INTERVIEW

Luxury is how you feel — we must help guests create memories

 

Cavaliere Giovanni Viterale is an Italian 'ambassador' extraordinaire who loves using football as a metaphor for business. As Cluster GM of a Raffles and a Sofitel — both on Sentosa —he puts things simply, "We must be visible."

November 2024/October 2019

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With a genial avuncular face, deeply lined with liquid eyes that always appear lost in thought, Cavaliere Giovanni Viterale is the quintessential hotelier, poised, exquisitely attentive, warm and unflappable. But when he speaks, softy and with authority, his mind is racing, fixing problems, eyes darting, surveying the linen, the tea, his guests… He is a stickler for quality, a people person, much loved by staff. Viterale was awarded the Order of the Star of Italy in August 2016 – hence the ‘Cavaliere’ title – an honour he carries lightly without pomp but with deep respect. After all, he is now a designated Italian ‘ambassador’ spreading his country’s special spirit around the world. Cluster General Manager of the developing Raffles Sentosa Singapore and the lush Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa since Febnruary 2022 (and formerly running the Fullertons since early 2010), he covers a vast acreage of prime escape real estate. Clearly, in his firm quiet way, Viterale has put his ‘stamp’ on things. Staff are smiling and alert and maintain that pace despite the humidity and heat that seeps into the breezy Sofitel that was once a Beaufort Hotel. Editor Vijay Verghese began this conversation with Cavaliere Giovanni Viterale in October 2019 in Hong Kong and picked it up again November 2024 on Sentosa to talk about luxury, millennial guests, younger staff, and the changing face of travel. This combines both conversations.

Smart Travel Asia, Sentosa, NOVEMBER 2024: How will you transition the classic Raffles brand to a modern cubist escape on Sentosa?

CAVALIERE GIOVANNI VITERALE: [Arches his eyebrows and smiles] We will transfer the human touch, the service, and our experience, to communicate over 100 years of our history. We have to recreate the hospitality factor. In general, we [hotels] have to get back to basic hospitality. People need to greet guests with a “Good morning” and “Welcome back.”

It’s all about people. People remember people, not the colour of the chandeliers For us, everything starts with recruitment and an eye on future talent.

STA: How do you train young Gen Z staff?

CGV: At any age, 25 or 65, especially Baby Boomers and above, people have advanced and adapted to the age of AI and technology. So things are not much different. We keep a good balance of traditional service and the modern.

We try and find a balance between generations. Whatever their age, guests today don’t need to learn how to use facilities in their rooms any more. They’re invested in new technology. But we have to deliver the same hospitality.

STA: What does this mean for your operations?

CGV: For staff it starts with recruitment. For someone my age who is a bit more senior it’s good to have younger staff to balance traditional skills. We need to move forward. That means we need youthful energy and experience. We cannot look at younger people as if they’re from a different planet [laughs, then gets serious again]. Everyone plays a part. The combination of age and youth is useful. Youngsters are motivated and passionate. They are faster at things. They get oriented quicker and are very smart.

STA: What about the old Swiss hoteliering style of discipline and marching in lockstep?

CGV: We still need discipline but we need to react faster. The training of say four months in the past, can be compressed into two months. The younger generation learns much faster. Look around… supercars are driving faster [grins]. This means drivers today need to adapt as well. When it comes to our staff mix we see that youth complements age.

STA: Is the limited attention span of Gen Z staff a hurdle?

CGV: Well, they need to see what’s the next step. We have to keep them busy. The manager cannot be slow. The GM has to walk the talk.

STA: Years back using a football analogy we spoke about whether the GM was a referee or a captain and you said he’s the striker. How do you feel now?

CGV: I said he was the striker because you need goals. Of course the team must offer a great defence too. We need to be all these things today [smiles]. The general manager needs to operate at multiple levels.

STA: Is the classic lobby cruising hotel general manager dead?

CGV: No, it’s still very, very important for the general manager to be visible [shrugs and gestures with his hands]… also the key department heads. They should not just say “Hello” to you [the guest], but they need to regularly assist frontline staff in their work and provide moral support.

STA: How much empowerment is necessary for frontline staff?

CGV: Empowerment is very important. People should not be afraid to interact or tackle difficult decisions. At the end of the day it is up to the whole team to resolve issues and satisfy guests — not just the GM.

Smart Travel Asia, Hong Kong, OCTOBER 2019: Was it always hotels for you?

CGV: No. I grew up in Salerno, on the Amalfi Coast. My uncle was a teacher in a hotel school. He took me under his wing and I fell in love with the people. ‘This is a great job,’ I thought. After all I am a people person. In this field you have to like people. Hospitality should be like running your own home.

So what was your original dream?

