita Forte, they moved to France for a change of business and life.

They began by restoring run-down 19th-century Château les Carrasses near Narbonne and opening it as a luxury hotel and self-catering estate. They now have three such properties. They are all quintessentially French, so how does the céad míle fáilte fit in?

“In a way, it’s ideal to have that Irish welcome, that focus on making people feel really good and caring about their comfort along with the French technical excellence under the hood. For me, that’s absolutely ideal and that’s what we aspire too.”

Luxury for them is not just about the properties being beautiful; looking after people is also paramount. Karl recalls a particularly heartfelt time when they were able to do that.

“It still gives me the shivers to tell this story. Anita and I noticed a group having a long Sunday lunch, eventually realising they were gathered for a terminally ill woman saying goodbye to her friends.”

He was touched by the scene.

“We sent over drinks and ended up talking to them. They told us the whole story. We sent them a letter afterwards and invited them back for a weekend.

"It was a very lovely human moment taking place in our place and I suppose we hope that we contributed to it in our own little way, giving them another moment of that.”

They believe the Irish céad míle fáilte is about more than welcoming someone a hundred thousand times.

“It’s about being able to welcome a hundred thousand different types of people. That’s really what the Irish welcome is about, making people of all different types and cultures feel comfortable. I think Irish people are very, very good at that.”

domainedemeure.com

Mary Rogers, Laguna Beach

Mary Rogers is Managing Director and Area General Manager of Montage Hotels California. She has over two decades of luxury hotel experience around the world, including managing the legendary Fontainebleau in Miami Beach, but she says it all stems from her Galway upbringing.

“I am incredibly proud of my Irish heritage, which has absolutely defined the leader I am today,” she says.

Born into a farming family as one of eight children, Mary says from a young age she was taught “the values of hard work, honesty and treating everyone with respect. We were always told, ‘work hard and be nice’”.

And she’s worked hard all around the world since starting in a small B&B in Salthill while studying Hotel and Catering Management which she says “sparked [her] love for greeting guests and making a positive impact on their holidays”.

Since then she has worked in Washington DC, Orlando, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Las Vegas, Miami and now Laguna Beach, California, always carrying with her a sense of the Irish welcome.

“It’s what we Irish are known for and I’m so proud as a member of the industry that Ireland is known around the world for our authenticity and warmth of service.”

The Irish accent, she says, has also come in handy over the years.

“I’ll never forget the time I welcomed President Biden to one of the hotels I worked at, and how his face lit up when he heard I was from Ireland. We chatted for a little while about home, and we bonded over his love of all things Irish.”

It’s also been a catalyst in helping Mary go that extra mile with guests. She overheard Irish accents in one hotel and went to say hello. They were a family from Kerry and had travelled to California to fulfil a dream of bringing 10-year-old twins to Disneyland.

“We went on to surprise them with personalised Mickey Mouse ears, matching Disney t-shirts and sent them off to Disneyland. It was hugely rewarding to play a small part in making their trip more memorable.”

For Mary, céad míle fáilte is “three small but incredibly powerful words”.

“When I hear them I instantly think of home, they somehow sum up everything it means to be Irish. The warm welcome, both giving and receiving it. Showing who you are, authentically. Kindness, warmth, craic. When I hear and see these words, I feel instantly
connected and proud to be Irish, as do millions of others the world over.”

montage.com

Anton Moore is GM of the fashionable Gansevoort Hotel

Anton Moore, New York

Anton Moore is the General Manager of the five-star Gansevoort Meatpacking Hotel in New York. He has over 20 years of experience, launching and managing properties including Edition Hotels, Waldorf Astoria and Ashford Castle, and hospitality has been part of his life from a very young age.

“I’ve always been surrounded by dedicated hospitality professionals and have admired their work from a young age,” he says.

His aunt owned a hotel, his father worked in the hotel business all his life, and his godmother owned a restaurant before going on to teach in hospitality.

“I think it means I have a very comfortable sensibility in my approach to hospitality, not only from growing up in the industry but also growing up in Ireland. Entering any household, you’ll be offered a cup of tea almost immediately, which is just the start. It shouldn’t be a shock that as a country we have produced generations of great hoteliers.”

He’s settled into working in NYC easily, and says feeling like a local there is easier than you’d think.

“I always say that New York is practically a suburb of Dublin,” he says. Knowing the neighbourhood well is key to providing the céad míle fáilte. Anton credits his connections within the community, with art galleries, local restaurants, and shopping as adding to the welcome he can provide.

“I love visitors to feel like locals during their stay.”

One thing he misses about home is Irish conversations: “There is nothing better than sitting together over cups of tea or glasses of wine for long conversations and stories.”

But this natural talent for chat and stories is something that he loves to bring into his work.

“This storytelling is an integral part of Irish hospitality and something I like to bring to my conversations with our guests.”

He especially loves guest surprise planning.

“From engagements at The Gansevoort Rooftop to guests celebrating their birthday or anniversary, it’s always extremely touching. We are in the business of creating wonderful memories and they are all rewarding and, not to mention, I love a good surprise.”

As an Irish hotelier living in America, he adds that it’s not just about giving the céad míle fáilte but he also acts as an ambassador for travel to Ireland.

“I love to give guidance to anyone planning a trip, telling them all about what Ireland has to offer.”

gansevoorthotelgroup.com/hotels/gansevoort-meatpacking-nyc

Michelin-starred chef Andrew Walsh at Cure in Singapore

Andrew Walsh, Singapore

Andrew Walsh is chef-proprietor of Cure Concepts in Singapore, a restaurant group including Michelin-starred Cure.

Andrew’s culinary journey began at home in Breaffy, Co Mayo, when he started washing dishes at 15 and since then he’s garnered over 25 years of experience cooking with some very well-known names including Tom Aikens, Richard Corrigan and Jason Atherton.

The front-of-house welcome doesn’t seem as if it would be at the forefront of these high-octane kitchens but Andrew says cheffing is never just about the food. The kitchen and front-of-house he says are “more than just colleagues; we’re a tight-knit unit dedicated to crafting unforgettable dining experiences”.

He opened Cure in Singapore in 2015 — the name ‘Cure’, derived from the Latin ‘curare’ meaning ‘to take care of’, an idea Walsh says resonates with the Irish tradition of céad míle fáilte.

“I think it conveys a deeply personal greeting as if each word carries the warmth and sincerity of countless embraces.”

For him, it’s not just a catchphrase but “a show of genuine hospitality and the desire to make someone feel truly valued ... the essence of what I want to do”.

Treating people like family, and having a genuine sense of care are aspects of Irish hospitality Andrew appreciates along with the craic, “enjoyment, good company, conversation and fun ... [that] can help with fostering genuine connections with guests”.

He recalls a couple celebrating an anniversary who seemed nervous about trying some of his dishes.

“I took time to chat with them. I shared stories about the menu and some of the inspiration behind it, as the evening progressed, they changed, excitement grew and by the end of the meal they were beaming. They thanked us not just for the food but for making them feel welcomed and at ease.”

“They loved their experience of Irish food with us so much that they booked a summer holiday to Ireland to explore the Wild Atlantic Way”. His aim is for every guest to feel valued and leave with a smile and he certainly thinks the céad míle fáilte is a big part of that.