Launching a new business at the start of a pandemic would be daunting for any entrepreneur, but Grace Leo, the visionary known for developing, repositioning, and managing bijou properties across the globe, was up for the challenge. Leo opened Hotel Montalembert, one of Paris’ first boutique hotels, in 1989, and helmed design-led destinations in places such as Mustique, St. Barth, Bali, New York, Marrakech, and Switzerland. In 2014, Reignwood Investments called on her expertise to spearhead the transformation of London’s Port Authority landmark at Ten Trinity Square into a Four Seasons Hotel and Residences.
Today, she is not only president and CEO of Grace Leo Consultancy, but also managing partner of Relais Retreats, a new hotel group founded alongside Singapore-based shipping magnate Tim Hartnoll, who also owns Indonesia’s eco-island resort Bawah Reserve. Relais Retreats’ brand DNA weaves worldly perspectives into English waterside escapes within two hours of London. “Tim is passionate about anything near water and collects vintage yachts,” says Leo. “For me, it goes back to my Chinese roots and using feng shui elements of wind and water in the search for good fortune, harmony, and abundance.”
The Palm Court at the Relais Henley in Henley-on-Thames, England, complete with arched mirrors and fringed armchairs
Relais Retreats’ first property is the 40-room Relais Henley located along the course for the famed Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames. The 16th-century former coaching inn caught Leo’s eye pre-pandemic but was already under contract. That fell through in March 2020, and when businesses reopened the property became hers. “When I see a building, it speaks to me, and I can easily visualize what it could become,” says Leo. “I am someone who can make decisions quickly.” This approach meant that in less than nine months and during two lockdowns, the nearly 500-year-old Grade II relic was restored with expertise from Nicholas de Klerk and Sze Wei Lee, cofounders of London-based Translation Architecture, and Paris-based Pascal Allaman, Leo’s frequent design partner.
The same team is renovating the brand’s second hotel, the 45-key Relais Cooden Beach in Bexhill-on-Sea, formerly the 1930s holiday home of the influential De La Warr family, who put the locale on the map as the home of British Motorsports. Interiors are partially inspired by the aesthetics of seaside towns Nantucket, Massachusetts and Montauk, New York, as well as Deauville in Normandy, France.
“There’s a renewed desire to discover places on our doorstep,” Leo points out. “Looking back onto our own shores and heritage is positive for the future, and there are many places in the UK I hope to help people discover.”
The Quarterdeck Bar at the Relais Henley features original wood beams and green accents
This article originally appeared in HD’s July 2022 issue.
