Revolution was never an option: building on 145 years of family history

When we began working together, Belvedere Bellagio had a structure, but it was like an empty structure. I had dreams, of course, but they weren't clear to me. You really saw the whole journey we've been on in terms of service changes and renovation, but also the family changes.

In the end, the answers don't come from me, they come from you. We’re just asking, guiding, and questioning. This is where I hope FERUS is different. It’s not a client-supplier relationship. In the type of transformation work we’ve done here, there is so much intimacy and fear you need to share so that we can understand each other.

This project has been the slowest and longest, but for a good reason. I had the feeling you really wanted to take the time to feel safe. From an economic perspective, another agency might have said, “You have no more time, we need to decide.” But this isn’t in the best interests of a genuine partnership.

Shifting the focus from your mother to you was a very interesting challenge for the company and your brand. I wanted to make sure we learnt from her, and never discounted tradition for the sake of innovation.

When we started building the vision, we could have focused purely on you Giulia, but for it to work, your mother needed to be comfortable. She needed to feel, “Yes, this is developing in a way that is still in my wishes.”

It helped that my mom and I, separately, used the same language about Belvedere Bellagio. It means that the philosophy is pretty much the same.

Our work is a continuation of what the four generations before me have started. Every woman has brought something that’s more of their own, but no-one cancels what happened before. It’s just a natural evolution.

Because of this family connection, this is definitely one of the most emotional projects I’ve been a part of. As a partner, we could destroy so much of the spirit and unsaid beauty of this place if we put our ego at the forefront. We couldn’t be insecure about our role and had to always remind ourselves: “Are we doing this in their favour? Is this really something they want?” 

Exactly. There were a few things I wanted to change, namely the colour red in our branding which is like a warning sign to me! But more deeply, I wanted us to really showcase our family aspect. This is more of a home than a hotel.

Those conversations about changing the colour were easy, but we wanted to take a step back and look at the level above all of that to unlock the potential of this place. Take the gardens. They were too pragmatic and underused. I wanted us to think about how we could make everything more human, bringing more of the family’s soul into the offering.

We were not used to thinking this way. Everything has always been practical: we have this problem, here is a solution, move on. This is what it’s like in hospitality. You’re always moving fast from one season to the next. That changed during our conversations, and when my mom and I started talking about my father.

He passed away when I was a nine-year-old, so I didn’t know who he really was. It was only relatively recently that we started talking about him, and this is when I learned that he was the dreamer of the couple. I have started to rebuild that dreaminess in myself as it will help me personally. But I’m also trying to rebuild the memory of him, in both the house and in my mother.

This is where a partnership like ours has to have a balance to it. We need to push a little and say, “Have you thought about doing this?” But I never want to manipulate a partner. Finding this balance is the most difficult and most fragile part of a relationship, especially in this one where so much sensitivity is needed.

I have to say, you were always very respectful of the way we are. I remember the first presentation you shared about the rebranding of the hotel. I was impressed by how well you transported our words into the vision. I’ve never felt that we’ve done something wrong with this evolution, or that you went too far. You understood when it was okay to give it a push, and when it was better to back up a bit. That’s not easily found in a working relationship.

This is what’s so important for me with FERUS. We can never see in someone else’s head, but through listening and looking at a person - how they speak, what is important to them, how they act or respond to certain things - you can learn so much.

You had a vision but maybe it wasn’t expressed, and there were other potentials you hadn’t seen yet. Our role is to really unlock these avenues and just give a new pinch of thought to it. I compare it to tweaking tomato sauce.

I might say: “Have you ever tried to put some sugar and lemon in your sauce? Give it a go and let me know how that feels.”

Hopefully you say: “Wow, this is a completely new flavour. Maybe I should also add some wine to it.”

This is how the brain works and how human connection can fuel growth - individually, collectively, and commercially. This is how I see our partnership.

I can see tangible signs that our refreshed brand, and our new ways of working and thinking, are resonating with people. Team and guests.

Now when we create something, we communicate it and people quickly appreciate it and accept it. Before, we always needed to give instructions as there wasn’t a clear sense of self, a strong sense of identity, perhaps.

Our work with FERUS started a culture shift. I hear people talking about Belvedere Bellagio in the way my family has always talked about it, and this is confirmation to me that we’re moving in the right direction.

I think this is the most interesting part: looking at brand-building as an entire process. What impact can the brand have on the entire company culture, and how can we influence and guide that?

I want FERUS to look at all levels of a brand. This may start with the obvious visuals like logos or materials, but it really gains momentum and traction when it comes into products, services, and communication changes.

I think about the new uniforms we’ve designed together. I can see the team has a different feeling in them. This isn’t through training and professionalism, they just smile more.

Those uniforms are a real source of pride. They’re not traditional ones you expect to see in a hotel, and I want to do more of this in the next few years. To go out from the ordinary everyday life of the hotel, to be more flexible in organising and planning things, and to have more spontaneous things happening here.

We’ll work together on a new beach club and pool area in 2027, updated bedrooms, and a renovated kitchen. But more broadly, I hope we can do things that match the philosophy and ethos of the home without being limited to just the building’s structures.

Because we focused on the human element first, we have the architecture in place for the brand to develop. I wouldn't have done any of this with a different person than you. Sharing the difficult parts of our work has been essential. It’s allowed us to truly grow together, professionally and personally.