The latest version of Capella Hotel Group is expanding across the Asia-Pacific region, with plans to grow into Europe and the Middle East, but President Cristiano Rinaldi said it's not simple growth that makes Capella special.
Rinaldi, who has been with the Singapore-based hotel company since 2020, said it's the attention to detail and focus on luxury that sets Capella apart.
Speaking on the Hotel News Now podcast, Rinaldi said the real goal is to "keep creating wonderful experiences for our guests."
"We always position ourself to a degree in a niche of experience travel, to be very honest," he said. "I think we've been really crafting the art of creating these experiences way before the pandemic. That's something Capella has always done rather successfully."
Capella Hotel Group was founded in the early 2000s by long-time Ritz-Carlton head Horst Schulze, but since Schulze's departure and the company's sale to Pontiac Land, it has embarked on a new era, moving to a headquarters in Singapore, focusing on growth in Asia and establishing two distinct brands: Capella Hotels & Resorts and Patina Hotels & Resorts.
Since then, the company garnered several awards for its properties and brands. As recently as September, Capella Syndey in Australia was named Hotel of the Year in the AHEAD Awards Asia, and Capella Bangkok and Capella Singapore both ranked in The World's 50 Best Hotels 2023.
"To me, those awards are a statement and a validation to what we do on a daily basis," Rinaldi said.
For all of HNN's conversation with Cristiano Rinaldi, listen to the podcast above, and subscribe to the Hotel News Now podcast on Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts.