Hospitality Design - November 2014

Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 82

perspectives

5 questions for

athena mcalpine

Owner
Il Convento di Santa Maria di Costantinopoli

Photos by Henry Bourne (headshot) and Beatrice Amagat (hotel)

1

What were you and your husband, Lord Alistair
McAlpine (who passed away in January), looking to
create at Il Convento?

2

Did you have a hotel background?

3

What are guests looking for when they visit you?

4

How do you create those experiences?

5

Do you take your own vacations?

Alistair and I never had a business plan. We got engaged, and
he dropped into the conversation that he had this rundown
Franciscan monastery [in Puglia, Italy] that he didn't know
what to do with. Without even having seen it, I said, 'Well, why
don't you just turn it into a bed and breakfast and use it as a
backdrop for your [extensive art] collection?'
Alistair's background in hotels was literally from the day
he was born in the Dorchester Hotel, which was built by his
family, the McAlpine Construction Company. He joked that his
bottle was brought to him by room service. He spent a lot of his
life in hotels, and he loved them. I had no hotel background at
all, but I've always liked people to be happy and comfortable.
Some people want to have a sense of where they are, whether
it's through the food or the fact that a 500-year-old monastery
isn't going to have a power shower, flatscreen TV, or air
conditioning. Alistair used to say guests want a bit of fantasy.
We try to give an authentic experience with a touch of magic.
I wanted to create similar holidays that I had as a young girl in
Greece-a barefoot luxury. The Convento does have its physical
limitations, so we can't offer certain modern conveniences.
That's why we concentrate on really good food and the linens
and towels. It's more about the service-the way you make
people feel-that leaves a lasting impression. People work
very hard 50 weeks out of the year for a two-week holiday; it's
important that you make them feel special during that time.
India was a recent big trip for us. But when you live in southern
Italy, even though I'm running an inn, it's actually a very
relaxing way to make a living. You're on your bicycle to go into
the village, you're walking the dog, you have a pool, you have
the sea. I've never been one of those people that felt the need to
check into a spa to decompress. Alistair was certainly not that
type at all. Our breaks tended to go at a gallop.

http://www.roomthreesixty.com http://www.roomthreesixty.com

Hospitality Design - November 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hospitality Design - November 2014

Contents
Online TOC
From the Editor
From the Show Director
From the Guest Editors
People: CitySCENE: Miami
Perspectives Opener
Sketchbook
Places: Sri Lanka
Inspiration: Geoffrey Bawa
Interview: George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg
Interview: Zita Cobb
Interview: Peter Harris
5 Questions For: Athena Mcalpine
Products Opener
Profile: Deborah Moss
Products: Bath
Products: Lighting
Products: Surfaces
Products: Avenue Road
Projects Opener
Waldorf Astoria Beijing
Alila Jabal Akhdar
Parc Hotel Billia
Rosewood London
Ad Index
Back Space: Julian Opie
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - Intro
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - Cover1
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - Cover2
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 1
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 2
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 3
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 4
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 5
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 6
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 7
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 8
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 9
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 10
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 11
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 12
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - Contents
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 14
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 15
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 16
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 17
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 18
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 19
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 20
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - Online TOC
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 22
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 23
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 24
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 25
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - From the Editor
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 27
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 28
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 29
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 30
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 31
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - From the Show Director
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 33
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 34
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 35
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 36
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 37
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - From the Guest Editors
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 39
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 40
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 41
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - People: CitySCENE: Miami
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 43
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 44
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 45
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 46
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 47
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 48
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - Perspectives Opener
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 50
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - Sketchbook
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 52
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - Places: Sri Lanka
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 54
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 55
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 56
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 57
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 58
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - Inspiration: Geoffrey Bawa
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 60
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 61
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 62
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - Interview: George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 64
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 65
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 66
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 67
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 68
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 69
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 70
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - Interview: Zita Cobb
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 72
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 73
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 74
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 75
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 76
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 77
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 78
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - Interview: Peter Harris
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 80
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 81
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 5 Questions For: Athena Mcalpine
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 83
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 84
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 85
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 86
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - Products Opener
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 88
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - Profile: Deborah Moss
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 90
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - Products: Bath
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 92
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 93
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 94
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 95
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 96
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - Products: Lighting
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 98
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 99
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 100
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - Products: Surfaces
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 102
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - Products: Avenue Road
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 104
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 105
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 106
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 107
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 108
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 109
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 110
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - Projects Opener
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - Waldorf Astoria Beijing
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 113
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 114
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 115
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 116
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 117
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - Alila Jabal Akhdar
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 119
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 120
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 121
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 122
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 123
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - Parc Hotel Billia
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 125
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 126
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 127
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - Rosewood London
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 129
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 130
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 131
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 132
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 133
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 134
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - Ad Index
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - Back Space: Julian Opie
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - Cover3
Hospitality Design - November 2014 - Cover4
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