Spirit of Corinthia
I started Corinthia in Malta in the 1960's, first opening a fine restaurant, and later building our first hotel - the Corinthia Palace. The world has changed much since those days, but then Corinthia has also grown and prospered. I see much scope to look at the lessons learnt from our early years as a guiding beacon to help us navigate through the complexities and tremendous opportunities of the modern world.
Of course, we did not have any money back then. But what we did have, in abundant reserves, was unbending perseverance. We certainly preserved, and adopted an optimistic attitude to transform challenges into successes. We were enterprising, clear in our thinking and constructively ambitious. We spotted timely opportunities and took action accordingly. We where bold - but with our feet to the ground. We believed in our capabilities and we were committed to go all the way. We had a vision to build a great hotel company, and nothing was going to stop us.
To build and operate great hotels takes passion and ambition. To repeat this success again and again, overtime requires authenticity and sincerity. To deliver caring service to our guests at the highest possible standards needs knowledge, experience, understanding and a fanatical attention to detail. These are the qualities that distinguish a true craftsman from an apprentice - and to provide hospitality as we do is, indeed a craft - as old, challenging and inspirational as that of being a master stone-mason, goldsmith, painter or musician. Our mission is to provide our guests with this Craftsmanship of Care.
In a world of mass produced experiences, we offer to our guests the made-to-measure. We believe the attention to detail that elevates a craftsman can elevate the experience of visiting one of our hotels. This is our mission, it is embedded in everything we do, and everything we say.
So what does this mean in our hotels?
It means carefully constructing an environment that feels special the moment our guests arrive. It means surrounding them with materials, chosen for their quiet quality and avoiding purposeless display - true power always whispers. The Craftsmanship of Care reveals itself in everything from the way a guest is welcomed, to the comfort of the room they are offered, to the thoughtfulness of the people who serve them.
Rather like the care that is invested in the finest wine or the most beautiful furniture, caring for guests as we do is hard to achieve and expensive to deliver. But we hope that even with a brief stay in a Corinthia Hotel, our guests will discover that craftsmanship can shape caring for people as beautifully as it can shape a precious stone. This is the Spirit of Corinthia.
The way we value authenticity, the trouble we take on individual details, grounded with a style that's discreet rather than merely ostentatious. All of these are the little ways we try to make a big difference.
Just like craftsmen have always done over the ages.
Alfred Pisani
Founder and Chairman
Corinthia Hotels
Corporate Charity
16 August 2011 - Fiona Jeffery, founder and chairman, Just a Drop, the international water-aid charity, announced the appointment of Alfred Pisani, founder and group chairman, Corinthia Hotels, as a corporate patron. Corinthia Hotels, the five-star hotel collection, will also formally adopt Just a Drop as its official charity.
Click here to read more.
Alfred Pisani on Bloomberg