With more than 28 years’ experience in the hospitality sector, Pilar brings a wealth of expertise in large-scale development, renovation and portfolio repositioning. Beginning her career with NH Hotel Group in 1998, she quickly progressed through the ranks, becoming Project Director for Spain, Portugal and Andorra by 2003. In this role, she led the renovation of over 40% of the regional portfolio, spanning 150 hotels, while also overseeing all new-build projects across the region.

Since 2018, Pilar has held the position of SVP of Projects, Construction, Engineering & Maintenance at Minor Hotels Europe & Americas. Here, she is responsible for the strategic integration and repositioning of assets across a global portfolio of 357 hotels, managing annual capital investments of between €140 million and €160 million.

Leading a multidisciplinary team of 75 professionals, including architects, engineers and interior designers, she drives the delivery of complex projects with a focus on quality, efficiency and long-term value. Her work continues to shape and elevate hospitality experiences across Europe and the Americas.

Andreas Profanter graduated from the University of Innsbruck with a master’s degree in architecture. He gained experience as an architect at the studio of Arch. Renzo Gennaro in Bolzano and at the studio of Arch. Edouard François in Paris. In 2013, Andreas joined NOA, becoming a partner in 2015 and leading the opening of the NOA Milano branch in 2023. He has played a key role in several large-scale projects, developing a strong focus on the hospitality sector. Initially, his work concentrated on the Alpine region, but he has since expanded his expertise internationally, designing projects in Croatia, the Middle East, the Netherlands, and the United States.

Among his most significant hospitality projects are the Falkensteiner Family Resort Lido in Val Pusteria; the Hubertus Hotel in Valdaora and the Zallinger Alpine village. Over the years, Andreas has broadened his architectural research to include more ephemeral, interdisciplinary, and experiential interventions, such as the Ötzi Peak observation platform at 3,251 meters above sea level and the Transsensorial Gateway light and sound installation for the INTERNI exhibition “Creative Connections.”

Andreas views experimentation with methodologies and forms as a continuous stimulus for his design research, in line with NOA’s motto: “We build stories while designing buildings.” Alongside his design practice, he has participated as a speaker at numerous events and summits, including Cersaie in Bologna,the Hospitality Design Conference in Milan, and the NEWH Leadership Conference in Nashville. He has also been invited multiple times as a guest lecturer at the Design Talks at the Politecnico di Milano.

With thirty years of experience in hospitality, Fabrizio Gaggio is currently the Co–CEO & Asset Director of Starhotels Group, the first Italian private hotel company by revenue, market leader in the upscale, upper-upscale & luxury sectors of the hospitality industry.

The Group owns and manages 32 hotels located in the heart of the top Italian destinations, in addition to London, Paris and New York, with more than 4,500 rooms. Luxury Hotels collection includes Gabrielli – Venice, Hotel di Inghilterra – Rome, Helvetia & Bristol – Florence, Teatro Luxury Apartments – Florence, Grand Hotel Continental – Siena, Castille – Paris, The Franklin – London.

Prior to that, Fabrizio has held various senior management positions such as:
– Managing Director of Gruppo UNA, the largest Italian hospitality group in Italy, with 52 hotels, resorts and residences and more than 5,600 rooms in 25 destinations owned by Gruppo Unipol;
– Senior Vice President of Global Asset Management at Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc in London;
– Managing Director at Starhotels Group;
– 12 years as CEO of Lungarno Collection at the Ferragamo Group;
– Financial and M&A Director at Forte Trusthouse plc for the Italian market;
– Before joining the hospitality industry, he gained experience in M&A, Capital Market (HSBC Group) and consulting companies (Arthur Andersen & Co).

Innovative hotelier and passionate traveller, Aldo Melpignano is the Co-Owner of Borgo Egnazia and the Founder of Egnazia Ospitalità Italiana.

Born in Rome in 1977 to a Puglian family, Aldo Melpignano completed his early schooling at San Giuseppe De Merode, a Catholic institution in Rome, after which he moved to London in 1997 to attend Cass Business School, City University.

At the age of just 19, he made his first encounter with the world of hospitality, supporting his mother in turning Masseria San Domenico, already a family property, into the first ‘Leading Hotel of the World’ in Puglia.

A few years later, he decided to embark on his own training path. At 22, he started working in investment banking before he moved to the United States. There, at 25, he was among the youngest MBA students at Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated in 2005.

