TRENDING
WHEN INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL STOPPED , WE REALLY STARTED SHIFTING THE OPERATING MODEL TO STILL WELCOME INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS BUT ALSO PROVIDE AN EXPERIENCE FOR THE LOCAL COMMUNITY .
– CRISTIANO RINALDI
Capella ’ s
NEW CAPTAIN
Cristiano Rinaldi , recently promoted to president at Capella Hotel Group , takes the helm during exciting times for the Singapore-based company . With seven hotels concentrated in Asia , Capella is not exactly a household name , but it has already scored among Travel & Leisure readers as the second-best lodging brand worldwide . Between that , a second brand ( Patina ) just launched in the Maldives , and 11 additional properties in the pipeline , the buzz is building for this luxury operator .
Rinaldi , a veteran of Ritz-Carlton , Bulgari and other top-tier brands , recently spoke with HOTELS about Capella ’ s expansion , COVID ’ s impact and how luxury and technology can coexist .
HOTELS : How have your priorities shifted during the pandemic ? Cristiano Rinaldi : Because of travel restrictions , we better understand the importance of selecting the right talent and resources when we can ’ t be there physically , and relying on the hotel team to deliver on Capella standards and service . Managing hotels virtually is something new to our industry . We also managed to open three hotels in the last 12 months remotely , including Capellas in Bangkok and Hanoi , then the Patina Maldives . Normally members of the corporate team would be onsite , but we had to adjust the process to be a virtual one .
At the same time , we learned the importance of the local community : when international travel stopped , we really started shifting the operating model to still welcome international business but also provide an experience for the local community .
H : What ’ s the development outlook for Capella ? CR : We have seven hotels — the Capellas in Singapore , Shanghai , Hanoi , Bangkok , Ubud ( in Bali ), and Sanya ( in China )— altogether about 530 keys — and the 110-key Patina in the Maldives . We ’ re looking at at least 11 properties opening in the next five years . The next opening will be in Sydney in late 2022 or early 2023 . I would say these are all very solid projects . We have not
6 hotelsmag . com January / February 2022