The little things that define great ladies in the travel and hospitality  industry

International Women's Day is coming up next Sunday and as an all-female team here at Mason Rose (bar Nic downstairs!), we wanted to highlight this important day by celebrating the travel and hospitality industry's leading ladies and share their values and proudest moments with you.

Hélène Darroze, award-winning chef

Great food evokes the sweetest memories

Profile: Helene Darroze was born in Landes in South West France, into a family comprising three generations of chefs. In 1990, after graduating from business school L'Ecole Superieure de Commerce de Bordeaux, she joined Alain Ducasse's team at the prestigious three Michelin-starred Le Louis XV restaurant in Monte Carlo. Helene opened her own establishment 'Retaurant Helene Darroze' in Paris in 1999 and was awarded her first Michelin star within two years. In July 2008, Helene launched her first UK restaurant 'Helene Darroze at The Connaught', which won a second Michelin star in 2011.                                                                                          

Values: Hélène's cuisine expresses the authentic and seasonal flavours of her native region as well as influences from Italy and the Basque country. She strives to tap into her emotions and memories, to create dishes that are personally meaningful and shared with a generosity of spirit. Hélène calls this approach “cuisine d'auteur” (author's cuisine). Using trusted suppliers, the emphasis of her vibrant dishes is on the ingredients and their source

Proudest moment: Creating La Bonne Etoile, a charity looking after disabled, sick children in Vietnam.

Tanya Rose, CEO, Mason Rose

If you can dream it, you can achieve it

Profile: Seeing a niche in the travel market, Tanya founded Mason Rose in 1993, one of the only agencies offering integrated sales, marketing and PR services to the luxury travel industry. Prior to founding Mason Rose, Tanya was Director of Sales & Marketing for The Savoy Group in London for six years and before that launched the St James's Club in Paris. Due to her work and experience in the travel industry, Tanya Rose has become one of the foremost authorities in luxury travel, recognised across multiple business sectors and media, including a nomination for the Women of the Year Awards.                   

Values: Tanya inspires others to achieve their goals through encouragement. She lives her life around the motto: If you can dream it, you can achieve it! She values compassion and education and has sat on various educational and charitable boards. She is a trustee at her old school, Gordonstoun as well as at the English National Ballet School, WellChild, and CLIC Sargent. She has helped raise large sums of money and established scholarship funds for underprivileged children to ensure that they get to experience an education that would not be available to them otherwise.

Proudest moment: Establishing a well-known business in the hospitality industry which has now been running for 21 years. Also my son! He is the most joyous creation in the world and watching him grow into the glorious human being that he is makes me the proudest person in the universe. 

Valentina De Santis, Owner & CEO, Grand Hotel Tremezzo

The most fascinating Lady of the Lake

Profile: Valentina De Santis is proud owner and CEO of Grand Hotel Tremezzo, a stunning palace that sits overlooking Italy's famed Lake Como. Her attention to detail with each individual guest and personalised efforts to make the hotel a warm, welcoming place for travellers has led to a nomination for 'Hotelier of the Year' in the Best of the Best Awards by Virtuoso 2014.

Values: A successful hotel is one where a guest feels at home, whatever that may mean for each individual. My personal philosophy is to determine what would make each guest feel at home as soon as they walk through our door. The pillars are hospitality and attention to detail. Our mission, thanks to everybody's efforts and passion, is to let guests have unique and tailored-made experiences while staying with us.

Proudest moment: Everything! From working closely with the hotel team – it is like my big family – to dealing with so many wonderful people from all over the world; everything about it gives me the biggest smile each morning. What makes me feel most proud is to present each new guest arriving to Tremezzo a bright hotel with a lot of news every year and updated facilities in one of the most fascinating destinations of the world.

To celebrate this special day, Grand Hotel Tremezzo have put together an Exclusive Women's Day package which includes indulgent spa treatments.

Dr Francoise de Toledo, Buchinger Wilhelmi Clinic

The heart behind the Buchinger Wilhelmi clinic

Profile: Dr. Françoise Wilhelmi de Toledo, from the Buchinger Wilhelmi Clinic is continuing the legacy of Dr. Otto Buchinger in the third generation, with the help of her family. She experienced the therapeutic and consciousness-expanding effects of fasting for the first time when she was 17. She knew even then that she would continue to practise it regularly for the rest of her life. For decades, she has cultivated partnerships with progressive university chairs, for example in Berlin, Essen, Munich, Freiburg, Zurich and Granada. In 2011, Dr. Françoise Wilhelmi de Toledo founded the Maria Buchinger Foundation with the aim of supporting research in the area of fasting. She is committed to ensuring that Buchinger Wilhelmi is and remains a byword for medical fasting for the benefit of people all over the world.

Values: Preserving the spirit of therapeutic fasting as established by Otto Buchinger – and at the same time to continue developing the method in accordance with the latest scientific findings and in line with the needs of people today. This vision is based on three pillars: Fasting, integrative medicine and spiritual inspiration.

Proudest moment: I was very happy and a little proud in 2013, the year of a double anniversary: 60 years of Buchinger Wilhelmi Lake Constance and 40 years Buchinger Wilhelmi Marbella. Together with all our co-workers, we have succeeded in bringing the family company into the 4th generation. Our next international medical congress wears the name "Fasten 2.0" and hosts international scientist who documented the therapeutic, antiaging, and mindfulness enhancing effects of fasting in prestigious medical revues (cell, science, nature). These studies are confirming our clinical observations since 1953. And we are thankful that our two sons as well as one niece are ready to enter the company. 

Michelle Bernstein, Executive Chef, Thompson Miami Beach

  The simplicity of great food

Profile: Michelle opened her first restaurant, Michy's, with her husband David Martinez in Miami in 2005, and the couple also own local-favourite, Crumb on Parchment, which opened in the Miami Design District in 2011. In addition to managing her restaurants and making frequent appearances on national television, Chef Bernstein continues to host her PBS weekly television series, Check, Please! South Florida. She opened casually elegant Floridian Brasserie Seagrape at Thomson Miami Beach Hotel in November 2014 with locally sourced bounty from both land and sea, offering a menu rich with regional influences.

Values: The provenance of her ingredients are paramount to Michelle. She has commissioned a handful of local farmers to grow specific products exclusively for her Seagrape menu, which will feature an abundance of fresh vegetables simply prepared, creative small plates, a selection of pedigreed, a-la-carte steaks and a rich raw bar

Proudest moment: It's funny, I have been so fortunate in my career, with my husband and our delicious son Zach; I am proud of them and of my cooking and of course for every award, James Beard, breaking the glass ceiling, Jewish women, philanthropic awards... However, one of my proudest moments happened early on in my career when I first started to work the sauté station. I managed to survive the 400F° conditions on my first night, despite the other kitchen staff betting I would faint, and was rewarded with a glass of champagne by the head chef! He told me he had never seen such innate talent and tenacity. I was in the clouds for about 5 minutes until the champagne caused me to pass out on my way to the locker room!

For further information on any of these packages, please contact Mason Rose:
T +44 (0)20 7201 8060 E: pr@masonrose.com www.masonrose.com

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