After his MBA, Aldo relocated to New York and – having been brought up within the hospitality world – in 2005 he formally began his work in the industry at Morgans Hotel Group, the company created by the hotel guru Ian Schrager. Here, after an early role working in the CFO’s office overseeing the company’s initial public offering, he was responsible for corporate planning and investor relations and then became Business Development Director, in charge of the company’s international growth.

In 2007, Aldo followed the call of his Puglian roots and decided to return to Europe to devote himself to the family business that had developed in the meantime. Splitting his time and efforts between London and Puglia, he embarked on the most ambitious family venture: Borgo Egnazia, an innovative destination that has gradually been changing the face of travel and wellbeing in a previously undiscovered region. Borgo Egnazia opened in 2010, its creation inspired by the typical local villages of Puglia, with a focus on a unique concept of hospitality based on wellbeing and local authentic
experiences.

Today, Aldo is also Vice President with responsibility for the hospitality area of Altagamma, the foundation that promotes high quality Italian industry.

In 2023, Aldo Melpignano launches the Egnazia group and heads towards new ambitious goals: to support the development of territories and people through an innovative vision of hospitality, international and local at the same time, contemporary but deeply rooted in traditions.

Gabriele’s career path initially followed the classic “cursus honorum”: a solid foundation in economic studies, followed by his first professional experience in a consulting firm, and then a gradual but determined involvement in the family business. This structured journey soon evolved into a more creative and entrepreneurial direction.

A shared vision and mutual curiosity between Gabriele and Emanuele Garosci – creative entrepreneur and owner of both Now (Milan) and Palazzina-G (Venice) – led to the creation of a joint venture that marked the beginning of the G-Rough project in 2014. The collaboration combined strategic thinking and artistic experimentation, setting the tone for a new concept of hospitality rooted in authenticity, design, and cultural storytelling.

After the initial kick-off, Gabriele continued the project independently, personally overseeing the restoration, interior design, and furnishing process of the Roman property. The result was G-Rough, launched in early 2015 under the slogan “Questa Casa non è un Albergo” – a place that redefined the idea of home within a hotel.

In 2019, Gabriele embarked on a new adventure in southern Italy, transforming his friend Francesco Petrucci’s family palazzo in Puglia into Palazzo Daniele, a project that blended heritage and contemporary art. The hotel received international acclaim, being named Best Hotel in Europe shortly after its opening.

Building on this success, Gabriele founded GSC, a creative and development studio dedicated to shaping the next generation of hospitality projects. Through GSC, he is currently developing a series of distinctive properties across Italy: Casa Nardò in Puglia (14 rooms, restaurant, and spa), Eremito Urbano in Palermo (27 rooms and restaurant), Casa Caracalla in Rome (clubhouse, villa, and garden), and a 12-room retreat among the vineyards in Franciacorta. Each project reflects Gabriele’s continued commitment to merging place, design, and emotion into singular experiences that transcend traditional hospitality.

His international outlook also extends beyond Italy, with projects such as Magia de Uma in Bali, further expanding his vision of hospitality into new cultural contexts.

Roma, 2026

After graduating from the Politecnico di Milano in 1999, Tania became a university lecturer at the same institution, teaching Architectural Design until 2007 and also working with Migliore & Servetto Interior Design Studio and Gregotti Associati International, gaining invaluable experience in the fields of both interior design and architecture.

She brought this expertise to Lissoni & Partners, which she joined in 2008 and where she is now the coordinator of the studio’s Interior Design Department. She is responsible for managing multinational hospitality and residential projects, overseeing the design coordination and ensuring that the work is completed on plan and to the most exacting standards.

With her considerable skill in the interior design of historic buildings, she is able to define an approach that is innovative while being fully consonant with the historical context. Her expertise in the fields of architecture and interior design has also enabled her to complete projects for private residences.

Over the years, she has led design teams on luxury retail projects worldwide, including the Middle House Shanghai, the Shangri-La Hotel Beijing, the Dorothea Hotel Budapest, as well as hospitality and residential projects in the USA, and this experience has enabled her to become highly skilled in the running and management of complex projects in culturally diverse environments.

Founded in 2016 by Principal Designer, Paolo Ferrari, Studio Paolo Ferrari is a globally recognized practice at the cutting edge of international design. Today the studio works with prestige and emerging luxury brands or through private commissions on hospitality, retail,
and residential projects, delivering highly considered guest experiences, through attention to detail and full immersion, into worlds both luxurious and distinct.

