|
The last time we saw Christophe Lorvo he was
wearing a hard hat and carefully escorting us through a
construction site in Recoleta, the lovely, leafy Buenos Aires
neighborhood that is often likened to Paris. The tall and
dark-haired Frenchman had recently arrived from Paris to assume the
role of general manager of a property that, for the moment, was a
rundown palacio on Avenida Alvear hidden behind scaffolding and
fronting a huge crater that cut through the center of the city block
all the way to Posadas Street at the rear. As we gingerly made our
way amidst construction equipment, piles of lumber and coils of
wire, he outlined his vision for the new Park Hyatt in Buenos Aires.
That was early in 2005. Now it is two years later;
the Palacio Duhau has been open for some eight months. And from the
moment our car pulls up in front of the white pillared palace
gleaming in the morning light and we see the group of young men in
black suits and white shirts before the divided balustrade that
sweeps up to the main entrance, we can sense that the vision
Christophe Lorvo described to us that day has been fulfilled. It is
but a first impression, but one that would deepen and solidify as
the Palacio Duhau experience unfolds.
More than a hotel, the property is a complex of
components combined into an urban oasis. There is the five-story
neo-classical palace, one of only three structures on this short
stretch of Avenida Alvear. Designed in 1934 by the French architect
León Dourge for the Duhau family, it is bracketed by the residence
of the Vatican Embassy to Buenos Aires, silent and withdrawn on one
side, and a many-gabled “haunted” house of Italianate design hidden
behind trees and overgrown shrubs on the other. Behind the palace, a
multi-leveled garden enclosed by stone walls descends a hillside
following the natural lines of the city’s contour to a strikingly
contemporary 15-story tower with an entrance on Posadas Street. A
subterranean expanse beneath the garden is a gallery of fine art and
an interior link between the two buildings.
 |
 |
Restaurants at the rear of the palace and tower
spill out onto dining terraces. Their white leather chairs and
market umbrellas border the garden whose centerpiece is a waterfall
that cascades down three small ponds where water lilies drift among
wild grasses and calla lily plants. Meanwhile, branches of a
120-year-old rubber tree struggling for light amidst the crowded
shrubbery of the “haunted house” next door have climbed over the
wall and are casting dappled light on newly planted French roses and
purple azaleas. Facing each other across the garden, the palace and
tower belong to two different centuries and modes. Yet they
comfortably co-exist in this enchanted setting, merging the
traditional elegance and contemporary beat of Buenos Aires.
Looking down at the tower from a dining
terrace on the palace |
Looking up at the palace from the tower |
Befitting a 21st century, five-star property in a
major metropolis, each of the guest rooms and suites (23 in the
palace, 142 in the tower) are deluxe, products of expert planning
and high design, outfitted with state-of-the-art communications
technology and digitally operated lighting and window treatments.
All enjoy splendid views be they of the garden, Posadas Street’s
antique and boutique shops, or Avenida Alvea’s neo-classical
palaces. Still, it is in its public spaces and especially on the
Piano Nobile (main floor) of the palace that the singularity of the
Palacio Duhau is most apparent.
Since our first rough viewing, the salons of the
Piano Nobile have undergone a level of fine and detailed
restoration common to museum properties. Of noble proportions, their
high stone walls are punctuated with Corinthian pillars and
capitals, their ceilings and arches are bordered with detailed
decorative molding. Floors are inlaid parquet or Travertine marble
with radiant starburst patterns in shades of green and pink running
to deep burgundy. Draperies of sumptuous silk and taffeta are pulled
back from the many tall windows with tasseled curtain holders; each
pair is different and hand-made by an Argentine artisan. Valuable
sculptures and paintings, largely Argentinian, are focal points in
each room.
