What it means to run a luxury hotel today Interview with Mariella Avino, managing director of Palazzo Avino

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."

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."