Prague - 6
Monica Eisen is a rare luxury GM. The Spanish boss of Four Seasons Prague is female with two young children. She's lucky in that she has a husband, a French entrepreneur, who's headed a wine business and various other entities, who's perfectly happy being a house husband. It works perfectly, says mummy, wife, extroverted young lady – and top hotelier. She's able to give full attention to the family when she's there, and when she's not, she's looking after her other family, which is the 157-key hotel and its 250 team members.
Ah, perhaps the 250 need more of her attention than the two little ones back home. Apparently it's not easy finding young, enthusiastic professionals amongst the Prague locale. It's especially challenging in food and beverage. At the same time, there are those who do want to work and won't stop. These are immigrants who want to work 18 hours a day, seven days a week to send money back home. But just as in her own life, Monika wants work-life balance. She does know how to make her people happy. Recently, the doorman and bellboys have emerged as if from cocooned in traditional navy gear. They've been transformed by the most stunning Milan look: subtle plaid suits, beautifully fitted, and even the plaid on the little piping across the top of pockets matches the flow of the lines exactly. Now, since Girlahead, one of those days all those years ago, wanted to be a fashion designer, she is aware of such minutiae, and these outfits are stylish. It's difficult to remember what the guys wearing them, how their stance was before, but now they all look like models on the Milan catwalk. That makes them smile more and probably do a better job. Oh, this hotel has such an amazing location, literally cantilevered over the Vltava River. We did sit inside as we lunched, but there was a view out. Tables were set with white linens and local china, and the menu's really flexible: sharing plates or set menus. We shared a tuna sashimi, a burrata, caprese, see below, and then a sweet tasting salmon on spinach with fries. This is the Prague hotel for being in the centre of action, plus those who don't want to walk too far. Top business like it because it works: Four Seasons is justly renowned for simplicity, in bedroom and bathroom controls.
