Founded in 1928, The Peninsula Hong Kong is known for its fleet of Rolls-Royces, Michelin-star dining and the kind of polished service that has long defined top-end hospitality in Asia. It’s here that Monocle meets Benjamin Vuchot, who is in his first year as executive director and CEO of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels (HSH), The Peninsula’s parent company. His appointment signals a shift for the group – one that merges retail and hospitality more than ever. “When I got the call asking whether I’d be interested in joining, I said, ‘Are you sure? I’m not a hotelier,’” he tells Monocle, laughing.
Originally from Paris, the 53-year-old spent more than 30 years in retail, mostly in Hong Kong, where he has lived since the late 1990s. During that time, he has served as the Asia head of brands such as Van Cleef & Arpels and Sephora. At LVMH-owned duty-free specialist DFS, where he was ceo from 2020 to 2025, Vuchot was already blurring the lines between retail and travel. All of these companies, he says, were seeking to better “understand and live the concept of hospitality”. “Brands have started a journey of becoming more like hosts,” he adds.
The Peninsula’s London flagship, opened in 2023, underscores what such an approach can achieve. Building on the success of the brand’s Shanghai branch, it has introduced a residential component: residents of its 24 two-to-four- bedroom homes receive the same level of attention as hotel guests, with a dedicated service team and a small fleet of Bentleys at their disposal.
Expectations have shifted since the pandemic: true luxury, says Vuchot, now lies in personalisation. To that end, The Peninsula tests innovations at an R&D facility in Hong Kong. Every hotel already features in-room tablets that allow guests to control lighting, temperature and more. Soon, the group plans to allow guests to personalise their stay even further using their own devices before arrival.
The group is also introducing a seamless connectivity system. Guests will only need to connect to wi-fi once to stay online across every touchpoint, whether in a Peninsula vehicle or a suite. “Even a 160-year-old company [HSH was founded in 1866] can embrace new technologies,” says Vuchot. Investment is also being channeled into design. The group recently renovated The Peninsula New York and The Peninsula Beverly Hills, and is expanding its F&B portfolio. In Hong Kong, HSH has backed Primo Posto restaurant, the group’s first step into standalone dining.
Vuchot is also seeking to enhance the group’s fitness offering. “Gyms are getting out of the basement,” he says with a smile, noting that wellbeing will increasingly shape what luxury means. The Peninsula Hong Kong is among the few hotels in the world that have never closed their doors in nearly a century of operation. “But you can’t rest on your laurels,” says Vuchot. While design and heritage remain central to the brand’s identity, his focus is firmly on HSH’s commitment to excellence and extending that philosophy beyond the guest room.
