of San Domenico Hotels
Hotelier Aldo Melpignano is taking the traditional values of his family-run hotels in Puglia, the heel of the boot on a map of southern Italy, and branching out to run a portfolio of venues that embody his philosophy and remain true to the local area. With four successful hotels in London and Italy, a golf resort and a restaurant, I caught up with Aldo at the San Domenico Hotel in Chelsea to discover what’s next.
Walking into the San Domenico Hotel, London, is like being on holiday and going back in time simultaneously. The beautiful building dates back to 1877, and was originally built as a private residence. Bought by Aldo’s family in 2005, it’s decorated with a mix of portraits, rich fabrics and Victorian antiques.
The unique, friendly and homely feel is something Aldo takes great care to cultivate, as he wants to share the atmosphere of a family-run hotel in the southern Italian countryside.
“The keyword for today’s discerning hospitality is ‘indigenous’,’’ he says. “Identical-looking hotels all over the world belong to the past. People want to understand and fully experience the places they visit, and authenticity is crucial.”
After growing up in Puglia, Aldo lived in Rome, London and the US, eventually training in investment banking. “It wasn’t my cup of tea – I knew that at the start,” he says. “But I learnt a lot, for instance there is a lot of attention to detail and you learn to work hard. I’m happy I did it and I am also very happy I got out of it.”
Luxury has changed since the recession, it’s
not necessarily ostentatious and grand, but can be simpler, with great surroundings and relaxation. We’ve been championing this all along
An MBA quickly followed and then Aldo moved to New York and began to work with Ian Schrager at Morgan’s Hotel Group, which owns venues such as The Sanderson and the St Martin’s Lane Hotel, and which is often credited with creating the boutique hotel category. Schrager’s ideas fitted well with Aldo’s existing views that hotels should feel local and personal, and he eventually became Business Development Director in charge of the company’s international growth.
Aldo returned to Puglia in 2007 to run the family-owned Borgo Egnazia. They were looking to sell, but he persuaded them to keep the property, and with Aldo’s influence it’s now a five-star complex worth three times what it was on the market for, and is part of Leading Hotels of the World. Aldo looks to replicate this family-run feel in all his businesses as he expands.
“I keep saying ‘we’ because it really is like a family,” he says. “Well, it is a real family business, but the people that work with us are part of it too.”
In terms of building on the family’s hotel empire, Aldo’s vision is clear. “Borgo Egnazia is the model on which our new openings will be based. I want to create a series of hotels that encapsulate our ‘Nowhere Else’ philosophy – ie that this s the only place where guests can really experience the unique local culture and people in a way that they can’t elsewhere. Guests need to feel at home whatever their native land, and be immersed in the local experience. We are implementing this idea in Florence, Rome and in the Italian Alps, and subsequently taking it worldwide.”
“There have been big changes in the hospitality industry in the last ten years; everyone is into sustainability. Luxury has changed since the recession, it’s not necessarily ostentatious and grand, but can be simpler, with great surroundings and relaxation. We have been championing this all along.”
In London, as well as the San Domenico Hotel, Aldo has opened a restaurant, Li Veli, which he intends to build into a chain. It serves traditional Puglian cuisine and guests can purchase wine from the region as well as from other parts of Italy.
He says, “Li Veli is a great model to roll out as it’s flexible and can be adapted. The Covent Garden venue is a cross between a restaurant and a shop. We’re looking at Notting Hill, Chelsea and the West End and we’ll adapt the concept to fit each area; possibly slightly more of a restaurant or slightly more of a shop. What’s important is taking the opportunity to promote Puglian wine and culture as much as possible.” Li Veli’s staff are also largely from Puglia, another part of the extended family of employees who are so important in promoting the area.
As well as his hotel and restaurant businesses, Aldo is on the board of AltaGamma, an organisation promoting Italian excellence across fashion, food and hospitality. He also works on projects to restore abandoned villages in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. Begun by Swedish-Italian Daniele Kihlgren, ‘Saving Santo Stefano di Sessanio’ projects aim to restore villages, maintaining original features and preserving a piece of authentic Italy. They carried out extensive research via the National Museum of Abruzzo and elderly residents of the area to find out how people used to live and the materials they used.
In Santo Stefano di Sessanio, the first village to be restored, the result is a hotel complex that is scattered through the village in various houses where guests staying there feel assimilated and part of the community. The idea echoes Aldo’s values of preserving Italian culture and providing guests with a genuine experience.
Looking at Aldo’s ventures in Italy and London, he is certainly bringing authentic southern Italian culture to the world.
About the author
Ben V Butler writes for eHotelier’s sister print title EP Business in Hospitality.
