Kiwi Curated
All in the Family
by Monika MarkovinovicA five-star property is perhaps one of the greatest family heirlooms to receive. Handed down from one generation to the next, a legacy of hospitality is embedded into the framework of these leading family-owned hotels.
All in the Family
Overlooking the picturesque bay of Positano, Le Sirenuse opened in 1951 when four Neapolitan siblings, Aldo, Paolo, Anna and Franco Sersale, turned their summer house into a charming hotel. The opulent seaside escape still retains the intimate, cultured atmosphere of a private home, and remains deeply connected to the family today. Franco’s son looks after the day-to-day running of the iconic oxblood-red villa, while one of Paolo’s daughters created Le Surenuse’s fragrance and skincare line Eau d’Italie, and the other curates the property’s much-loved outdoor planting schemes and indoor greenery.
VIEW HOTELAll in the Family
At the rehearsal dinner of their destination wedding in Sorrento, Italy, Loisse and Fernando were gifted Elsie Herger’s 30-year-old business: a beautiful beachfront guest house in San Juan, Puerto Rico. From this point, the husband and wife emerged as hoteliers. After adventures in Morocco, Spain, Italy and France, Olive Boutique Hotel was born. Located right by Laguna del Condado, the adults-only property shows off the private collection of photographs taken during the owners’ world travels.
VIEW HOTELAll in the Family
It’s difficult to find a building in Venice without a story to tell, and the building that houses Hotel Metropole Venice has a particularly fascinating tale. The site once played host to music lessons from Vivaldi and was Sigmund Freud’s hotel of choice during a 19th-century visit to Venice. The outbreak of World War II saw the site converted into a military hospital, before a local family purchased it, creating an authentically Venetian hotel in 1968. Under the care of the Beggiato family, Hotel Metropole Venice has crafted a unique hotel experience overlooking Bacino di San Marco. Within, the family’s own collection of artworks and antiques are placed across 67 guest rooms and common spaces.
VIEW HOTELAll in the Family
Comprised of 14 hotels in 12 beautiful destinations, Rocco Forte Hotels is the Forte family. At its head are Sir Rocco Forte, his sister Olga Polizzi, and his children Lydia, Irene and Charles. The family’s story in hospitality began in 1911, the year Sir Rocco Forte’s grandfather made the journey from Monforte, a hamlet in the South of Italy, to just outside Fife in Scotland. Not long after, he founded a café called The Savoy, the first Forte hospitality business. Sir Rocco Forte’s first hotel was The Balmoral in Edinburgh, the historic property where much of his family’s story began. Today, Lydia Forte serves as food and beverage director, Irene Forte works as the group’s project director and Charles, although not yet 30, is working his way up to become Rocco Forte Hotels’ development analyst.
VIEW HOTELAll in the Family
In every room at Villa Spalletti Trivelli, a menagerie of Spalletti Trivelli family treasures can be found. Gabriella Rasponi, widow of Count Venceslao Spalletti Trivelli, Senator of the Kingdom of Italy and niece of Gioacchino Murat and Carolina Bonaparte (Napoleon’s sister), purchased the land across from the gardens of the Quirinal Palace, where the house of Tito Pomponio Attico, an editor and friend of Cicero, once stood. Thanks to her vision, Villa Spalletti Trivelli became an important political and cultural meeting place. In the early 1930s, Cesare Spalletti Trivelli inherited the historic residence in downtown Rome from his mother. He would then leave the villa to his son, Piero, a poet. In 2004, Giangiacomo Spalletti Trivelli, son of Count Piero decided to convert the family’s historic home base into an exclusive residence.
VIEW HOTELAll in the Family
In 1999, on a summer holiday with her family, Natalia Chantzis and her father, Themis, discovered a hidden gem in the Mediterranean. A friend invited the family to discover Komitsa Bay, an isolated beach with majestic natural beauty. They decided to buy a small plot to build their family’s summer house. Some years later, they built 100 villas and called it Ktima Chantzi. The relationship between hospitality and the Chantzis family started many years earlier when Natalia’s great, great, great grandfather was given his surname. “Chantzis” meaning hotelier in Greek. In 2015, as an expansion of Ktima Chantzi, Avaton Luxury Hotel & Villas was created, a place where travelers from all over the world could come to discover the same magic of Komitsa Bay the Chantzis discovered all those years ago. Today, Natalia manages the resort and welcomes guests into her home.
