Luigi Romaniello knows a thing or two about running . The Italian-born hotelier recently completed the 2024 New York City Marathon , his first . It ’ s no small feat and even more remarkable considering it came immediately after a marathon of a different kind — a crosscontinent hiring tour at some of the country ’ s best universities and hospitality schools to staff one of the true American hotel icons : Waldorf Astoria New York . Beginning in fall 2024 , at the tail-end of a multi-year
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makeover of the midtown Park Avenue hotel , Romaniello , the managing director of Waldorf Astoria New York , embarked on a two-month journey with Steven Snyder , the hotel ’ s director of talent and culture , in search of the next generation of hospitality workers and leaders
Determined to transform not only the hotel ’ s design and infrastructure , but the workforce operating it , the duo went looking for a new era of hotelier — and if Romaniello ’ s enthusiasm is any measure of success , they found it .
“ This is what the world of
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service is looking for ,” said Romaniello . “ We are ushering in a new era of hospitality here in New York City , and globally , by reopening this grand dame . That comes with a fresh mindset to bring in new ideas and come up with new innovative products . We feel like it was a perfect marriage to have conventional hiring , but also give an opportunity to the young and ambitious talent to bring that level of energy .”
A 30-year veteran of the hospitality industry , with recent experience at The Plaza in New York and Rosewood Baha Mar
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in the Bahamas , Romaniello has witnessed plenty of transformational change in his time . But even he was struck by the level of passion and sophistication that this incoming generation of aspiring hospitality workers displayed .
At places like Cornell ’ s Nolan School of Hotel Administration , Boston University and the University of Nevada Las Vegas , he participated in lectures , classroom visits , one-on-one conversations and even podcasts . Throughout , Romaniello said he was often surprised at the mindfulness
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“ Meet at the clock .” The iconic clock was originally for the 1893 World ’ s Columbian Exposition in Chicago and features relief portraits of past U . S . presidents . |
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