2. Born of French, Rus-
sian, and Austrian origins,
Ladislas grew up between the
Middle East and Asia. As his
father served as General Man-
ager to various 5-star hotels,
he grew up around the splen-
dor of some of the finest ac-
commodation in the world. From an early
age he therefore acquired an acute sense of
what children would like to enjoy when
staying with their families in such magical
places.
Ladislas was only three years
old when he first stepped on to a stage
at a hotel his father was managing. This
sparked a life-long passion for entertain-
ment. As a child, he embraced all manner
of games, sports and craft activities as his
family moved the world. Wishing to keep
the magic of his childhood alive, he de-
cided as a young entrepreneur he wanted
to create amazing activities and events for
children to enjoy.
Whilst studying in France, he
developed his knowledge of child care
and entertainment in addition to advanc-
ing his understanding of business. After
completing his studies, Ladislas therefore
quite naturally decided to work for Club
Med, one of the world’s leaders in family-
friendly holidays and resorts. Ladilas later
joined the world’s most famous family
entertainment corporation: Disney. His
experiences at the top of the hospitality
industry taught his something that re-
mains at the heart of the Petit VIP con-
cept: luxury venues are perfect for adults
but pay little attention to what matters
most to them, their children.
Determined to turn this reali-
sation into a business concept, Ladislas
chose Abu Dhabi, one of his childhood
homes, to launch his 5-star Kids Clubs.
This was shortly after the 9/11 tragedy and
the tourism business was having a hard
time generating business. The managers
of Khalidia Palace saw the potential for
business from this innovative idea. They
took a risk and adopted the project and
were impressively rewarded. The Kids
Club developed an excellent reputation
and “expat” membership to the hotel’s
club increased by 340% in a year. Fami-
lies flocked to enrol their children. A few
years were necessary to give Ladislas a
clear vision of his project. He spent this
time teaching in Bali and working as an
executive for Club Med. In the mean-
time, his respected reputation in the Mid-
dle East led him into event organising for
young royalty and the children of celebri-
ties across the region.
In 2007, he launched Petit VIP,
a company dedicated to providing 5-star
venues with consulting and staff training
to offer children 5-star services entirely
adapted to them. His vision follows the
belief: 1 happy child = 2 happy parents =
3 loyal guests! The airline company Etihad
Airways was his first customer. He set up
a Business Class and First class lounge for
children and teenagers using the airline.
The company was ranked number 1 for
best luxury service provider within just 6
months. As a consultant, he also organ-
ized incredible family events in magical
places. For instance he has flown fami-
lies to Lapland in order to visit the Santa
Claus village, take a husky safari and ad-
mire the breathtaking Northern Lights.
Petit VIP, although launched
around the world barely a year ago, is al-
ready present in prestigious venues like
the Ritz-Carlton, Sanya (China), Essque
Boutique Hotel Zanzibar (Tanzania) and
the luxury mountain chalet La Sivolière
(French Alps).
Petit VIP perfectly reflects Ladis-
las experiences and personality: creative,
multi-cultural, original, fun, refined and
above all human.
His vision
follows the
belief: 1 happy
child = 2 happy
parents = 3
loyal guests!
An insight into
a hotel and
hospitality
innovator.
As his father
served as
General Manager
to various 5-star
hotels, he grew
up around the
splendor of some
of the finest
accommodation
in the world.
27
TRAVEL
May-June-July
