In Episode Six, Season Two, we get up close and personal with some of our favourite hotels. General Manager of Heckfield Place, Olivia Richli, and CEO of Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Valentina De Santis join CF Founder Sheena Bhattessa as we go behind the scenes.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THIS WEEK’S EPISODE
General Manager of Heckfield Place, Olivia Richli, and CEO of Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Valentina De Santis, join Sheena as we go behind the scenes at some of our favourite hotels. Exploring what hospitality means to them, the pair offer their takes on what goes into making a hotel great and share memorable tales of life in the hospitality industry.
Click to listen on iTunes or Spotify.
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In the 1932 film Grand Hotel Greta Garbo referred to the Grand Hotel Tremezzo as “that sunny, happy place”. 89 years on the hotel beams ever bright. “I think with a smile we manage to keep being a sunny happy place. Trying to make people happy but also being always happy [ourselves],” notes Valentina. Born and raised in Lake Como, Valentina grew up around hotels. “I was born loving hotels. My parents were good travellers, so they took me around the world on their trips. Hotels were always a big part of the trip.”
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GM Olivia Richli’s career has been devoted to opening, running and understanding the soul of some of the world’s most eclectic, spectacular, stylish, and service-oriented hotels. Her childhood travel memories are peppered with camping sites and chalets – it wasn’t until she’d finished art school that her predilection with hotels really took off. Spending 20 years with Aman Resorts, Richli opened and operated three of Adrian Zechas properties: Amanjiwo in Central Java, Amangalla in Sri Lanka, and Aman Venice on the Grand Canal. When asked what hospitality means to her, Olivia remarks that it’s primarily about “welcoming people into our home”; “to make friends out of strangers”. For both Olivia and Valentina, it seems clear that ‘home’ is a crucial component to creating a meaningful hotel experience.
From introducing guests to new experiences and creating tiny surprises that will delight hotel residents over the course of their stay, to responding to challenging left-of-field requests, at the best of hotels every whim is catered to and every dimension of your stay considered.
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Exploring the essence of hospitality and what it is like to be a staying part of the hospitality industry sits at the core of this week’s episode. “You need to be ready to turn your hand to anything asked”. “Yes of course we can do that,” is offered as a first response. “How the hell do we do that?” often follows as a quiet aside.
Listen to the episode in full here, to unpin memorable tales from the hospitality world.
Any Questions or Tips to add?