Yet this is not a museum where furnishings are
roped off and treasures are ensconced behind glass; no watchful
guards leer at every turn. The palace is a place to inhabit and
enjoy. Massive carved walnut doors are portals ready for opening to
the next salon. Stark-white leather sofas (from Paltrona Frau, the
Italian designers of leather interiors for Maserati and Ferrari),
framed in steel and illuminated by standing Baccarat chandeliers,
are there to be sat upon. Seventeenth century oak wall panels with
medieval and Masonic motifs, originally brought over from a Normandy
castle by Mr. Duhau and now restored to their original splendor,
line the walls of the Oak Bar, formerly the palace library, where in
the ambience created by a wood-burning fireplace, one can recline in
a comfortable tawny-colored leather chair, enjoy a choice malt
liquor or cognac or even a cigar, and take in the garden view.
|
The Oak Bar lined with 17th century panels from
Normandy |
As a child, Christophe Lorvo spent many hours at
Versailles. His grandmother was the daughter of the “conservator” of
the legendary residence of French kings; she was born and raised on
the property. Years later, she would often take her grandson to
visit her atypical childhood home and regale him with stories of
time spent amidst the trappings of royal splendor. Christophe Lorvo
knows from palaces. |
But even he would have to admit the jaw-dropping
spectacle at the heart of the palace’s lobby stands apart. Near the
entrance, a traditional salon furnished with a pair of contemporary
black leather chaises ends before a steep drop guarded by a steel
railing. A horizontal passageway the size of a small stage is on the
other size of the drop, while a white marble stairway rimmed with
the steel railing spirals down the open space to the street level of
the palace and the subterranean realm beneath. Hanging on the wall
of the passageway, the painting “La Ronda” looks across the expanse
like the backdrop of a play. This sizeable monochrome work by the
famed Argentine artist Guillermo Roux pictures a jumbled assemblage
of commedia dell arte characters in contorted poses amid a
scattering of stage props. A blend of the comical and the grotesque,
it sets a tone that is unsettling and at the same time exhilarating.
| “All the art in the hotel is fine art.
Everything old is antique. Every material is noble: wood,
marble, leather, silk – nothing is fake. That is the concept
of luxury,” said the effervescent Liana Vinacur as we climbed up the palace’s swirling
stairway and headed through the Salon Baccarat towards the Oak Room
and garden. |
The marble staircase spirals down to the
street level and subterranean realm below |
Petite and fair, Liana sparkles. She wrinkles her
nose when she smiles, and she smiles often. She has the air of a
pretty schoolgirl, albeit a very smart one. For behind the youthful
charm lies a steely resolve and keen intelligence, as Christophe
Lorvo undoubtedly realized when he lured Liana away from her own
successful public firm to become director of marketing and
communications at the Palacio Duhau.
|
The sparkling director of marketing and communications Liana Vinacur |
Early on, it fell to her to introduce
the property to the local community. “We had a very good strategy for the international
market; we told everyone as much as we could before the opening,”
she confided. “But for the local community, everything was sealed.”
We had crossed the garden by now to a table on the dining terrace
outside Gioia, the restaurant at the rear of the tower, where,
judging from the number of Porteños dining al fresco in the
pleasantness of the summer afternoon, it was evident that the
message to the local crowd had since gotten out.
“It has,” Liana laughingly conceded. “Gioia has
become a very popular Buenos Aires destination; it’s a favorite
place for business lunches. Although to begin with, we had a series
of adventures. The day we opened, the formal ceremony was at noon,
and at 4 o’clock, we opened the doors to the community. But there
was such a crowd, we had to organize three or four guided tours to
accommodate everyone. And it went on that way, day after day. We had
to all take turns guiding the tours. Once I was walking through the
art gallery and saw my poor assistant leading a group of 100 people.
|
“We realized we could not continue doing this
indefinitely. So we ended the general tours and instead offered a
tea and art tour. First you have the afternoon tea here at Gioia,
and afterwards you get a guided tour of the art gallery. It’s been
very successful – and also profitable.”
Small wonder. Exuding the Italian
spirit one inhales along with the air in Buenos Aires, Gioia has the
size and sweep of a ballroom with 32-high foot ceilings, gleaming
wooden floors, mirrored walls, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking
the garden, and an enormous split-level installation where an
elaborate breakfast buffet and glorious lunch and dinner antipastos
are laid out each day (tea being a leisurely afternoon interlude).