A distinctive, vision-forward approach has defined Ferrari’s output as he continues to collaborate with industry-leading clients all over the world. The studio is currently involved in projects throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Throughout his career,
Ferrari has worked with luxury heavyweights including Accor, Raffles, Four Seasons, Auberge Resorts, 1 Hotels, & LVMH.

With the ever-expanding presence of the digital, Studio Paolo Ferrari believes in pursuing work where experiential worlds evoke a quality of awe. Through a user-centric design approach, which emphasizes ritual and artistry, Studio Paolo Ferrari occupies the rare space where timelessness and courageous invention coexist.

Appointed Senior Vice President, Design & Construction in January 2025, Ons plays an instrumental role in Belmond’s journey to elevate its offering to new heights of luxury and guest experience.

With a diverse portfolio of 43 properties Ons’ leadership is instrumental in delivering Belmond’s ambitious renovation plan, which spans hotels, trains, safari lodges, and boats. He is responsible for refining Belmond’s design and construction processes to ensure efficiency and excellence in project execution.

Ons plays a key role in building the heritage of the future with a continued focus on exceptional craftsmanship, leading renovations which respect and celebrate buildings’ history and local environment.

He is also responsible for identifying and collaborating with some of the world’s most talented designers and architects who further enrich Belmond’s creative vision and commitment to crafting experiences. Guests are invited to discover a new pace of travel and to foster deeper connections with nature, local culture, and people.

Projects at Belmond include working with Peter Marino, the famed architect and interior designer, on a multi-phase renovation project of the Venetian icon, Hotel Cipriani, collaborating with Martin Brudnizki Design Studio on the rejuvenation of Portofino’s most storied hideaway, Splendido, and the reimagined Villa Beatrice, and, most recently, the renovation of Villa San Michele, an emblem of
Renaissance architecture.

Ons has a wealth of global experience in luxury design and architecture, having held leadership positions at prestigious brands including Chanel, Montblanc, and, most recently, Saint Laurent, where he was Global Director of Architecture and Real Estate.

Ludovica Serafini + Roberto Palomba, architects and designers, founded Palomba Serafini Studio in 1994 in Milan. They deal with architecture, interior design, industrial design, fashion and yacht design.

Their distinctive hallmark has emerged from the capacity to combine a contemporary vision of society and user needs, with an extensive knowledge of the historical and cultural roots of design, producing results that blend the past with the future.

In more than 30 years of activity, their projects received more than 70 awards and international recognition such as Compasso D’Oro, Elle Decoration International Design Award, Red Dot, Design Plus, Good Design Award, German Design Award, Ahead Award with which they won the first prize for the best European hotel.

They plan architecture and exhibitions all over the world and they collaborate with and are art director for some of the most accomplished international design brands such as Artemide, Bisazza, Fendi Home, Fratelli Rossetti, Giorgetti, Kartell, Maserati, Poltrona Frau, Richard Ginori, Samsung, Zanotta.

“We could define our design approach as “holistic”.
We create and develop every detail with focusing on an overall vision because at the end of our work, all the designed elements – like the voices of a choir – will tune in to generate a single identity.

Our design philosophy combines human and architecture, space and sensations, concrete matter and subconscious”.

Javier Hortal is Project Services Director for Rocco Forte Hotels and is currently leading an intensive programme of capital expenditure renovations across the group’s portfolio of luxury hotels in Italy, the UK, Germany, and Belgium. The portfolio includes iconic assets such as Hotel de Russie in Rome, The Balmoral in Edinburgh, and Brown’s in London. Javier also oversees Rocco Forte’s new hotel developments, including hotels, serviced apartments, and branded residences.

Javier believes in fostering a culture of “pursuit of excellence through creative ambition” amongst project teams, and says that the greatest reward of his role lies in defining the vision for each new hotel project and developing it through close collaboration with leading designers, consultants, and specialists, ensuring that every new Rocco Forte hotel is the group’s best to date.

A Spanish national and UK-qualified architect, Javier spent over 11 years at Mandarin Oriental prior to joining Rocco Forte, overseeing the group’s projects across EMEA, during which time its regional presence quadrupled in size. Prior to that, Javier worked at global architectural practice RTKL, where he was Head of Hospitality, EMEA, based at the group’s London headquarters.