The Hotel Mediterraneo is a beautiful pearl of hospitality, luxury, and entertainment. This precious boutique hotel, a proud independent 5-star establishment, graces one of the most spectacular points along the Sorrento Coast. This Hotel represents the perfect combination of elegance and luxury hospitality. Today, we have the opportunity to interview one of the “key men” of this great success, Mr. Pietro Monti, the hotel’s marketing director.
– ENJOY THE INTERVIEW –
Pietro, thank you so much for your hospitality these days. All of us journalists are impressed with the amazing warm hospitality that Mediterraneo offers us. Pietro, could you tell us a little bit more about the history of your hotel? This building is very historic, and you are the great-grandson of Achille Lauro, one of the most famous ship owners of Sorrento.
Yes, the history of the Hotel Mediterraneo is very long. It started in 1912, the year the building was created. It was my great-grandmother’s house. Her name was Nonna Eta.
Nonna Eta, which means Antonietta, right?
Yes, nonna Antonietta in Napolitan sounds Etta. After the Second World War, she started hosting the refugees from the part of Italy that was bombed and condemned by the fascists, the Germans and the Americans. There was a civil war, and the refugees came to the South of Italy, so she used to host those refugees. Then, when the war was over, these people were very happy to return home, but they were also sad to leave such a beautiful place and this wonderful lady who hosted them so kindly. Some of these ex-refugees started to come back to Sorrento and rent a part of the house, so my great-grandfather had the idea to start a business in tourism. After some years, they turned the house into a hotel, and then, generation after generation, the business grew.
I think now it is amazing that the hotel and its structure have absolutely all the facilities that any normal tourist would need. Of course, Sorrento is one of the most famous places in Italy for tourism.
It is, it is. Sorrento has a great history in hospitality since the times of the Grand Tour. It was already famous, and all the young people of the aristocracy of Europe and the United States came to complete their education there. So, we are used to seeing and hosting people from all over the world.
Who are usually your best clients, Americans or British? What is the nationality that is mostly present in your hotel?
In Sorrento, we usually have Americans and British, then Canadians, Italians, and all the rest of Europe. In Mediterraneo, we mostly have 50% of clients from the United States and 20 – 25% from the UK.
I know that the terrace upstairs on the rooftop is a famous location for the nightlife in Sorrento, so you have over many famous DJs playing almost every night upstairs, which attracts a big crowd.
Yes, our Vista Sky Bar rooftop opened 9 years ago and became a real hot spot in the area; it is open to everybody, not only people staying at the Hotel Mediterraneo but with some rules. We tried to run a 5-star luxury hotel that is more inclusive than exclusive, so we decided to open the rooftop to the public and encourage the people to meet each other and the local people. This way, they can make friends with the visitors. On the terrace, we have live entertainment and a DJ set, and we have some nice performers like Barbara Tucker and famous DJs like Jose Maria, the founder of Caffe del Mar. So we became a real it spot for the entertainment in Sorrento.
That’s very important. What do you think; what is the secret of the Italian excellence in the world, why is Italy so loved by the foreign tourists?
I think hospitality is an important part, especially in Sorrento; as I mentioned, we have been doing this for many years. And the spirit of authentic hospitality led my great-grandmother to open her house to people worldwide. Everybody in Sorrento is happy to welcome people from all over the world, and when you are here, you feel at home. We are in Mediterraneo, and although we are now a big company with more than 80 employees, we are trying to stay a big family. And I think in Italy, most of the hotels are family-owned, and to me, that is one of the reasons why Italian hospitality is so appreciated worldwide.
That is lovely. What are your projects for the future? How are you developing the hotel?
Do you want to know all the secrets?
Yes, I want to know all the secrets!
We have been a 5-star hotel only since 2021, so it is a long road we are building step by step. We are expanding and working on DMC to provide tourists with different experiences, and you tried some during your press tour.
Absolutely wonderful! I was very impressed by it!
Also, because we are so much in love with our land, we try to help everybody discover our land’s beauty together. That concerns architecture, food, culture, things to do and places to see. Something very interesting in the hotel will happen soon, but we will keep it a secret for now.
Pietro, thank you so much for your hospitality! And good luck with your amazing work in hospitality.
From hotel Mediterraneo with… Pietro Monti.
Enjoy even more @ Hotel Mediterraneo Sorrento
Article edited by Ekaterina Shevlyakova
By mb@admin