All meals are enhanced with offerings from an a la carte menu (one
of us succumbed to the pumpkin risotto for lunch), and followed by
brick-shaped flan with dulce de leche, rhubarb pie with raisins,
chocolate cheesecake, tiramisu, meringue tarts, a seemingly endless
variety of impossible-to-resist desserts.
| On the other side of the garden,
breakfast, tea, and light meals (one excellent lunch entrée is a
Salad Niçoise with tiny potatoes, quail eggs, white anchovies and
strips of red pepper) are served in a pair of elegant salons on the
Piano Nobile and adjacent dining terrace. The gastronomic Duhau
Restaurante is on the ground level directly below. It can be
accessed not only through the garden, but from the cobble-stoned
“porte cochere” on Avenida Alvear.
In contrast to the grandeur of the salons, the
mood here is contemporary, almost minimalist with dark wooden
floors, sleek chairs upholstered in soft fabrics of cherry red and
brown, a fireplace set into a steel wall, and black taffeta drapes
pulled back from windows for views of the dining terrace and garden.
|
Samplings of the glorious antipasto at
Gioia |
Décoration comes from a series of paintings by
the Argentine artist Carlos Anesi. They are all of fowls: ducks,
roosters, and geese – radiant-white and bold against an unadorned
darkly rich background. Together with the chandeliers and sconces
made of curved bands of pink Murano glass -- alternately resembling
flickering flames and masses of ribbons -- they evoke a playful
ambience which suits the dining experience.
|
Food & Beverage manager German Broggi before one of the Anesi paintings
|
Chef Julien Piguet |
Julien Piguet, the young chef de cuisine who was
born in Geneva, trained in Geneva and France and working at the Park
Hyatt Paris Vendome when Christophe Lorvo convinced him to come to
Buenos Aires, is gentle, unassuming, and enthusiastic about the
challenges of his new position.
“Our cuisine is simple but very well executed; it
focuses on the product. We search out the best quality, the freshest
ingredients,” Julian told us. “You know Argentina is largely a meat
country. We even have Kobe beef. There’s just one producer in
Argentina, and our executive chef Cyril Cheype (also a Park Hyatt
Paris Vendome alumnus courtesy of Christophe Lorvo) discovered him.”
Nevertheless, this evening Chef Piguet recommended
the trout from Chile. “Very fresh, very light, excellent with
spinach salad,” he said. It was. The Patagonian lamb was excellent
too; so was the steak accompanied by a cauliflower mousse with
hazelnuts, scallions, and goat cheese – all partnered with a Malbec
recommended by the engaging young sommelier Sandra Castillo.
Desserts of lemon cream and lemoncello sponge cake, and white rum
granite with passion fruit and coconut crisp were delicate and
delectable.
“Our style of cooking is contemporary French, but
our ingredients are mainly Argentinian,” Julien said, articulating,
inadvertently perhaps, a credo that defines not only his kitchen,
but all of the Palacio Duhau. There is an undeniable French
sensibility to the property. At the same time, it is firmly rooted
in the Argentinian soil.
To us, this appears to be part of Christophe
Lorvo’s original vision. Two years earlier when we toured the
construction site, he pointed out a place amidst the rubble where
the first wine and cheese bar on the South American continent would
be built. At that time, Argentine wines were beginning to attract
attention outside of the country; Argentine cheeses had no
particular identity. Today they share the space of the inviting
Vinoteca one walks through on the way to the Duhau Restaurante.
The Palacio Duhau has 6,500 bottles of Argentine
wine; the best of the nation’s Malbecs are among them. Many rest in
floor-to-ceiling glass cabinets in this beautiful room paneled in
dark wood with a side door leading to a small patio where one can
enjoy a glass of wine in the peacefulness of a summery evening in
January. Beside the door, a deep, tall, and cold closet with bright
red walls stores wheels of Argentine artisanal cheeses.
|
Maître Fromager Maria
Martini in the cheese closet |
Sommelier Sandra Castillo |
“Wine you can find everywhere, but what I missed
the most whenever I lived abroad was cheese,’ Christophe told us
when we joined him for a tasting. “When I first came here, I didn’t
know they had such a good selection of cheeses and of such good
quality. When I discovered how amazing they are, I decided we must
have a cheese room here and pair it with the wine.”