VIEW HOTELAll in the Family
In 2002, when Otto Syrowatka came across a portion of land overlooking the Valley of the Kings, he knew he’d found a piece of paradise too good to pass. On only his second trip to the island of Bali, with no background in hospitality, he snapped up the plot and built 11 villas, soon followed by a further 14. To this day, Viceroy Bali Hotel remains a family business, and the younger Syrowatkas, including general manager Anthony Syrowatka, have inherited their father’s skill and desire to shape a world-class tropical hideaway.
VIEW HOTELAll in the Family
Opened in 1918, Majestic Hotel and Spa is a true symbol of Barcelona that has become a benchmark of timeless elegance. With a century of history behind it, the Majestic, owned by the Soldevila-Casals family since three generations ago, has witnessed numerous political, cultural and historical events throughout its lifetime. Deeply connected to the neoclassical icon located in the heart of Barcelona’s liveliest district, the owners had lived in the hotel for many years, right on the first floor of the property.
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All in the Family
Husband and wife team Jonathan Plutzik and Lesley Goldwasser are the owners of Miami’s elegant beachside haven, The Betsy, located on iconic Ocean Drive. The pair have created numerous on-property cultural and community programs, including the Betsy Writers’ Room program which welcomes more than 800 artists in residence, alongside their son Zachary who operates The Betsy, and sister Deborah Briggs, VP of Arts Programming. All are assisted by the property’s two golden retrievers and Canine Executive Officers, Betsy and Rosa.
VIEW HOTELAll in the Family
In 2013, Barb Phillips discovered a nearby ranch that was neglecting their animals. Each day, Barb would take food and water down to the ranch and try to feed and care for the animals over the fence to ensure that they got some much-needed love. She developed a profound connection with one horse in particular, whom she visited every day– her name was Gracie. So began the Saving Gracie Equine Healing Foundation, a horse-rescue sanctuary at The Lodge at Blue Sky, owned by Philips and her husband, real estate developer Mike Philips. The Lodge at Blue Sky is the only luxury guest ranch in North American that employs their own full-time, on-site vet to ensure that their special animals get the care they deserve. When an animal comes to Saving Gracie, they are soon to find their very own forever family.
VIEW HOTELOverlooking the picturesque bay of Positano, Le Sirenuse opened in 1951 when four Neapolitan siblings, Aldo, Paolo, Anna and Franco Sersale, turned their summer house into a charming hotel. The opulent seaside escape still retains the intimate, cultured atmosphere of a private home, and remains deeply connected to the family today. Franco’s son looks after the day-to-day running of the iconic oxblood-red villa, while one of Paolo’s daughters created Le Surenuse’s fragrance and skincare line Eau d’Italie, and the other curates the property’s much-loved outdoor planting schemes and indoor greenery.
VIEW HOTELAt the rehearsal dinner of their destination wedding in Sorrento, Italy, Loisse and Fernando were gifted Elsie Herger’s 30-year-old business: a beautiful beachfront guest house in San Juan, Puerto Rico. From this point, the husband and wife emerged as hoteliers. After adventures in Morocco, Spain, Italy and France, Olive Boutique Hotel was born. Located right by Laguna del Condado, the adults-only property shows off the private collection of photographs taken during the owners’ world travels.
VIEW HOTELIt’s difficult to find a building in Venice without a story to tell, and the building that houses Hotel Metropole Venice has a particularly fascinating tale. The site once played host to music lessons from Vivaldi and was Sigmund Freud’s hotel of choice during a 19th-century visit to Venice. The outbreak of World War II saw the site converted into a military hospital, before a local family purchased it, creating an authentically Venetian hotel in 1968. Under the care of the Beggiato family, Hotel Metropole Venice has crafted a unique hotel experience overlooking Bacino di San Marco. Within, the family’s own collection of artworks and antiques are placed across 67 guest rooms and common spaces.
