What it means to run a luxury hotel today

In one of the most impressive places in Campania, the Amalfi Coast, stands the legendary 5-star Palazzo Avino overlooking the sea in Ravello. Mariella Avino, the manager of the luxury hotel, continues the family tradition with love, passion and energy. "Since my father bought the hotel in '95, the property has become part of my DNA over the years. Growing up in the rooms of Palazzo Avino, I absorbed a lot of the hospitality world. Today, my biggest dream is to make this place more and more unique and to connect it more and more with our area. In these years, I invest so much in research to make sure that everything in this building somehow reminds us of its history." But Mariella is not alone in this project. "We are three sisters, two of whom already work at the facility. Attilia is Director Sales & Marketing and then there is Maria Vittoria, our younger sister, who works instead in a digital marketing company specialised in hotels. Attilia and I have been working together for six years now. As it is a family business, we have always found it very important that we both have clearly defined roles. We are definitely a very well-coordinated female team."

Mariella Avino's unique, young and dynamic vision of hôtellerie, but always with respect for tradition. When the palazzo was bought by Mariella's father Giuseppe in 1995, it became a real case in point in an area where legendary hotels belong to the same territory. "The palazzo is an aristocratic villa from the 12th century that was later converted into a hotel. So the rooms of the structure were adapted to what the villa was before. For me, it is very important to maintain this quasi-residential context. Year after year, depending on the different projects we do, I try to bring the structure back in time. I want to move away from any modern suggestions in terms of design and always try to keep my feet firmly in history." What it means to Mariella today to be a young woman running a luxury hotel is clear. You can feel it in her eyes and smile, just as any of us can when we talk to a friend about the thing we love most in the world. "For me, this position has always meant helping the team achieve the same direction of inspiration. The hotel is lucky to be located in an incredible spot in Ravello, on a post cliff that is certainly one of the most famous in the world. The building itself has very particular iconic features that have made it recognisable over the years. But surely there is a soul that needs to illuminate these walls and that needs to be constantly nurtured. That soul is the whole creative part of what we do inside the building, and for me that's the most important thing." Ravello has a unique atmosphere, the vertigo of its 365-metre height mingles with the scents of fruit, and when evening falls it feels like going back in time. "In recent years I have found more and more inspiration in researching our area and our history. Because we are a seasonal hotel, it's like we live seven months in high season. And because of this high intensity of work, it's important to be inspired by what we do and where we go."

Each room is a place of peace and reflection. An open window with a unique view: of the sea and the sky, which has made it the new favourite place on the Amalfi Gulf. "When we opened I was thirteen years old, and certainly in recent years the clientele has changed a lot, including interest with respect to the coast. Since I came to the facility, from 2011 to now there has been an evolution with respect to a decrease in the average age of customers. In the past we had a clientele range of sixty to fifty years old, today our typical client are usually young couples who choose the Amalfi Coast for their dream trip. This I think is also a reflection of the activity that has been done, to refresh the facility with some additions like the Lobster Martini bar, the Beach Camp, and the Pink Closet." The boutique opened in 2019 and designed by architect Cristina Celestino is located a few meters from the entrance of Palazzo Avino and is accessed through a window facing the street: once you cross the threshold, the perception is that of entering an elegant contemporary cave. "Since 2019, the boutique has already evolved because the first year for me was an absolutely new experience. Then when there was Covid, I thought a lot about the fact that it was important that the closet also follow the concept of hotel research, so I started to collaborate with small brands of young designers, who year after year are making small collections with us. From 2020/2021 I also started to collaborate with Camera della Moda, which supported some of our designers."

 

 

Architecture, design, wellness, hospitality and good food are immersed in the picturesque horizon over the Gulf of Salerno to return a unique experience of quiet and dream. With an Instagram account that has nearly 94,000 followers, the Palazzo hosted Humphrey Bogart and Gina Lollobrigida during the making of the film the "Treasure of Africa" and which was the love nest of the scandalous relationship between Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini, now also welcomes travel bloggers and influencers. "What I really appreciate about Ravello compared to other "in" or otherwise very popular destinations, is that here you always manage to have, even with regard to distinguished guests, a very familiar approach, and I think that what then pleases the customer who arrives. Those who choose Ravello do not necessarily want to be seen, but they choose a place that conveys intimacy and a sense of serenity." He then continues. "I would certainly like to imagine, a Sophia Loren in Mastroianni's time. I would see her in some corner of the hotel for an unforgettable scene." In the modern vocabulary, "The White Lotus 2" rhymes with obsession and hôtellerie. Wealth in its many facets is a key aspect in the construction of the series drawn by Mike White, who has worked with a human bestiary as complex as it is diverse. "I admit I have only seen the first series, not the second. But I really liked the exaggerated cross-section that you see in terms of certain situations that are almost commonplace in the luxury hotel industry. I think it's an interesting way of ironising situations that happen in a hotel of a certain level, especially in dealing with guests." He laughs.

Palazzo Avino's 2023 season adds new chapters to the narrative. The first of these is the Infinito Suite, a vivid and articulate recovery project suspended in time, designed by architect Giuliano Dell'Uva. "I chose him and this direction because I was struck by his strong focus on local craftsmanship. The infinity suite is the only room on the fourth floor, the highest point of the building. It is a duplex with a beautiful roof terrace and a small private pool. The idea, which we also worked on from an artistic point of view, was to design the space so that guests feel as if they are in a work of art. Through the Alfonso Artiaco Gallery in Naples, we got in touch with David Tremlett, a British artist whose work is characterised by the use of colour. Last summer, David saw the space and imagined how one of his works could be transferred there. So he drew up a design, which was then brought into the space on about a thousand handmade terracotta tiles."

In the palace, noble families hosted artists and writers here and also in other palaces, who then told the story of the works. A new chapter, also dealing with art, lights up the rooms of the Art Café. The exhibition Photographic Notes: The Underground of History by Marco Gualazzini. The photographs in Photographic Notes are a journey through the undergrounds of history and seemingly distant lives, with the aim of drawing attention to humanitarian crises and conflicts from sub-Saharan Africa to the Taliban in Afghanistan. "When I saw the first shots, I had my doubts that they were too impressive for the space. However, I am sure that even guests who view them will appreciate their significance. They are definitely not light images, but they are thought-provoking images. The exhibition will officially open on 22 April." And so, between art, hospitality and passion, the pink palace overlooking the sea is an open book, a place of encounter and research. A place that redefines the concept of holiday by inviting anyone who decides to cross this soya to a personal journey outside of time.