We caught up with Antoine Melon, founder of HOMETAINMENT – the online platform where you can book premium food, drinks, music, arts and crafts and children’s experiences to enjoy at home.
With an impressive 25 years of experience in opening and running restaurants and hotels all over the world, Antoine is an expert in the art of hosting, or as he would say ‘L’Art de recevoir’.
My car of choice
I have not owned a car for a long time, especially while living in London. But I love the vintage convertible Beetle, so this would be my car of choice.
My favourite holiday destination
Definitely Provence where my parents have a house in Les Alpilles in a small village called Eygalières near St Remy de Provence. The village is a typical Provençal villa with the houses hanging on the hill so that they could see any invasion coming. There are two British celebrities in the village with Heston Blumenthal living there and Hugh Grant having a summer house. They are now both part of the community.
My gadget I can’t live without
It must be my iPhone! It’s my office, my personal communication tool, and my source of information.
My airline of choice
British Airways for its consistence, professionalism and Avios points system with both my Amex private and business BA cards.
My favourite watch brand
I love watches and my parents offer me one every decade on my birthday. For my 40th birthday I received a Panerai Luminor and today is my 50th and I will receive a Tag Heuer Monaco special Steve McQueen edition.
My favourite restaurant
As a restaurateur it is impossible to name one as I love to try new places and new concepts. I live in Notting Hill and love neighbourhood restaurants such as Los Mochis, GOLD, FIEND, Sumi, Caia, Pizza East Portobello, Zephyr, The Pelican, and The Royal Princess to name a few.
My guilty pleasure
Watching a French movie on a Sunday with a Magnum ice cream.
My favourite way to give back
I love to mentor young people that want to work in the hospitality industry or use my experience to support promising talent in flourishing in their roles.
My biggest achievement to date
I would say the launch of HOMETAINMENT. It has a one-of-a-kind offering in the sense that it’s a service platform offering the most unique and memorable experiences from handpicked experts, brought to life in the comfort of your home. Considering my background is classic hospitality, restaurant management and private members club management, I think it’s one of the bravest career moves I’ve made.
