What constitutes "good taste"?
Observations from conversations with family office guys, hotel operators, fashion people, PR mavens, etc...
Good evening from Milan,
Welcome back to The Stanza. Please excuse the delay in this newsletter as I’ve just returned from London, where I did a marathon of meetings. A central thread I’m reminded of is that “good taste” is incredibly subjective, and it’s easy to forget that unless you surround yourself with people who have wildly different perspectives than you. One’s yuck is another’s yum. How does this apply to hotel design? More thoughts below.
In today’s newsletter:
What can we learn from Renaissance depictions of hospitality?
In Paris: how much does an upscale bistro on Avenue Montaigne make in annual profit?
Also in Paris: what’s the latest with the LV hotel?
In Milan: Prada’s latest real estate move
In Miami & beyond: is there room for another healthy fast casual chain?
Which private equity investor is targeting a heritage fashion brand?
A hotel I’m actually excited about is in a very unlikely location
Pro tip: iconic hotel auctions can be a great treasure trove for interior design lovers
Do hotels sell fashion better than fashion itself?
No new listings this week. For all live listings (hotels for sale, investment opportunities, open job roles), click here.
Selling a property? Or second hand watch? Or are you a creative agency with an excellent track record? Advertise with The Stanza Classifieds: via classifieds@thestanzamedia.com.
If you’re a foodie traveling to Italy soon, I’ve compiled all the restaurants, bars, and cafes worth visiting in my adoptive home country. Naturally the bulk of my recommendations are in Milan, but I’ve included a curation of restaurants that were memorable throughout my travels. And yes, I will continue to update if I come across any spots worth sharing!
As someone who loves a great restaurant experience, AmiGo is the app I’ve been using to keep track of all my favorites, but also where I get recommendations from people I consider to have good taste. Some solid follows:
(one of my favorite travel writers) and Julia Rabinowitsch ().You can get access by downloading the app here and using code THESTANZA to skip the waitlist.
What can we learn from Renaissance depictions of hospitality?
This painting shows a story in the Gospel of Luke (10:38 - 42). Martha and Mary Magdalene are welcoming Jesus to their home. Martha occupies herself with offering the best hospitality: bread and wine. Meanwhile, Mary chooses to sit and listen to Jesus. When Martha complains about Mary not being helpful as a host, Jesus responds: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Therein lies the dichotomy of hospitality: taking the time to perceive and intuit the guest while balancing delivering on the other, more human needs such as food and comfort.
