Material Matters at The St. Regis: Covering the Job of Hotel Upholsterer
Photo Credit: The St. Regis New York upholstery specialist Jose Gabriel Perez ensures that the landmark hotel's chairs, sofas, and wall coverings are looking sharp every single day. The St. Regis Hotel
Skift Take
Whether it's hanging on the walls or blanketing chairs and sofas, fabric plays a starring role at The St. Regis New York. That's why the hotel employs a full-time upholsterer, who is constantly canvassing the premises to keep material in tip-top shape.
You likely haven’t paid much mind to the material covering a hotel’s chairs, sofas, and, in some cases, walls. But that’s all Jose Gabriel Perez thinks about during his workday.
The 52-year-old Perez is the upholstery specialist at The St. Regis New York, a full-time position he has held since 2007. He handles all the upholstery needs at the Marriott property, ensuring that the fabrics within the walls of the landmark hotel are preserved and in excellent condition. The scope of work ranges from mending couch pillows and curtains to re-covering armchairs and sofas.
Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, he learned the art from his father, who had an upholstery business in Santo Domingo. “My father started bringing me to work when I was 12,” he said, noting that he learned 80 percent of what he knows from h
