In our latest inCROWD interview, we chat to Belmond’s director of sales, meetings & incentives for the UK and Nordic countries, Perrine Chapelain, who has attended every single inVOYAGE event since we first launched.

Having started her career as a sales manager for a luxury hotel in Reunion Island, Perrine moved to the UK and worked with both Great Hotels of the World and the Leading Hotels of the World in sales roles, before joining Belmond.

“When the opportunity arose to join Belmond, then Orient-Express Hotels, I was more than happy to embrace it. It’s been the most incredible seven years of my career and my love story with Belmond is only getting stronger with time,” she says.

My favourite #inVOYAGEMoment…
I have so many, having attended every one of them so far! I really enjoyed inVOYAGE at Ras Al Khaimah. I was so happy for Richard and Debbie because I could see what fantastic work they had done with inVOYAGE and how far they had come. A fabulous event with some incredible buyers and selection of suppliers, inspirational speakers, gorgeous experiences in the destination. A real cornerstone and achievement.

The thing I most love about events is working closely with our clients and our on-property teams to create exceptional and memorable experiences. It’s incredible to see what comes out of an initial conversation and how we can all work together on translating an idea into a creative concept and see it become this beautiful brand experience that creates emotions and lasting memories. There’s something beautiful about that multiplication of talents that all come together to create something unique and special.

True luxury to me is in the experience. Luxury is and always will be centred around an idea of exclusivity - the feeling that not everyone will be able to have the same experience as you. While this feeling encompasses notions of quality, comfort, and elegance, people are now looking for experiences that help them learn, differentiate themselves, express who they are, and that have a purpose beyond comfort and pampering. 

My earliest travel memory is when my parents decided to leave their small village in Brittany to move to Reunion Island. I was very young, and I remember boarding that big plane (my first time!) and discovering on the other side something so different to everything I knew then. From that very moment, I knew my life was going to be about travel and discoveries, it just felt like “that’s what people do, and I will do it too”.

City slicker or beach bum? I’ve been very lucky to grow up on a tropical island, so I love the beach, but I find it hard to stay still for too long, even on holidays. I love to walk endlessly in a city and discover all its little hidden gems.

Believe it or not, I managed to squeeze a little trip back home to Reunion in August this year – 11 hours on a plane in the midst of a global pandemic. Nothing stops us in our industry! I felt very safe, got my PCR test done prior to departure and another one there seven days into my stay as required. I can’t tell you how wonderful it was to see friends and family and to be surrounded by glorious nature after the first lockdown.

Suitcase essentials? Definitely a lot of hair styling products and tools. My hair has a life of its own and doesn’t react well to change of climates. Think Monica Geller from Friends in the Bahamas! 

My favourite hidden gem is… I love music and grew up listening to my dad’s jazz and blues vinyl records. There is this tiny place in Brixton called the Effra Tavern, off the main road, that has this amazing band playing live jazz and blues every Sunday, this is definitely my happy place. 

My most memorable events has to be the last Belmond event we hosted at the Violin Factory early March, just before lockdown. Chef Raymond Blanc was there to entertain our guests and delight them with his gorgeous food, we converted the master bedroom into a champagne and caviar bar with the bathtub filled with bottles of Moet & Chandon…

It was just such a lovely night with some of my favourite people in our industry, having a good time and being spoon-fed caviar by a celebrity chef! The happy days….

My personal mantra is a quote by Simon Sinek - “People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe”.

When I’m not working, I’m most likely to be In a dance class at Pineapple Studios, shaking it all off!

When the pandemic is over, I am most looking forward to giving people a proper hug and welcoming all my dear friends who lost their jobs due to the pandemic back to our beloved industry. I miss them and think about them. I hope that they will be able to do what they love again soon.