Innovation de services : étude de cas du Plaza Athénée Paris

The Plaza Athénée Hotel in Paris is internationally recognised by its guests as well as its peers for being the most innovative in services. However, does this innovation model match with other models of the literature? If not, how would it be different? This article details the results of a series of in-depth interviews with the senior management, the employees, the suppliers and the guests on the key success factors of its innovation process. The secrets of this process which is already innovative in itself evolve around five key factors: a strategy of innovation well anchored in the corporate values, a charismatic and motivating senior management team, an organisational structure with appropriate supporting mechanisms, a family of highly-motivated employees, and finally an open and direct communication. When those factors are set against the current literature on innovation of services, "the family of highly-motivated employees" appears to be a new factor. Finally some managerial implications are proposed to the readers. "Once upon a time, the palace of tomorrow." Hotel Plaza Athénée, Paris