It took a little more than an appeal to the gods for Valéry Grégo to transform a convent in the heart of Nice into the stylish Hôtel du Couvent. Now complete, with 88 rooms, three restaurants, and Roman-inspired baths, the decade-long project cost $100 million and included a battle over a building permit, along with a lot of soul-searching.
But Grégo, the French founder of the London-based Perseus group, hasn’t become one of Europe’s most influential hoteliers by avoiding challenges. A Sciences Po graduate with degrees in history and philosophy, he made his name by turning tired, three-star ski hotels into polished, thoughtfully designed resorts.