CGV: Believe it or not I wanted to be a football player [eyes light up and shy smile plays on his face]. Unfortunately I didn’t make it. But it was and still is my passion. My childhood friend made it to a certain level. My parents believed football was a long shot. But every afternoon after school I would run to the beach to play. My son Antoine [now 23] is a football player. Perhaps my dream was passed on to him. In Pokfulam (Hong Kong) when he was young we played football and he listened intently to my stories.

How did you get to Asia?

CGV: My uncle always told me, ‘Go out and don’t stay in a comfortable job.’ He urged me to reach Hong Kong. I had no clue where Hong Kong was. He explained it was the leading hospitality destination. I made my way through Switzerland, UK, Germany, and Abu Dhabi before arriving in Hong Kong. When I arrived I realised he was correct. At The Claridges in London, hospitality was in everyone’s bones. It was among the best hotels in the world. In Hong Kong, luxury hotels were close to that standard.

What has changed in hoteliering over the years?

CGV: The biggest change I see [looks thoughtfully into the distance] is people were more hands on, more visible, and welcoming of guests. Not so much now. Technology and design have grown now but the only differentiation in the old days was service. You had to build a hotel personality, character.

How do you see the role of general manager today?

CGV: We need to go back to basics. We have a lot of assistance from technology but we cannot forget our customers. They are our oxygen. They remember how you made them feel. We have to help guests create memories. For this you have to be visible.

There is a lot of pressure these days to simply generate revenue at the expense of the customer.

CGV: We have to strike a balance between guests and work demands. And we need good teams that are task oriented. Just like in football you need a good goalkeeper (finance).

What is the role of women in the hotel workforce?

CGV: Women add a very positive element to the team. They are very detailed. They are hard working and have integrity. I get 200 percent from women on the team. Ladies with a good support team can do a great job.

What does luxury mean to you?

CGV: Luxury is how people feel. When they leave your property they feel they have had a fantastic time. Everything worked. It was a great experience right up to the smiles at checkout. Luxury is NOT [waves his hands to emphasise] just crystal chandeliers and particular items. It is the feelings we help create.

Do you welcome technology? Or is it a hindrance?

CGV: I welcome technology as it helps achieve results. We need to manage it to enhance productivity. Initially tech was complex and you needed a PhD, but tech can be simple and friendly too.

Have you had any bizarre experiences with guests and how did you manage them?

CGV: In almost 40 years I have had tons of odd experiences. As long as you are truthful and admit to your mistakes it all works out. In all my past experiences these [upset] guests became my best customers. My advice is ‘Don’t be defensive with robotic answers.’

How are millennials and younger guests changing hospitality?

CGV: They love organic stuff and are curious about what they eat. I find them extremely interesting. They travel a lot and have had great exposure. I learn from them too. We need to change and adapt. For example, we have no plastic straws in hotels today. We must thank young travellers for our eco-education.

How do you test or benchmark in-room comfort?

CGV: It is something subjective but it must feel good. And guests should want to be in the room. We test the rooms ourselves, and we let friends and colleagues try them out and offer opinions. We had people try out The Fullerton Singapore’s ‘new’ rooms before [emphasis, brief pause]… before starting on the whole renovation.

How important do you think brands are for travellers of today?

CGV: They see independent brands as strong for hospitality and they look for these kinds of hotels. I see more business travellers also moving to independent luxury hotels.

Did the title of Cavaliere change the way you felt about your responsibility as a hotelier?

CGV: [Face creases into a smile and the eyes crinkle up] They say with a high title comes high responsibility. You need to be a better role model more than ever. People look up to you and expect integrity. But it hasn’t changed my character or style. That’s something my parents taught me.

What comes next when your hotel days are done?

CGV: I will relax and spend time with my family [wife Sophie who’s French and two children, Antoine and Noemie.

If you could change one thing about hospitality today what would it be?

CGV: I would promote it more. We need more young people in the business and we need more great hotel schools. During SARS in Hong Kong, we did a fantastic promotion to showcase Hong Kong hospitality. People learned to smile. It is actually ‘healing’ to smile.

How do you keep staff in these volatile times?

CGV: Staff are no different to customers. Treat them well and they will stay with you. They are human beings. We need to guide them, coach them, help them learn. I did an apprenticeship with the Savoy group in London for a couple of years, much of it in food and beverage. I was placed for a time under an 80-year-old sommelier. I was just 21! He was like my grandfather.

I was always rushing about getting exhausted. He explained that the guests were mainly regulars and there was no need to race around like a chicken. He taught me to anticipate needs and to prepare for them. It is what helped him to have more time to talk with his customers. Pre-planning was the key as we knew the guest preferences. We need to share all this knowledge with youngsters. They will LOVE hospitality.

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