Hot on the heels of its launch at the Monaco Yacht Show last month, The Academy, a new luxury hospitality training school, has unveiled its uniquely immersive training program for yacht crew, hoteliers, and tourism professionals.

The Academy is the first hospitality school in the world to offer a totally immersive training program in a palace, with operational and academic modules delivered by renowned professionals in the luxury hotel industry. As well as acquiring the necessary knowledge and skills, students will be taught how to embody the essence of luxury service to deliver exceptional experiences for the world’s most discerning clientele.

“Elegance, tenacity and education are essential values we must not lose,” says The Academy CEO Laurence Thary, whose stellar career includes stints at Carl Gustaf Saint Barts, Park Hyatt Paris and Le Méridien Montparnasse, before working as a yacht agent for the past 16 years. Thary is joined by her hospitality manager Christopher Lavaud, who has over 15 years’ experience working at exclusive establishments from Hôtel du Cap Eden Roc, Jumby Bay Antigua, Joël Robuchon Monte Carlo, Park Hyatt Vendôme, Lou Pinet Saint Tropez, and Le Coucou Méribel. Completing the team is sports therapist and interior consultant Sarah Dale, who has held a number of senior roles on board.

Jonathan Beckett, CEO of Burgess Yachts, joins as Ambassador of The Academy. One of the most experienced and successful yacht brokers in the superyacht industry, Beckett believes the industry needs to raise service standards to keep pace with an ever evolving landscape. “The industry has grown enormously over the past 20 years with more and more superyachts afloat and soon to be delivered - all needing first class crew,” he says. “The industry needs to constantly raise standards, and the ethos and intent of The Academy is to be a school of excellence. Nothing less than excellent will do!”