Rooted in a leadership philosophy of service excellence and strategic growth, Giulio D’Alberto, General Manager at Zannier Phum Baitang, takes immense pride in his service-oriented leadership model, where every decision is centered on enhancing the hotel’s reputation and boosting profit margins through the creation of exceptional guest experiences. His career has been marked by leading international business expansions across China, Switzerland, the UK, India, and numerous other countries, consistently guiding new hotels from concept to highly successful launches in competitive markets. Working for Zannier Hotels since six years, Giulio D’Alberto perfectly illustrates the customer-centric philosophy of the group.
D’Alberto’s journey into hospitality wasn’t initially sparked by inspiration, but rather by his parents’ desire for a better life for him. His father, a mechanic, and his mother, a housewife, both worked under harsh conditions for low pay. In 1985, while working with Crest Hotels (now IHS) in the UK, he was inspired by a mentor who told him, “To be a great General Manager, you must be knowledgeable, not an expert, in every aspect of the hotel.” At the time, he was a Bar Manager, but through dedication and hard work, he became an F&B Manager by 1990.
Returning to Italy, D’Alberto resumed his studies while working in luxury hotels in Switzerland, eventually earning a doctorate in Economics. Transitioning from F&B to Finance, he became Director of Finance at the turn of the millennium, while also gaining expertise in Sales & Marketing, Housekeeping, IT, and Maintenance. His return to operations as a General Manager led him to MHM Hotels in Milan, followed by leadership roles at The Chedi in Andermatt, its sister company Atta Lu in China, and The Chedi Club in Ubud.
While in India, an interview with Zannier Hotels changed everything—it was love at first sight. The vision and passion of Arnaud Zannier, CEO, the beauty of Zannier Phum Baitang, and the warmth of the Cambodian people captivated him immediately.
Below are highlights of the interview:
How does Zannier Hotels differentiate itself in the competitive luxury hospitality market?
We believe that our forward-thinking approach to luxury hospitality is what sets us apart. We combine simplicity with luxury, prioritizing authenticity and independence. We offer a personal and immersive experience through our properties that are sustainably designed. Unlike the traditional luxury, we concentrate on a humble, refined hospitality. Each staff member’s personality, local heritage and stories enhance guest experience. We are inspired by the natural beauty of our properties, and local communities that ensure a cohesive and authentic concept. Briefly said, our unique combination of personal touch, authenticity, sustainability and considerate design sets us apart from competition.
What key trends are shaping the future of luxury travel, and how is Zannier Hotels adapting to meet evolving guest expectations?
Zannier Hotels is constantly trying to improve the guest experiences and touchpoints. For example, we are now refining our website and tweaking our freshly launched app. Like this, we offer our guests a more interactive way to explore new destinations, book their stays, and interact with Zannier Hotels. Investing in these digital enhancements, we continue to meet evolving expectations of our visitors. In parallel, we continue to enhance our list of offerings. Since the covid pandemic, we have noted a significant increase of solo travellers, and people aiming to travel with a purpose. Zannier Hotels are particularly appealing to those modern travellers, not only by the seclusion they offer, but also thanks to the authentic experiences we offer, such as learning how to plug or harvest rice paddies at Zannier Phum Baitang. The revamp of our approach to wellbeing is another example of how we try to shape the future of luxury hospitality, going way beyond spa treatments and considering wellness in all aspects of the guest experience. Our two Asian resorts are currently implementing the new approach, that will become a group standard as from the opening of Zannier Bendor in May 2026.
How do you balance maintaining the Zannier Hotels’ traditional luxury values while embracing modern advancements, such as technology and sustainability?
Balancing traditional luxury values with modern advancements is essential for us to stay relevant in the evolving hospitality industry. At Zannier Hotels, we honour traditions in all forms, by favouring the work of local artisans and proposing cultural experiences. This is particularly visible in the design of our hotels, for instance with the traditional conical hats known as nón là hat, that are hanged in Zannier Bãi San Hô’s reception or the large wooden carved bowls used at Zannier Omaanda’s restaurant as decorative elements. At Zannier Phum Baitang in Cambodia, there are four water buffaloes that plough the rice paddies and keep the lawn areas neat, reminding the Khmer traditional farming habits.
Embracing technology is essential and of course we provide Wi-Fi or state of the art equipment such as Bose sound systems or connected TVs. Nonetheless, we are careful of prioritizing personal interactions and the global experience. For instance, we deliberately decided not to automatize everything. We continue to do face to face check-ins, we provide physical keys and not cards, we book activities through the concierge team… as we believe those small moments are worth to be remembered and cherished.
Sustainability is very important for us at Zannier Hotels. We have received the Green Globe certification in four of our hotels, with the goal of having them all certified by newt year. Receiving this certificate has helped us advance our sustainability path. Last year, we achieved the highest score ever recorded in Asia at Zannier Phum Baitang with 91%. In all out hotels, we focus on the use of raw materials, try to eliminate single- used plastic and look for more energy efficiency. When possible, we develop alternative strategies such as solar panels (973 panels at Zannier Sonop, 650 at Zannier Bãi San Hô, representing respectively 100% and 50% of our needs) and water conservation systems (such as on-site water treatment systems and water bottling plants in almost all our properties). Besides, we also support local communities by sourcing locally produced goods and offering immersive experiences that reflect the local culture and heritage. By integrating these experiences, Zannier Hotels upholds its traditional luxury values. To only give you some examples, amongst the experiences we offer to our guests, the most popular are Khmer cuisine cooking classes, fishing excursions with local fishermen on a nutshell boat in Vietnam, and morning conservation tours with our knowledgeable guides in the Zannier Reserve in Namibia.
