Giampaolo Ottazzi

Giampaolo Ottazzi becomes the general manager at Belmond Hotel Cipriani, the most iconic in Venice, in 2008, when Natale Rusconi left the helm after over 30 years of activity. Belmond calls Ottazzi, who at the time was the general manager of another prestigious Italian property, the Belmond Hotel Caruso in Ravello. Before that, he had worked in big hotels like the Belmond Hotel Splendido in Portofino and Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo, with key roles both in the Rooms Division and in Sales & Marketing.

He first became general manager at Hotel Villa La Massa in Florence in 2002, and then took the helm of the Grand Hotel Continental e Park Hotel in Siena before moving to the Amalfi Coast, to guide the already mentioned Belmond Hotel Caruso. Since his arrival at Cipriani, there have been many changes, even structural ones, like the renovation of the rooms and suites, and the opening of restaurant Oro, which received a Michelin star in 2015.

Deeply in love with his job, Ottazzi believes that working in a seasonal hotel, open 8 months per year, is a very intense experience; together with the 230 people who work with him, he tries to create a close-knit team that can satisfy the most demanding guests. He loves spending his limited free time discovering the most secret corners of the Venetian lagoon, possibly with his teenage son. «I have a classic wood boat, called toppetta, which we use to explore the islands of the lagoon, savouring the marvellous surrounding nature», he says. He even makes the small boat available to selected guests and personally guides them to some typical restaurants, so they can experience the life of a true Venetian. 

His daily challenge? Successfully satisfying the many, not always easy, requests of his guests.

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Identità Golose

This article is curated by Identità Golose, the publication that organises the international fine dining congress, publishes website www.identitagolose.com and the online Guida Identità Golose, on top of curating many other events in Italy and abroad