An expanded operational and commercial remit
In his new role, Vincent Billiard will oversee the General Managers of the Cheval Blanc Maisons. He will also be responsible for the Operations & Quality, Revenue & Distribution and Sales teams at LVMH Hotel Management. In addition, he joins the Executive Committee of the LVMH group’s hotel arm.
LVMH Hotel Management said that his operational expertise and in-depth knowledge of international luxury hospitality would play a decisive role in supporting Cheval Blanc’s continued growth and development.
A collection of Maisons built over twenty years
LVMH Hotel Management runs the Cheval Blanc brand, now present in Paris, Saint-Tropez, St Barth, Courchevel and the Maldives, as LTH noted when reporting the appointment of Audrey Peguret to the newly created role of Chief Sustainability Officer. The collection was built in stages: Courchevel in 2006, Randheli in 2013, St Barth in 2014, Saint-Tropez in 2019 and Paris in 2021, within La Samaritaine.
The group had also announced the opening of Cheval Blanc Seychelles, on Mahé. Designed by architect Jean-Michel Gathy, the project comprises 52 villas, each with a private pool.
The appointment comes a few months after the departure of Eric Boonstoppel. After sixteen years with the Cheval Blanc hotels, he left LVMH Hotel Management to take the helm of the Fouquet’s and Maison Barrière hotels at Groupe Barrière.
Twenty years of luxury hospitality, from Asia to Place de la Concorde
Born in Paris and a graduate of EHL Hospitality Business School (École hôtelière de Lausanne), Vincent Billiard joined The Ritz-Carlton in 2003. He spent more than a decade with the group in the United States, the Cayman Islands and then Asia, notably in Tokyo and Osaka. In 2013, he became the group’s youngest General Manager.
In 2016, he took the helm of the Bulgari Hotel Shanghai, leading its opening strategy and positioning. He then headed The St. Regis Singapore. In January 2020, he joined Rosewood Hotels & Resorts as Managing Director of Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel, becoming the youngest managing director of a Parisian palace hotel.
At the Crillon, he steered the palace’s recovery after the pandemic. He also overhauled its food and beverage offering, notably with the Nonos concept, created with chef Paul Pairet. Since 1 January 2024, he had combined this role with that of Regional Vice President, Central and Northern Europe, at Rosewood Hotel Group. In that capacity, he oversaw the group’s hotels in London, Munich and Vienna, as well as its opening projects in Amsterdam.
An operator’s profile to drive Cheval Blanc’s growth
Our analysis – LVMH Hotel Management is entrusting the operations and commercial performance of its Maisons to an executive shaped by Ritz-Carlton, Bulgari, St. Regis and Rosewood. The group has opted for a profile that combines palace-hotel leadership with multi-property regional management. His experience of openings, from Shanghai to Amsterdam, is an asset for a brand that grows through a limited number of addresses and holds itself to exceptionally high service standards.
At a glance by The Hospitality Tribune
Vincent Billiard Appointed COO of LVMH Hotel Management
New role: Chief Operating Officer and Executive Committee member, LVMH Hotel Management (Cheval Blanc)
Scope: oversees the General Managers of the Maisons, plus Operations & Quality, Revenue & Distribution and Sales teams
Track record: 20+ years in international luxury hospitality with Rosewood, Bulgari, The Ritz-Carlton and The St. Regis
Previous role: Managing Director, Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel (since 2020) and Regional Vice President, Rosewood
Education: EHL Hospitality Business School graduate
