S4 - Episode 4 - Andrea Zana

S4 - Episode 4 - Andrea Zana

From Maître d’ Diaries by Erica Cantley

March 23, 2026 · 45 min · Season 4 · Episode 4

About this episode

Andrea Zana discusses his experiences in luxury hospitality and the importance of mentorship.

Welcome to our first DESTINATION HOSPITALITY episode with our guest ANDREA ZANA, the general manager of the Hotel Il San Pietro in Positano on the Amalfi Coast of Italy. Listen in to hear what it’s like to be part of the operational family that runs one of the world’s greatest resort hotels, how Tom Cruise helped inspire Andrea to get into hospitality, why Andrea loves interacting with tourists, what it was like to work in top hotels in Florence, London, Paris, Milan, and why he sees luxury hospitality as a world full of opportunities. Get ready to be surprised by what great hoteliers like Andrea and the Cinque Family do to constantly evolve: including bringing a team of sixteen people from the hotel with him to Cornell University Hotel School for a week of professional development during the closed season. Andrea shouts out the importance of mentorship with the examples set for him by Claudio Ceccarelli, Simone Giorgi, and the Cinque Family, and how restaurants and hotels can be the stage, and we FOH folks the protagonists!

People in this episode

Host: Erica Cantley

Guest: Andrea Zana

Topics covered

  • hospitality
  • luxury hotels
  • professional development
  • mentorship
  • tourism
  • operational management

Keywords

  • hospitality
  • luxury
  • mentorship
  • tourism
  • professional development
  • hotel management
  • Amalfi Coast

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Hotel Il San Pietro, Cornell University Hotel School, Cinque Family

Places: Positano, Amalfi Coast, Florence, London, Paris, Milan

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