A grand re-opening! The Disneyland Hotel, located right at the entrance to Disneyland Paris, reopened its doors after two years of renovation on January 25, 2024. Two years of refurbishment to offer visitors a new royal theme, as well as a whole host of experiences to be enjoyed within the resort's flagship hotel.
And who better to tell us about it than the hotel's current director, Majbritt Iaconis, who spoke to Sortiraparis about her career, her arrival in the Disney family, and above all, what makes the magic of an establishment like the Disneyland Hotel! She talks about her experience of the great Parisian hotels and palaces, her missions within the house, the activities and events she'll be taking part in, and the importance of children in the experience... She tells us all about it!
Without further ado, discover our full interview below:
Sortiraparis: First of all, can you introduce yourself? Can you tell us a bit about your background?
Majbritt Iaconis: "My name is Majbritt Iaconis. I have just over 30 years' experience in the luxury hotel industry. I'm originally from Denmark. When I was very young, I wanted to discover the world, so I left. Initially, I was going to spend six months in the United States, but I never went back. I worked in the restaurant business in Washington DC, in a Michelin-starred restaurant. Then I came to Paris, and in Paris I wanted to work in the luxury hotel business. I worked in some of the great houses where I learned everything, like the Ritz Paris and the Plaza Athénée. I opened the Mandarin Oriental in Paris in 2011, so it's a really typical Parisian hotel career".
Sortiraparis: As you said, you've worked in several of Paris's top hotels and palaces (Mandarin Oriental, Plaza Athénée...). Since May 2023, you've been in charge of the Disneyland Hotel. How do you approach managing such a hotel, the flagship of the entire resort, with an identity, but above all with services that remain different?
Majbritt Iaconis: "Yes, yes, it's only just started, just over eight months ago, and it's been a happy eight months. Eight months full of emotions, because there's a DNA here at Disneyland Paris that I've never experienced before, there's this pride and desire to participate in every visitor's experience. It's very sincere, and the employees are very generous. And it's true, even to myself, I feel as if I've worked here at Disneyland Paris all my life. The welcome is so warm and it's a very big family, so you settle in very quickly and work in a good mood. We're also very rigorous, because it's really important to be rigorous. And also to push ourselves, to push the limits ever higher, to do better, to constantly question ourselves, to move towards the ultimate immersive experience for our visitors".
Sortiraparis: Do you think you approach this task differently, compared to the big hotels or palaces?
Majbritt Iaconis: "No, I don't think so. The human being, the employee, the teams... There's no difference between a palace or a large Parisian hotel and the Disneyland Hotel, but as I was saying earlier, there's only this extra DNA, this pride in participating in each visitor's story. That's something I've never experienced before. I've known great teams, but here it's really very present. And it's true, even today, on opening day, I can see that there are a lot of visitors who know Disneyland, who've been coming for a long, long time, and who see the employees again. And it's like being reunited with your family, in quotation marks.
Sortiraparis: How would you define your mission within the hotel?
Majbritt Iaconis: "My mission is to be there, to accompany my teams, to support them when they have the slightest doubt, when they need it, but I'm not there to hold them back. I don't set limits, and I let each employee express himself in his own way. I think we've done very, very well, because it's a ballet, a ballet of elegance by our castmembers. There are a few adjustments, of course... A little more fluidity in the service, for example, sometimes in the gestures, in the wording, but everything's pretty much acquired. This elegance, they have so much more here through their interpersonal skills, which is really, for me, the most important point. In a team, it's the human being who's at ease, who expresses himself sincerely, that's what's important".
Sortiraparis: Can you give us a brief introduction to the hotel?
Majbritt Iaconis: "A few words... It's very complicated, unless you have an hour! I'd say it's too much of a stretch to say it's just a hotel. It's much more than that, it's much more... We're talking five stars here, so let's stop! Let's stop! If we start talking about stars, I'd like to say that we have just over 800 stars. These stars are our teams, our employees, who shine and will shine tomorrow too. I'd almost say that the room is an annex. Visitors don't just come here to sleep, they also come for the immersive experiences they're going to have. And that's why I said that the hotel is a five-star hotel, it's true, but with a Disney touch. And what is the Disney touch? It's the experiences we can offer our guests.
The first experience, as soon as they enter the hotel, is the Royal Greeter who greets the child, the princess, the prince, the parent who is going to accompany them. And we let the children do as the grown-ups do: there's a check-in dedicated to children, because here, it's really the child who's king. I'd almost say it's the kids who bring their parents to the Disneyland Hotel.
There's also the Royal Troupe performing in the lobby, there are the characters in the Castle Club Lounge, there are the princesses at breakfast in the morning, there's Mickey and Minnie, Donald and Daisy dressed in their finest royal regalia greeting guests at the Royal Banquet, our restaurant. And there's Beauty and the Beast, who will accompany our visitors during table service, in our restaurant La Table de Lumière.
You see, there's so much to say... We even have a Spa dedicated to children in our Disneyland Hotel SPA by Clarins. There are treatments for children from the age of six. There's also the Kids Club, where we can even offer to look after children from the age of 4 to 11 for two hours, while their parents go to the pool, for example, or have a treatment themselves in the spa.
Above all, there's Mon Rêve Royal, an exceptional experience where little princesses and princes will be made up, coiffed and dressed up as either a princess or a prince. There are several different formulas, ranging from 20 minutes to more than half a day... There's so much to do at the hotel. That's why, for me, it's so much more than a hotel, and that's what makes it unique. And what's more, our visitors really have to count their time, because with all these experiences to be had... To go to the park, you have to plan ahead".
Sortiraparis: Will visitors be able to stay in the hotel all day and enjoy the experiences without necessarily going to the parks?
Majbritt Iaconis: "Yes, that's right. And that's why I say 24 hours isn't enough. You need at least 48 hours, because you also need time to go to the park. And what's more, it's so easy to get there because you have direct access to the park. The proximity of the hotel to the park entrance means that you can come back to the hotel whenever you like".
Sortiraparis: What are you most proud of in this opening and in your work?
Majbritt Iaconis: "But what I'm most proud of are my teams! They are exceptional! They're so generous... There are a lot of great stories between our visitors and our employees, because there are some employees who took part in the opening of the first Disneyland Hotel and who are still here today. They meet up with visitors they knew back then. There are many, many, many emotions and wonderful stories which, for me, make it a real pleasure, and I'm very proud to be able to work alongside them and guide them, accompany them to the top".
Sortiraparis: do you have a favorite Disney world when it comes to bedrooms? Do you have a favorite Disney princess, for example?
Majbritt Iaconis: "Ahhhh... that's a very complex question, because I love all the characters, I love all the worlds, all the Disney stories. Cinderella perhaps? Yes, yes... That's it... that touches me".
