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MEETING…ALEXANDRA CHAMPALIMAUD


ABOVE: A living room in one of the 12 newly created hillside villas at the Bel-Air. Champalimaud’s design was inspired by themes of past Los Angeles eras, with the glamorous decades of the 1930s, 40s, and 50s represented through an eclectic selection of furnishings and colour OPPOSITE PAGE: A manicure / pedicure suite at the Bel-Air’s spa


Due to re-open in October 2011, the hotel has undergone a complete renovation, with Champalimaud handling every area except the ballroom and the restaurant, which has been redesigned by Rockwell Group. Champalimaud is quick to acknowledge the


hotel’s existing charms, notably its proximity to nature. “The great thing about the Bel-Air is that you’re surrounded by gardens,” she nods. “There’s a sense of peace and calm that permeates everything.”


The existing 103 rooms and suites have all


been given limestone floors, wood ceilings, and larger bathrooms with separate shower and bath and heated floors, while a series of newbuild villas come with canyon views, glass walls, outdoor fireplaces, decks, and private infinity spas. There’s a new presidential suite with a dining room for ten people, a chef’s


kitchen, a study, a great room with a grand piano, and a private courtyard. The hotel will also benefit from a new spa managed by La Prairie, with


4,500ft2


seven treatment rooms, a 24-hour fitness centre, and three open-plan guest lofts, each with a double-sided fireplace. Sadly relaxation is something that’s been


in rather short supply for Champalimaud herself lately. Having worked on more than sixty hotels in nine different countries over the course of her career, she spends on average five months of every year travelling. Surely that takes its toll? “Yes, it’s exhausting,” she nods, adding with


a grin, “Look at me, I’m actually 35... only kidding. But seriously, it is tiring, but you do what you have to do. And it’s like any job, it gets harder the further up the scale you get.


040 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2011 WWW.SLEEPERMAGAZINE.COM


You get to the point finally when you hit your stride and you start being trusted with the kind of jobs you always wanted to do, but that means you have to deliver. I’ve worked very hard to get where I am. I’ve been through a lot, so there’s no way I’m going to relax and let it all slip now.” Indeed, despite her privileged upbringing, life has not all been plain sailing for Champalimaud. Born and raised in Portugal, she attended a convent school in the UK before continuing her education in Switzerland and then training in interior design at the Espirito Santo Foundation in Lisbon – one of the world’s last remaining colleges teaching the traditional techniques of historic preservation and restoration. In 1974 the Carnation Revolution hit Portugal and her life was turned upside


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