Humanity, sharing and commitment: the reopening of the first Italian homes is also an opportunity to rethink the hospitality model
Words are important. And precisely on some of them we will put the accent. The first that hit our chat with Danilo Guerrini, president of Relais & Châteaux Italia, was family. It all began in France in 1954, where some artists and owners of a hotel-restaurant between Paris and the French Riviera, a place similar to what is “the French dolce vita” for us, perceive that in this path of luxury you could create something even more pleasant. Wellness, it is the second of the words. This is what entrepreneurs in the post-war period decided to offer their customers. To still play with the lexicon, Guerrini insists on the concept of “organized pampering”. And even if it was only the beginning, the current Relais & Châteaux Association was taking shape in those years. With 580 homes in over 60 countries around the world, “Each of them has the freedom to express their splendid individuality. We are not a chain, “says Guerrini.
To underline this common denominator between gourmet restaurants, luxury hotels, resorts and villas, the Relais & Châteaux Manifesto, presented to UNESCO with 20 key points in which it is clear above all the desire to commit to “A better world through cooking and hospitality. ” A message of hope that could not have been more relevant today, when Relais & Châteaux is trying to apply “A new approach to food, more aware and respectful of men and nature”, citing the testimony of the French chef Olivier Roellinger , vice president of the Association
You will be able to smile again, thanks to words but above all to actions. In this time where the security measures applied are decidedly restrictive, whose symbolic image has become all over the mask, the associates have decided to learn to “Smile with your eyes. Nothing should prevent guests from having the same feeling of pleasure they experienced before the pandemic. ” Until the end of 2020, the forecasts of moving tourists from one country to another will be falling sharply, and this will largely be due to the limitations provided but also to the more general climate of fear. Precisely on this point Guerrini adds: “We will have to wait for Europe to establish certain rules. The attention in this case of Relais & Châteaux Italia will be directed towards the internal market. Every single country, therefore also Italy, will see its countrymen more welcomed. While the international market will be almost zeroed for this year. “
In anticipation of the new season, the reopening calendar has already been made official and more than half of the residences are preparing to welcome the first guests by the end of June. To inaugurate this journey to discover the flavors and treasures of Italy in primis Da Vittorio (3 Michelin stars in Brusaporto, BG), which was followed by the reopening of other excellent addresses of Italian catering, from Piedmont to Campania: Taverna Estia (2 Michelin stars in Brusciano, NA), Antica Corona Reale (2 Michelin stars in Cervere, CN), Il Pagliaccio (2 Michelin stars in Rome) and Quadri Restaurant (1 Michelin star in Venice), Villa Crespi (2 Michelin stars in Orta San Giulio, NO), Agli Amici dal 1887 (2 Michelin stars in Godia, UD), Le Calandre (3 Michelin stars in Rubano, PD), Arnolfo Restaurant (2 Michelin stars in Colle Val d’Elsa, SI), Dal Pescatore Santini (3 Michelin stars in Canneto sull’Oglio, MN).
