I thought long and hard about the best way to share my travels, discoveries, and adventures with you. After several months of reflection, I decided to launch my newsletter, TOMO.
You know that time is precious to me, which is why I decided to structure this monthly letter as follows: a retrospective on the past month, an encounter with a creative mind, a taste sensation, a reflection to open up new horizons, an enlightening read, and a place where the values of hospitality are those that I love and cherish. TOMO is not just a newsletter. It is a companion that transforms readers’ time into something precious and unexpected.
To find previous editions and receive future ones, click HERE.
#6
Pioneer of time,
sower of emotions
September 10th, 2025
Regular readers will know this already: stepping into a new decade (my sixties), marks the beginning of a new chapter for me. One of reflection, and of transmission. My various projects (Dar Ahlam, 700,000 Heures Impact, The Memory Road…) continue to evolve, each moving forward at its own calm pace.
In recent years, I’ve tried to strip hospitality of all its artifices, to touch people at their very core. Now, I feel the urge to share all my recipes, and to guide entrepreneurs in their own journey. Traditional consulting has never set my pulse racing, so I thought a book might be the right format to distill my vision. Not because I think it superior, but because it opens new avenues of reflection, because it encourages us to do better – and, above all, differently.
This intimate manifesto isn’t about teaching lessons. It’s a call to reintroduce into our lives the joy of surprise, the beauty of fleeting moments, the taste for generosity and for encounters. An invitation to open, not locked doors, but pathways towards others. Hospitality in its truest form, the way you’ve experienced it with me over the years. So if you’d like to explore this promise of welcome, of freedom, of wonder, I invite you to join the journey here.
Warmly,
Thierry
In recent years, I’ve tried to strip hospitality of all its artifices, to touch people at their very core. Now, I feel the urge to share all my recipes, and to guide entrepreneurs in their own journey. Traditional consulting has never set my pulse racing, so I thought a book might be the right format to distill my vision. Not because I think it superior, but because it opens new avenues of reflection, because it encourages us to do better – and, above all, differently.
This intimate manifesto isn’t about teaching lessons. It’s a call to reintroduce into our lives the joy of surprise, the beauty of fleeting moments, the taste for generosity and for encounters. An invitation to open, not locked doors, but pathways towards others. Hospitality in its truest form, the way you’ve experienced it with me over the years. So if you’d like to explore this promise of welcome, of freedom, of wonder, I invite you to join the journey here.
Warmly,
Thierry
The person I’d like to introduce today was the very first to inaugurate our artist residency at Dar Ahlam. His name is Olivier Darné and he is without doubt one of the most complete artists I know.
We first met at a gathering organised by a mutual friend in the South of France, to reflect on the connections between hospitality and regeneration. Artist, activist, beekeeper, farmer, entrepreneur… Olivier is forever creating spaces of experimentation (Parti Poétique, Zone Sensible, Regain…), convinced that art is the most powerful medium to awaken our consciousness to the planet’s challenges.
From this ceaseless creative ferment came the desire to work together. He first helped us shape the Food Lab, before our local palm grove teams took the lead. Then we collaborated on La Maison du Ciel – a true sensory journey filled with surprises and moments of wonder around honey and bees. Mission accomplished, and you can discover it at Dar Ahlam from 15 September.
We first met at a gathering organised by a mutual friend in the South of France, to reflect on the connections between hospitality and regeneration. Artist, activist, beekeeper, farmer, entrepreneur… Olivier is forever creating spaces of experimentation (Parti Poétique, Zone Sensible, Regain…), convinced that art is the most powerful medium to awaken our consciousness to the planet’s challenges.
From this ceaseless creative ferment came the desire to work together. He first helped us shape the Food Lab, before our local palm grove teams took the lead. Then we collaborated on La Maison du Ciel – a true sensory journey filled with surprises and moments of wonder around honey and bees. Mission accomplished, and you can discover it at Dar Ahlam from 15 September.
When I return from abroad and find myself missing viennoiseries (which is to say, every single time…), I have a well-rehearsed ritual in my Montmartre neighbourhood. I start with a mocha and an extra shot of coffee at Beans on Fire, then make my way through a trio of bakeries:
– Gilles Marchal, for his exquisite “flan pâtissier” and “chausson aux pommes”.
– P1, for the “pain au chocolat praliné” worth descending the Butte for.
– Boris Lumé, for the “pain suisse” (insider tip: the Rue Lepic address is blissfully spared the tourist queues of his other shop).
With the rise of coffee shops and comfort food, I feel that bakers working with wholesome, ancient flours and a responsible approach are speaking more to today’s aspirations than the elaborate creations of big-name pâtissiers. And trust me – indulgence is not lost (you can take my word for it!).
– Gilles Marchal, for his exquisite “flan pâtissier” and “chausson aux pommes”.
– P1, for the “pain au chocolat praliné” worth descending the Butte for.
– Boris Lumé, for the “pain suisse” (insider tip: the Rue Lepic address is blissfully spared the tourist queues of his other shop).
With the rise of coffee shops and comfort food, I feel that bakers working with wholesome, ancient flours and a responsible approach are speaking more to today’s aspirations than the elaborate creations of big-name pâtissiers. And trust me – indulgence is not lost (you can take my word for it!).