The key to the cheese closet, with its 40 kinds of
national cheeses and 13 French cheeses, is held by Maria Martini.
“The chef and I traveled around the country to find them,” the young
and attractive maître fromager told us. “We discovered many small
places that produce great cheeses. Now we are trying to get these
producers to age their cheeses. It is something new for them.”
“We are with cheese today the way we were wine
years ago,” Christophe told us as we climbed up on stools before the
tall marble table in the center of the Vinoteca. Our little group
sampled a Cordon – a strong goat cheese originally from France and
Marie’s favorite, a truly great and runny Argentine Brie from
Cordoba, a strong Roquefort-type cheese from Mendoza cured for 15
months, and Crottin, a strong sheep cheese. “I find myself educating
people,” Maria said. “They tell me ‘You make a plate of cheeses and
explain how to eat them’.”
Accompanying the cheeses were Pata Negra ham from
Spain (“The pigs are fed with chestnuts so it has a very sweet
flavor,” Christophe said), a pear and cinnamon marmalade and a
honey with dried fruits to spread on the cheeses. Also superb
breads, particularly one studded with nuts. “We have a very talented
baker on the property who does our pastries as well,” he told us,
adding “We found her in Paris where she was working at Alaine
Ducasse’s.”
Sandra the sommelier uncorked a bottle of Malbec
from Flechas de los Andes (the Herald of the Andes), an Argentine
winery that opened last year which is owned by the Baroness de
Rothschild and Laurent Dassault (from the family of airplane
manufacturers) who are French. The oenologist, Michel Roland, is
French as well. “It is an absolute spectacular winery,” Christophe
told us.
|
General Manager Christophe Lorvo samples a Malbec
in the Vinoteca |
Expertly, he smelled the bouquet of the Malbec,
held his glass to the light, and swirled the liquid gently before
taking a sip and pronouncing his satisfaction. “Here in Argentina, I
have learned so much more about wines,” he said. In his quest to make the Palacio Duhau a
reflection of its setting instead of a repository for elegant
foreign imports, the general manager has also learned so much more
about the nation that has become home to him and his family.
Rejecting the idea of importing a well known French brand for hotel
amenities, he insisted on finding a local purveyor and discovered
Celedonio.
|
A 37-year old iconoclast artist, designer and
architect with a spiritual turn of mind (he did the fashion
accessories for “Sex and the City”), Celedonio Lohidoy designs
jewelry out of semi-precious stones that are threaded and formed
into necklaces, brooches and rings by a small group of craftsmen in
an atelier on the top floor of a Buenos Aires building that could be
the set for a production of “La Bohème.” They’re sold in a small
showroom on Avenida Alvear and also in Jane Eadie’s in New York
City’s newest come-back-to-life neighborhood, Nolita. But Celedonio
came to Christophe Lorvo’s attention as a designer of fragrances,
and he enlisted him to create the hotel’s beautifully packaged
toiletries as well as the aroma with a hint of cedar that wafts
through the air of the Palacio Duhau.
Christophe’s wife Alicia told us that ironically
it was the devastating economic crisis of 2001 that gave rise to a
burst of creativity in Buenos Aires, particularly in the realm of
art and design. After the economic upheaval, many people became
entrepreneur artisans and designers working out of their homes; many
products in the hotel come from such sources -- the curtain holders
for draperies in the palace salons and the ceramic plates used in
the Vinoteca are among them. “These plates are not necessarily
sturdy,” Alicia said. “They might crack or chip more easily than the
standard fare so they have to be replaced more often. But they are
so unique, such a change from the typical white plate.”
She added, “There is a very strong aesthetic sense
in the Argentine culture. The nation is so into design, and it took
on such a leap in the wake of the crisis.”
