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Luxury crystal house Baccarat is accelerating its push into hospitality, announcing the appointment of Neil Jacobs as Censor of its Board of Directors. The Paris-based brand said the move underscores its ambitions to extend its legacy of craftsmanship and French art de vivre into the global luxury hotel and dining sectors.
Jacobs, who spent more than 13 years leading Six Senses and shaping its identity as a sustainability-forward wellness brand, recently founded Wild Origins, a strategic consulting firm focused on hospitality, wellness, and sustainable development.
“Neil’s international expertise and commitment to responsible hospitality are major assets in supporting Baccarat’s development in this sector,” Bryant Stone, chairman of the board of directors of Baccarat, said in a statement.
Founded in 1764 and long synonymous with fine crystal, Baccarat has increasingly turned toward lifestyle and hospitality ventures over the past two decades. The brand debuted its first La Maison Baccarat concept in Paris in 2003, a fusion of boutique, restaurant, bar, and museum, and opened B Bars across Japan. In 2015, the first Baccarat Hotel & Residences launched in New York under license with Starwood Hotels Group.
Now, the company is planning new hotels in Rome, Florence, Dubai, the Maldives, Miami, and Macao over the next three years—part of a larger strategy to expand its hospitality footprint. Its culinary portfolio also continues to grow, with the Cristal Room by Anne-Sophie Pic opening in Hong Kong in 2023 and Ducasse Baccarat debuting in 2024 at the brand’s Paris mansion.
To support this expansion, Baccarat recently appointed Joerg Leser as director of hospitality and F&B. Leser previously spent 18 years with Hyatt in Zurich and Paris, and he will oversee hospitality operations globally.
“It is an honor to join the Baccarat Board in shaping a new chapter for a Maison that has long embodied refinement and innovation,” Jacobs said. “Together, we aim to translate Baccarat’s extraordinary craftsmanship into hospitality experiences that inspire and transcend.”
“The arrival of Neil Jacobs as Censor of the Board of Directors marks a decisive step in Baccarat’s expansion strategy within the hospitality universe,” Baccarat CEO Laurence Nicolas added. “True to its heritage, Baccarat continues to reinvent itself, offering through its experiences the very best of the French art de vivre.”
The move places Baccarat among a growing roster of heritage luxury brands—like Armani, Bulgari, and Fendi—translating design and craftsmanship into hospitality concepts that blend culture, cuisine, and couture-level design.
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