Q&A: The Hari’s general manager Francesco Sardelli

Francesco Sardelli took over as general manager of London hotel The Hari in March. He sits down with Aspire to talk refurbishment plans and trade engagement.

Q. You joined The Hari earlier this year with a wealth of industry knowledge. How have your first six months been?

The last six months have gone by so quickly and I cannot thank the team at The Hari enough for welcoming me with such open arms. Whilst yes, I bring with me a wealth of industry knowledge, I have used the first few months to learn as much as I can from the team, and what it means to be part of The Hari family.

The hotel is built on four pillars. Layered - the first glance never tells the complete story. Elegant - we naturally charm with impeccable manners and a personality that is neither stiffly formal nor forced casual. Cultured – our appreciation of art and culture looks beyond the surface. And Singular - our personal point of view is our calling card. We never follow trends and have a highly distinctive outlook on service and style. All four pillars were so clearly reflected in the staff’s resilience and response to welcoming me as their new general manager and I’m so proud to be part of such a professional and dedicated team.

Q. How important is the trade to The Hari?

The trade is extremely important to The Hari; we work with both national and international travel trade throughout the year, and are incredibly grateful for their continued support.

Q. How do you educate the trade on the hotel’s offering and what makes it different from others in your area of London?

We love to invite them in to experience the hotel, because sometimes pictures and words just don’t do our hotel justice. The Hari is all about the feeling. As you step through our hotel doors, you feel welcomed, as you spend your time with us, you feel heard, and as you leave, you feel spoilt. Therefore, we treat our trade in a way that enables them to become ambassadors of The Hari.

Our sales team is also consistently visiting new and existing agents because we understand the importance of personal relationships. It is these relationships that allow us to stand out in such a competitive market. London is brimming with hotels, all offering amazing products and services, but there’s a lot to be said about the people, and this just happens to be our USP. At The Hari we go back to the basics and create relationships that align with our values: personal and unique.

Q. What would you say are The Hari’s USPs?

Without a doubt, The Hari’s unique selling point is our personality. Our dedicated team and personalised service is unmatched. Every guest is made to feel at home, whether that’s welcoming them by name, offering their favourite drink on arrival, or surprising them with tailored amenities. They always leave feeling pampered. This is made possible by our team who are all an integral part of The Hari culture.

Q. What do you define as good customer service?

We all define customer service differently but at The Hari actions speak louder than words. Our team pay extra attention to even the smallest details and go out of their way to make our guests feel heard. We believe our guests are our ambassadors, so if they leave feeling pampered, then we have successfully delivered The Hari’s version of great customer service.

Q. Tell us any exciting plans you have for The Hari in the coming months.

Yes, we have lots of exciting plans coming up for The Hari. Primarily, we are on the tail end of our refurbishment, under the concept of reimagining and reinventing, rather than replacing. Having completed the guestrooms, we are now working on our public areas and giving them a new lease of life.

We also have The Hari Art Prize 2024 Awards. After the remarkable success in 2023, The Hari Art prize, in collaboration with A Space For Art, is being held for its third year as part of the hotel’s commitment to social sustainability and supporting emerging artists. We are currently the midst of shortlisting 15 out of over 800 incredible applicants, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled as the announcement is due to take place in September!