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The Genuine Article
Episode FLGEN-101

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Four Seasons—George V Hotel, Paris, France
Paris Hotel, Sonoma Mission Inn (101)
Host Gordon Elliott goes inside the legendary George V Hotel in Paris, where he learns what five-star service is all about. Go behind the scenes to meet the dedicated professionals who take pride in setting the standard for hotel excellence. From how the sheets are folded to the feeding of the guests' pets, the staff's dedication to duty and obsession to detail will make any stay at this Four Season's flagship truly unforgettable.

Then, it's around the world to northern California to visit the Sonoma Mission Inn. Located in the heart of America's wine country, the hotel combines impeccable service with an unparalleled setting. It features two award-winning restaurants and a championship golf course. The Sonoma Mission Inn's property boasts natural underground mineral springs and is famous for its world-class European-style spa.

Four Seasons Hotel George V Facts:

  • Five Star Hotels are an American creation.

  • WWII military manuals were the first staff-training guides for these hotels.

  • A good Five Star Hotel will keep a diary of every guest's special requests, so that they can be repeated, without asking, on their next visit.

  • No phone is allowed to ring more than three times before being answered at the George V.

  • No guest is put on hold for longer than fifteen seconds.

  • The George V is only footsteps from the Champs-Elysées with private terraces that give a commanding view of Paris.

Contact Information:

Four Season Hotel George V, Paris France
011-33-1-49-52-70-00
www.fourseasons.com/locations/Paris/index.html

Resources:

Stern's Guide to the Greatest Resorts of the World (7th Ed)
by Steven B. Stern

A Place to Stay: 30 Extraordinary Hotels
by Grant Sheehan (Photographer), Shelley-Maree Cassidy

Zagatsurvey 2002: Top International Hotels, Resorts & Spas
by David Jefferys (Editor), Laura Mitchell (Editor)

Sonoma Mission Inn Facts:

  • No member of staff is allowed to run at the Sonoma Mission Inn in order to preserve the sense of calm at the spa.

  • Turn-down service at the Sonoma Inn takes place while the guests are dining, so as never to disturb them.

  • The Sonoma Mission Inn is one of the only spas in the country to have its own source of thermal mineral water.

  • The restaurant features a selection of more than 200 different Sonoma and Napa Valley wines.

  • The Sonoma Mission has its own 18-hole championship golf course nestled next to Sonoma Mountain.


Contact Information:

Sonoma Mission Inn, Sonoma, Calif.
www.fairmont.com/sonoma
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