Special RepoRt
Managing Director Danilo Zucchetti writes his own chapter in the five-century history of italy ’ s villa D ’ este .
By BarBara Bohn , managing editor
He ’ s a gentleman first of all .
He ’ s a signore , as you say in Italy , a gentleman .”
Danilo Zucchetti , managing director of the iconic Villa d ’ Este , certainly is a signore , as legendary hotelier Vincenzo Finizzola says . He ’ s also the patient but uncompromising caretaker of a property that dates to the 1500s , has been a hotel since the 1870s , and possesses the timelessness , effortless elegance and historical details that can be copied elsewhere but never duplicated .
“ A basic feature for a general manager of Villa d ’ Este is not to transform it into a hotel ,” says Jean-Marc Droulers , former owner and general manager of the Cernobbio , Italy , property for many years . Instead , “( he ) has to be faithful to the five centuries of its history .”
Zucchetti ’ s own philosophy is similar : “ Always evolve but never change .” For his years of dedication to the hotelier ’ s craft , from Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in multiple countries to his management of historic hotels in Italy , HOTELS is pleased to name Danilo Zucchetti , managing director of Villa d ’ Este Hotels , Independent Hotelier of the World for 2020 .
The Villa d ’ Este has 152 rooms and suites in two historic buildings and four villas on 25 acres on the shore of Italy ’ s Lake Como . In a typical year , it has 330 employees , and 2020 was supposed to break revenue records . But with Italy taking the early , brutal brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic , the opening was postponed to June “ to really go through this season as a sign of rebirth ,” Zucchetti says . When guests returned , many commented that it was their best visit yet .
“ Why is that ?” he says . “ We managed to keep normality , even by applying all the protections and everything .”
Things have changed since he joined the Lake Como hotel in 2005 as GM ( he was promoted to managing director in 2011 ). “ The level of empathy requested now is higher than ever before ,” Zucchetti says . “ When you do something for the guests , they appreciate even more .”
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November / December 2020 hotelsmag . com 35