Despite dire forecasts and the warnings of friends
and family, Daniel Maman opened his art gallery at the height of the
economic downturn. And despite all odds, it took off. Today one of
the best known galleries in Buenos Aires, Daniel Maman Fine Art
provides paintings and sculptures by Argentinian artists for the
hotel’s Paseo de las Artes. The underground gallery which links the
palace to the tower not only adds to the Palacio Duhau’s significant
permanent collection, it is a featured player in Recoleta’s popular
Gallery Night held the last Friday of the month when the
neighborhood’s galleries stay open late, and people spend the
evening going from one to another.
| A walk through the Paseo de las Artes can be a
journey through more than a century of Argentine art and history.
Before the late 19th century there was little art, we learned. The
influence was entirely European – mostly Italian and French. “Until
the mid 1920s, artists felt the need to go abroad to study. But that
has changed,” Valeria, a fine arts student and our informed guide
told us. “Now there seems to be enough of a heritage to stay here. I
would like to go to Italy, Spain, and France to see the cradle of so
many movements, but I don’t feel I have to. There is enough respect
for our own things. |
Part of the Palacio Duahau’s permanent
collection: Juan Battle Planas’
“Images of the Neighborhood |
“You can say that Argentine art, like the country
itself, is open to everything,” she continued. “Whatever comes, we
take and make our own,” Which must account for the wide range and style of
the works represented here, the variety of schools and materials.
Interestingly, some of the more recent paintings seem influenced by
indigenous South American cultures. There is little evidence of an
Indian heritage in Buenos Aires, but it does appear in the hotel’s
Ahin spa named for the ceremony used by the Mapuche Indians of
southern Argentina to honor guests.
Located on the subterranean level of the palace,
the fitness studio, spa suites and 82-foot swimming pool exude an
air of spirituality, peacefulness, and self renewal. To have a
massage while listening to the haunting melodies of “Andes music”
played on the panpipes is to be transported to another realm
altogether.
|
Paola Morselli, a personal
butler |
But then again, a stay alone at the Palacio Duhau
transports one to another realm for many reasons, not least among
them the people who comprise its staff. Every one of them goes
beyond the expected to assure a guest’s comfort and pleasure. One
does not encounter a doorman, receptionist, chambermaid, bellman,
waiter, bartender without a smile and greeting. Every request is
handled expertly and efficiently. And then there are the personal
butlers – to handle a myriad of details from getting clothes ironed,
to shoes shined, to scouting the best store on Posadas Street for
that special leather bag, to even organizing a complicated dinner
meeting. |
| Great effort went into the assemblage of such a
star cast, Christophe assured us. A mass recruitment effort result
in 10,000 CVs which were narrowed down to 2,000 interviews with 45
Park Hyatt department heads, directors and human resources people
before the last round with the general manager himself who
interviewed six people at the same time to see how they interacted
with one another. There followed six weeks of training. “In Europe
and the United States there would be two weeks, in Asia four weeks,”
Christophe said. “Getting the right people was very important for
us.” |
Some of the folk who make up the “best staff” of
Christophe Lorvo’s career |
The result?
|
 |
“It is the best staff I’ve had in my career.”
We thought back to our first impression of the
young men waiting to escort arriving guests into the palace’s Piano
Nobile. Another first impression greets the guests who enter through
the street level cobblestone-paved court and immediately confront a
black metallic statue of a Spanish noblewoman, her voluminous skirts
standing stiffly apart from her body. Faceless, with just an
abstract suggestion of hair, she suggests an Andy Warhol take of a
figure from Valesquez “Las Meninas.” On the one hand, the statue
suggests elegance and royalty, but then again, it seems not to take
itself too seriously. A combination of attitudes that seems to
define the experience of staying at this exceptional property where
exquisite French know-how merges with the essences of this country
that is endlessly fascinating.
|
Palacio Duhau
Park Hyatt Buenos Aires
Avenida Alvear 1661
C1014AAD
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Phone: 54 11 5171 1234
Web: http://buenosaires.park.hyatt.com
Photographs by
Harvey Frommer |
