lagniappe
What is your hotel pet peeve ? Lack of cleanliness and orderliness . I want to walk into a hotel or a guestroom and have everything looking crisp and detailed .
What is your favorite travel item ? My iPhone . It ’ s amazing how much can be done on such a small device .
What was your favorite childhood hobby ? Music . I studied piano , guitar and saxophone and took voice lessons growing up .
What was your most embarrassing moment on the job ? Very early on in my career , I took a rather highhanded attitude with a travel writer , who subsequently blasted me in his column . Fortunately , this was long before things were posted on the Internet , so hopefully that article is buried forever !
Why did you choose to work in hotels ? You have such varied experiences throughout your day . One minute you are welcoming guests , another working on a room redesign and another moment you might be tasting a new dish in the restaurant . I cannot imagine the monotony of being stuck in an office job doing the same thing day after day .
John Volponi
general manager , Capella pedregal , Cabo San luCaS , mexiCo
Since John Volponi took over as general manager of Capella Pedregal more than two years ago , the 96-room property has been ranked among Travel + Leisure ’ s top 50 hotels in the world , among other accolades . Although Volponi has also helmed a number of prominent hotels , including Capella Telluride and The Inn at Perry Cabin , he started out with dreams of becoming a chef . He now prefers the front of the house , but Volponi still counts cooking among his hobbies .
If you weren ’ t a hotelier , what would you be ? I hope I would have been able to make it as a musician . It would have allowed me the opportunity to travel and entertain .
Who taught you your biggest lesson , and what was it ? Very early in my career , I wanted to work with one of my first mentors at a very famous hotel . He convinced me to stay where I was , as there would be more opportunities for me to learn and advance . He was correct , and in a few short years , I was appointed to my first GM position . Sometimes the grass really is not greener on the other side of the fence .
What is your favorite hotel ( other than your own )? Hotel Splendido in Portofino , Italy . It sits up on a hill overlooking the harbor with amazing views , staff and cuisine . It was the first luxury hotel I ever stayed at in Italy , so it has special memories for me .
72 HOTELS October2014 www . hotelsmag . com