VIEW HOTELComprised of 14 hotels in 12 beautiful destinations, Rocco Forte Hotels is the Forte family. At its head are Sir Rocco Forte, his sister Olga Polizzi, and his children Lydia, Irene and Charles. The family’s story in hospitality began in 1911, the year Sir Rocco Forte’s grandfather made the journey from Monforte, a hamlet in the South of Italy, to just outside Fife in Scotland. Not long after, he founded a café called The Savoy, the first Forte hospitality business. Sir Rocco Forte’s first hotel was The Balmoral in Edinburgh, the historic property where much of his family’s story began. Today, Lydia Forte serves as food and beverage director, Irene Forte works as the group’s project director and Charles, although not yet 30, is working his way up to become Rocco Forte Hotels’ development analyst.
VIEW HOTELIn every room at Villa Spalletti Trivelli, a menagerie of Spalletti Trivelli family treasures can be found. Gabriella Rasponi, widow of Count Venceslao Spalletti Trivelli, Senator of the Kingdom of Italy and niece of Gioacchino Murat and Carolina Bonaparte (Napoleon’s sister), purchased the land across from the gardens of the Quirinal Palace, where the house of Tito Pomponio Attico, an editor and friend of Cicero, once stood. Thanks to her vision, Villa Spalletti Trivelli became an important political and cultural meeting place. In the early 1930s, Cesare Spalletti Trivelli inherited the historic residence in downtown Rome from his mother. He would then leave the villa to his son, Piero, a poet. In 2004, Giangiacomo Spalletti Trivelli, son of Count Piero decided to convert the family’s historic home base into an exclusive residence.
VIEW HOTELIn 1999, on a summer holiday with her family, Natalia Chantzis and her father, Themis, discovered a hidden gem in the Mediterranean. A friend invited the family to discover Komitsa Bay, an isolated beach with majestic natural beauty. They decided to buy a small plot to build their family’s summer house. Some years later, they built 100 villas and called it Ktima Chantzi. The relationship between hospitality and the Chantzis family started many years earlier when Natalia’s great, great, great grandfather was given his surname. “Chantzis” meaning hotelier in Greek. In 2015, as an expansion of Ktima Chantzi, Avaton Luxury Hotel & Villas was created, a place where travelers from all over the world could come to discover the same magic of Komitsa Bay the Chantzis discovered all those years ago. Today, Natalia manages the resort and welcomes guests into her home.
VIEW HOTELIn 2002, when Otto Syrowatka came across a portion of land overlooking the Valley of the Kings, he knew he’d found a piece of paradise too good to pass. On only his second trip to the island of Bali, with no background in hospitality, he snapped up the plot and built 11 villas, soon followed by a further 14. To this day, Viceroy Bali Hotel remains a family business, and the younger Syrowatkas, including general manager Anthony Syrowatka, have inherited their father’s skill and desire to shape a world-class tropical hideaway.
VIEW HOTELOpened in 1918, Majestic Hotel and Spa is a true symbol of Barcelona that has become a benchmark of timeless elegance. With a century of history behind it, the Majestic, owned by the Soldevila-Casals family since three generations ago, has witnessed numerous political, cultural and historical events throughout its lifetime. Deeply connected to the neoclassical icon located in the heart of Barcelona’s liveliest district, the owners had lived in the hotel for many years, right on the first floor of the property.
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Husband and wife team Jonathan Plutzik and Lesley Goldwasser are the owners of Miami’s elegant beachside haven, The Betsy, located on iconic Ocean Drive. The pair have created numerous on-property cultural and community programs, including the Betsy Writers’ Room program which welcomes more than 800 artists in residence, alongside their son Zachary who operates The Betsy, and sister Deborah Briggs, VP of Arts Programming. All are assisted by the property’s two golden retrievers and Canine Executive Officers, Betsy and Rosa.
VIEW HOTELIn 2013, Barb Phillips discovered a nearby ranch that was neglecting their animals. Each day, Barb would take food and water down to the ranch and try to feed and care for the animals over the fence to ensure that they got some much-needed love. She developed a profound connection with one horse in particular, whom she visited every day– her name was Gracie. So began the Saving Gracie Equine Healing Foundation, a horse-rescue sanctuary at The Lodge at Blue Sky, owned by Philips and her husband, real estate developer Mike Philips. The Lodge at Blue Sky is the only luxury guest ranch in North American that employs their own full-time, on-site vet to ensure that their special animals get the care they deserve. When an animal comes to Saving Gracie, they are soon to find their very own forever family.
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