I wanted to share an extraordinary experience with you. If you’ve ever wondered how to recognise truly exceptional honey, try this: place a generous spoonful on a flat plate, cover with warm water, and gently swirl for about a minute. If the honey is pure, a pattern appears… the shape of the hive itself. A marvel of nature, beyond explanation. I had no idea honey carried a memory. I had read plenty on the memory of water. Water is, after all, my element – perhaps the common thread across all 700,000 Heures destinations: Salento, Cambodia, Lake Como, Cap Ferret, Peru, Mexico, Rwanda soon… In Japan, the philosophy of Hado – the power of vibrational waves – shows remarkable effects on water crystals (hence my love of gong baths). Water even reflects our wellbeing and mental state: tears of joy and tears of grief do not share the same composition. I find this endlessly fascinating, and I invite you to dive deeper into this vast subject.
I mentioned them in a previous newsletter, and they’re finally here! The conversation cards were born during a creative seminar I organised a year ago. I felt a real need to bring beauty and poetry into the way we welcome our guests, and also a sense of play.
I wanted a thread to run through a stay with us, like a trail of pebbles. These cards are a way to reconnect with the people you’re travelling with, align expectations, and get to know one another more deeply. They also prompt us to ask why we chose one destination over another, how our desires evolve…
They’re a gateway to immobile journeys, reminding us of past experiences or helping us dream of future escapes. Each question comes with a quotation, because across all cultures, civilisations and eras, humans have always yearned for discovery and connection.
I wanted a thread to run through a stay with us, like a trail of pebbles. These cards are a way to reconnect with the people you’re travelling with, align expectations, and get to know one another more deeply. They also prompt us to ask why we chose one destination over another, how our desires evolve…
They’re a gateway to immobile journeys, reminding us of past experiences or helping us dream of future escapes. Each question comes with a quotation, because across all cultures, civilisations and eras, humans have always yearned for discovery and connection.
My reading habits come in waves. There are stretches of my life when I devour books, others when I read very little. At the moment, I find myself somewhere in between, slightly lost in the jungle of overwhelming information channels.
Reading has always been a way to escape but also to learn and to grow. These days, I’ve found that same pleasure in podcasts. I don’t treat them as background noise, like a radio show. I need to concentrate on them as much as I would a book.
I recently discovered the Petites Planètes platform through Guillaume Sorge, our next artist in residence at Dar Ahlam (more on him very soon…).
I loved getting lost in this sonic labyrinth – a swirl of cultures, music and songs from around the globe. I hope you’ll find it a source of inspiration too.
Reading has always been a way to escape but also to learn and to grow. These days, I’ve found that same pleasure in podcasts. I don’t treat them as background noise, like a radio show. I need to concentrate on them as much as I would a book.
I recently discovered the Petites Planètes platform through Guillaume Sorge, our next artist in residence at Dar Ahlam (more on him very soon…).
I loved getting lost in this sonic labyrinth – a swirl of cultures, music and songs from around the globe. I hope you’ll find it a source of inspiration too.
About ten years ago, a journalist told me about Norden, in Tibet. A camp founded by the husband of Dechen, creator of the yak cashmere label Norlha. I reached out, we met in Los Angeles, then later by chance in Mexico.
This summer, with a rare gap in my calendar, I decided it was finally time to discover this land. Two things struck me immediately: the vast highland plains, rolling green hills without a single tree; and the breathtaking monasteries. Both come together in silence. A silence that enfolds you, inviting you to slow down, to settle, to reflect.
Norden itself was exactly as I had imagined – a blend of comfort, simplicity, refinement. Our stay was marked by encounters, especially with the nomadic communities we joined during their migrations across the pastures.
I hold dear the memory of a breakfast with a monk who, every morning, performs 500 prostrations, lying flat on the floor and rising again in prayer. The wooden floor still bears the imprint of his feet. A place where I felt utterly serene, utterly at peace.
This summer, with a rare gap in my calendar, I decided it was finally time to discover this land. Two things struck me immediately: the vast highland plains, rolling green hills without a single tree; and the breathtaking monasteries. Both come together in silence. A silence that enfolds you, inviting you to slow down, to settle, to reflect.
Norden itself was exactly as I had imagined – a blend of comfort, simplicity, refinement. Our stay was marked by encounters, especially with the nomadic communities we joined during their migrations across the pastures.
I hold dear the memory of a breakfast with a monk who, every morning, performs 500 prostrations, lying flat on the floor and rising again in prayer. The wooden floor still bears the imprint of his feet. A place where I felt utterly serene, utterly at peace.
To follow everything happening around my projects:
> An interview with Plan South America, the agency founded by former journalist Harry Hastings, a specialist on Argentina’s capital. We spoke about the philosophy behind 700,000 Heures Impact, focusing on my recent seasons in Mexico and Peru.
> A creative seminar at Dar Ahlam, in collaboration with Small Luxury Hotels, where I’ll be sharing my tools and keys for a more sincere, authentic hospitality. Together with Diane Binder, founder of Regenopolis, we’ll also explore the principle of regeneration. Fourteen hoteliers will be gathering, and I hope it will be the first of many.
> An interview with Plan South America, the agency founded by former journalist Harry Hastings, a specialist on Argentina’s capital. We spoke about the philosophy behind 700,000 Heures Impact, focusing on my recent seasons in Mexico and Peru.
> A creative seminar at Dar Ahlam, in collaboration with Small Luxury Hotels, where I’ll be sharing my tools and keys for a more sincere, authentic hospitality. Together with Diane Binder, founder of Regenopolis, we’ll also explore the principle of regeneration. Fourteen hoteliers will be gathering, and I hope it will be the first of many.