Mr. Stefanno Ruzza is the general manager of Conrad Maldives Rangali, he has had a very inspiring career with the Hilton brand that spans for almost two decades. He has a unique view and insight into the industry with his travels and has a distinctive flair in bringing the Conrad philosophies of Smart Luxury to Rangali Island.

1.      1. Could you give us a brief intro into how you got into this field and your early days?

My name is Stefano Ruzza. I have been with the company for almost 19 years now and before joining Rangali, I was in Thailand with the hotel for almost four years. I have been all over the Asian continent, to countries such as South Korea, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. I graduated from the Swiss Hotel Management School in Luzern, Switzerland, and moved to Malaysia after joining Hilton as my first job. And basically I am very happy with a company that takes such good care of its employees.

22. 2. Tell us a bit about Conrad Maldives Rangali. 

Conrad Rangali is a very special place in the Maldives. I believe the twin island setup with a connecting bridge is very unique. It is like you have one special island that is designed for family guests and one for the honeymooners seeking a bit more privacy.

One of the key features of Rangali is the delightful cuisines. Our guests can literally stay 10 nights and enjoy the different taste of cuisines from different cultures. This is certainly rewarding and a key motive to choose Rangali.

3.      3. Why is the Conrad philosophy so popular?

I think its popular because its a luxury brand that understands that traveling isnt just about the destination, its about the journey. The Conrad guest is a global and inspired tribe defined by the smart luxury mindset and lifestyle. They are curious, passionate, and well-traveled, as their love for going beyond the ordinary always leads them to unique experiences.  . Guests are also very well connected through smart phone and other technological methods, as an example our Conrad Concierge app allows guests to pre-book spa treatment before they even arrive to the resort or have flowers as a welcome gift.

 Conrad is an incredible brand. All our hotels and resorts are located in metropolitan cities set against inspired environments including Maldives, Tokyo, Seoul, Bora Bora and New York, London and our latest addition Osaka. We aim to give our guests the most inspired stay possible, locating them in the most inspirational location in each of our destinations and giving them access to local, cultural experiences.

4. As Conrad is one of the best brands in the world, how do you manage the challenging task of maintaining the standards here in Maldives? 

It is certainly a very interesting task. I believe the key skill is being flexible and listening to team members as well the guests to find the perfect balance and to execute a smooth transition. I am one of those people who strictly believe that happy team members make happy guests.

I once received an email from a guest who wrote two A4 pages about how happy he was with the experience he had here and how special he felt. He also mentioned 10 team members by name and applauded us on our hospitality, and that is a guest who took time from his holiday to write such a long letter.

5.5. 5. What are the differences that you can see between Conrad and other resorts?

It is a bit difficult to say. I think the main difference is our philosophy. We are a bit more open, we let guests connect with each other in order to let them have more fun and enjoy more activities together. Because that is what we do we intuitively connect people with each other through this unique philosophy of smart technology.

6. What do you think of the changing traveler trends throughout the world, such as millennial travelers?

Millennials are a group of customers that are growing. They have a level of entrepreneurship with creative new ideas and they love to travel to new destinations and be pampered. It is something that we need to be ready and prepared for.

I believe that Conrad with our smart luxury philosophy is very appealing to this travel segment and we can connect with them very well. But some resorts are a bit distant to that whereas Conrad offers that spectrum very well.

7.7. 7. What do you think of being an eco-friendly resort? What are some of the steps taken here in Conrad Maldives Rangali, for this?

It is a very important tool. We are committed to driving sustainable actions and fostering a culture that inspires our team members to be accountable for steering community social responsibility that enriches the lives of surrounding communities. As an example one of our key focuses is trying to reduce the amount of plastic usage throughout the entire resort. Hilton in general is also working towards this for instance they just introduced a way to replace the plastic key cards for the doors with a QR code on your phone that you can use to open your door. We like to call these values and beliefs as Traveling with a purpose.

8.       8. What do you think of the Maldives?

In simple terms, it is number one. I really love the people. The people here are amazing. We have a lot of loyal guests who come here repeatedly from 10 to 15 times. And I believe that the warmth and honest feelings of the team members are the reasons for this.

Maldivians have unique skills in hospitality. And of course, the amazing marine life, beaches with the sea complimenting them all, the Maldives truly is an amazing place. There are a lot of great hotels with different concepts. The Maldives is very popular and will continue to be.

 9. How do you try to inspire and mentor your team here? How do you feel about your team?

Leading as an example is one of the ways I try to inspire, mentor and motivate them. I try to meet guests on arrival and also show them around. This way we can show that we in Conrad Rangali are together in what we do, and I think that inspires them.

I believe that we have a very passionate, strong and dedicated team and that is the main reason why the operation runs so smoothly. My team has a lot of different ideas and is really connected with a bond that is very much like a family.

10. Do you have any future developments or plans that you can share?

We are trying to move in the direction of being even more eco-friendly. We dont have a specific timeline but we are trying to bring new products and technologies to Rangali as soon as possible.

11. Can you give us some ideas from your perspective on how to improve the industry even further?

I got involved in Maldivian parties in international tourism fairs while I was abroad. So I can only say something from an outside perspective since Im still very new here. However, I believe that they did a very good job in positioning Maldives as a luxury destination. Right now, even the name Maldives personifies the ultimate in luxury travel. I can only say, Maldives is a luxury paradise of its own and it will remain to be for many years to come.

12. What would be the highlights of your career?

The opportunity to experience many diverse cultures and the history between different countries in Asia has been an incredible opportunity because if you travel just 2-5 hours from here, you can experience a whole different culture and country. For instance, countries and places such as Hong Kong, Malaysia and India. Asia is a continent full of uniquely varied environments.

13. Do you have any words that you live by?

I read in a book once a very simply quote which goes like this ""traveling is the only thing you buy that makes you richer. This was incredibly inspiring to me.