How do you foster a culture of excellence and innovation among your staff?
It is essential for us to maintain high standards to encourage excellence and innovation. This can come in the form of awards accolades. We are lucky enough to have our hotels nominated by renowned institutions on a regular basis, such as AHEAD awards or The World Travel Awards that we got for several properties. We also encourage our staff to take trainings to enhance their skills and knowledge. We prefer open communication and collaboration amongst our staff members. They must always feel comfortable to communicate. Fostering a diverse and inclusive environment where different perspectives are valued is something we pay attention to. We set clear goals and expectations for our employees that align with our vision.
What steps do you take to ensure employee engagement and career growth within the organization?
To ensure employee engagement and career growth, we make sure that every employee shares the same values, aligning with our brand DNA. We do regular internal outings to form a sense of group cohesion and job identity. This way, employees can feel like they are truly a part of our group. Employee satisfaction is important to us, so is the happiness of our staff. The fact that more than 80% of the team remains the same than at the opening ten years ago at Zannier Phum Baitang is the perfect illustration of this. We promote an inclusive work culture where our employees feel valued and respected.
What are some of the most significant challenges you face in managing a luxury hospitality brand, and how do you address them?
Ensuring that our service remains to the highest qualify is probably the most challenging aspect of our daily lives. Zannier Hotels is known for its flowless service, warm atmosphere and authentic design. To make sure this balance is respected, there is one person working at the headquarters who oversees quality assurance. Her role is to challenge our current standards, assist the Director of Operations with SOP revision, guide hotel directors, and tackle sustainability issues for the whole group. The idea is to ensure the coherence between the strategic vision and day to day operations.
Balancing luxury with sustainability can be challenging. However, we try our best not to fall out of balance. For long, the luxury hospitality was all about profusion. when launching Zannier Hotels, our founder Arnaud Zannier had a humbler approach to the industry, and this became our differentiating point. As time progresses, most hospitality groups adopted eco-friendly practices and reviewed their service offer. At Zannier Hotels, we remain true to our original values, favouring simplicity and authenticity. We offer luxury hospitality with no pretention, and we aim to leave a positive impact on people and nature.
What is your long-term vision for Zannier Hotels, and how do you plan to achieve it?
Zannier Hotels will continue growing at a rapid pace, with a long-term perspective. Therefore, we are targeting projects primarily under management contracts. We are naturally evaluating new projects, aiming to open one property each year. For 2026, the group is pursuing European expansion with the opening of Zannier Bendor, an outstanding 7-hectare private island with a Provencal-style vibe, that will feature a 93-room hotel and eight F&B outlets together with several recreational areas. Another property is also in the pipeline, with the opening of Zannier Zardun in Saudi Arabia, a new luxury eco-resort of 100 rooms located on the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba. Our journey and desire to share unforgettable moments continues with future projects considered in Europe, the USA and the Middle East.
What advice would you give to aspiring leaders in the hospitality industry who want to make a lasting impact?
At Zannier Hotels, our moto is to inspire life’s greatest stories. Hence, we encourage our employees to make a permanent (positive) impact on everyone they interact with. Here are some of our focus:
Always prioritize customer experience. The guest is always at the centre of our decisions. We try to exceed their expectations and create personal experiences that will bring lifelong memories. The base of a successful hospitality business are happy guests. For instance, at Zannier Le Chalet, it felt natural to offer personalized gifts to our guests on the Christmas period, no matter if they were coming for the first time or not, as it was coherent with the spirit of the place we conceived. In all our hotels, we aim to surprise and delight our guests, for instance with a little rice bag from our own harvest in our Cambodian property when they check out, or by offering fresh lemongrass from our fields to a curious guest so they can bring it home. More than a nice gesture, it is a way to create souvenirs.
Offer the possibility to buy objects from the hotel. This way, we encourage guests to recreate the warm feeling they had when visiting us. At Zannier Hotels, we are working on a special e-shop for this, but guests can already explore our boutiques and we are often sharing our secrets such as where to purchase our bed, our group scent or such decoration element.
Always be transparent to your guests. At Zannier Hotels, we are often showcasing our behind the scenes on our social media channels. We actually developed a coffee table book in this sense too, to provide more information about our brand and prolongate the holiday feeling at home (more about it here). Building strong relationships is one of our top priorities. Not only with our guests, but also with our staff. And this starts with transparency. For us at Zannier Hotels, the notion of giving back is essential. We strive to build a win-win relationship with our employees, local communities and guests. This is why we encourage local collaborations, promote local techniques, and favour fairtrade purchase. The example of the Zannier Reserve
in Namibia protecting endangered animals or the Zannier Holybaby Foundation in Cambodia, offering support to two orphanages is a perfect example. In Vietnam, we offer daily free English classes to our employees as well as to the surrounding fishermen villages.
Sustainability should be a core part of your business strategy. At Zannier Hotels, we try to implement eco-friendly practices in everything we endeavour, and make sure our guests and staff are educated. For instance, at Zannier Phum Baitang, 70% of the food is locally produced and all the food comes from local suppliers. Besides, we encourage our staff to take action. Last year, 75kg of trash has been collected voluntarily by the staff around the resort. In fact, we also work outside the walls of our hotels. Another example is the renovation of the access road leading to Zannier Phum Baitang, that we entirely financed and that also benefited the nearby village.
To know more, please visit: http://www.zannierhotels.com
