Mauro Santinato is the Founder and CEO of Teamwork Hospitality. He is one of the leading experts in the hotel industry in Italy. His work includes high-level consulting, events, and publications.
He is also involved in research, training, and international travels. Through meetings with top figures in global hôtellerie, he has become a key voice in the field. This interview is rich in valuable insights.
Mr. Santinato, tell us your story.
It all started at a young age, working as a seasonal waiter in Rimini. That summer job changed my life because after high school, I moved from Ferrara to Rimini — which became my city — to attend the School of Tourism Studies. Later, I had the opportunity to take a specialization course in hotel marketing and immediately started working in a consulting firm with which I collaborated for many years.
Basically, I’ve only had two jobs: one that I consider more serious — being a waiter — and the other one, consulting, which I see as less serious because it’s a true pleasure for me.
It was March 1, 1985, when I first joined that company — the only one in Italy providing consulting and marketing services for hotel businesses.
Along the way, I gained a lot of experience, meeting hundreds of hoteliers and key figures in the world of hôtellerie. It became my job, but the more time passed, the less I thought of it as work — because I was doing what I truly loved.
In 1997, I had the chance to start my own business, and that’s how Teamwork was born. Today, it’s a company recognized both nationally and internationally.
What’s your area of expertise?
We provide consulting services for companies in the hospitality sector, including hotels and hotel groups. Over the past ten years, we’ve also specialized in organizing events, some of which have gained global recognition.
For example, Hospitality Day is the most important formative event in Italy, bringing together over 5,000 hoteliers and featuring more than 200 speeches and seminars covering all aspects of hotel operations.
Another prestigious event is the Luxury Hospitality Conference, held in Milan and now in its sixth edition. This event focuses on the luxury hotel sector in Italy, with international speakers, including CEOs of major luxury hotel chains.
We also organize ITHIC – Italian Hospitality Investment Conference, a key event in Rome where real estate and finance experts discuss investment opportunities in one of the world’s top tourism markets.
So, many industry experts come to our country thanks to your efforts. Do you, in turn, travel the world?
Yes, a lot. To stay updated, I travel and visit hundreds of hotels, including some of the most iconic worldwide, such as the Raffles in Singapore, the Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong, the Ritz in Paris, and the Savoy in London. I also visit the most innovative hotels and those from hotel chains. I always tell hoteliers: the best way to stay current is to travel, travel with an open mind.
Another activity that helps me stay up to date is attending trade fairs, which always provide new stimuli and inspiration.
I’ve also met many key figures who have made history in hôtellerie, such as Ian Schrager, the creator of boutique hotels, and the CEOs of major chains like Sébastien Bazin from Accor, Maud Bailly from Sofitel, and many others.
So, many stimulating experiences…
Yes, countless experiences that have shaped who I am today, and through which I believe I’ve contributed to spreading a certain managerial culture in our field. I was one of the first in Italy to bring innovation to the online distribution sector and to tackle topics like revenue management.
In addition to Teamwork, I also founded another company, Hotel Performance, which specializes in consulting in this area. With this company, I organize an event called the Global Revenue Forum, held simultaneously in Milan, Stockholm, and London.
I also engage in a lot of research and training, which is, in itself, a method of learning. While doing training, you also learn something new. All these meetings with hoteliers over the past forty years have been a constant exchange of perspectives, allowing me to always understand the issues from the inside.
We publish a magazine and manuals to spread knowledge, and we also take hoteliers on tours across European cities to visit interesting properties.
What do you say to young people who want to pursue this career?
What I’ve learned most over the years is that our sector, like society as a whole, changes and has accelerated due to technology. But what has never changed is the essence of hospitality. The tools, environments, design, and equipment change, but the principles of hospitality will never change: empathy, availability, and a smile were and are fundamental. You can’t do this job if you don’t love people.
So, what I tell young people is: “If you want to succeed in this field, never forget that your job is to serve guests. That doesn’t mean servitude; it means being at their service.”
An essential aspect is knowing how to nurture relationships, both professional and personal, with guests and colleagues. This is what I call serve-leadership, which means putting yourself at the service of others and being welcoming to everyone: customers, employees, and everyone you interact with.
I also tell young people that I would change the name of the industry from hospitality to happytality, the industry of happiness. A hotel is a place where people want to go, love to go, and go to feel good. And the people who work there should be happy to do so, which is why true vocation is essential.
What are the current trends in the industry?
Today, many clients need a place to work and the tools to do so because they want to combine work and vacation, or work and pleasure. Detox vacations, focused on well-being and longevity, are on the rise, and there is growing interest in unique experiences.
Another trend that will have a significant impact is sustainability, as more and more clients are considering it when making decisions. Then there’s the technological aspect: customers expect to find connections, devices, and are accustomed to using tools like artificial intelligence and voice control.
But, as I said before, none of this replaces a smile: a hi-tech hotel is fine, but it must still have a human touch.
Among our various activities, we recently renovated a hotel in Rimini. It’s called DEMO, Design Emotion Hotel, with 9 suites designed by 14 architects. It’s an innovative hotel concept, featuring self-check-in and other technological solutions. We are now completing a second hotel that focuses specifically on sustainability. For this project, 12 of Italy’s top hotel architecture firms are working, and we even recycled the name, changing it from DEMO to MODE.
What do you think of Cinquerosso Arte, and in general, of art in hospitality?
It’s a growing trend, although still not enough. There are Art hotels, which are designed around this principle, but art can be present at various levels, even in decorative elements.
Unfortunately, we’re still behind because often the choice of artwork is left until the end, when the budget is already stretched, and its importance is not always recognized.
As for me, in the hotel we’re preparing, MODE, the architects decided to place a piece of art instead of a TV. One day, I’d love to create a hotel involving street artists. For me, art is very important. Why? Because it improves life. We all appreciate beauty, which is a fundamental component of happiness, the happytality I mentioned earlier.
Read the article on the latest artistic project for U Visionary in Venice!