Photographer about town Joe Demanuele is shown round the Capua Palace Hotel by its General Manager Claire Xuereb.
Many tourists coming from huge continents are attracted by the idea that they can ‘live the island life’ while on holiday here but they are sometimes disappointed when they see mega hotels, which, while offering excellent amenities and services are nonetheless a part of giant world wide chains.
Enter the Victoria Hotel and its annexe the Capua Palace Hotel in Sliema and Claire Xuereb the young General Manager of this gem is deservedly proud: “The Victoria is a unique hotel to the island, perhaps I’m a little biased when saying that, but definitely a unique piece in its own category.” As a start, Claire adds, it is a boutique hotel, offering quality with individuality. “We strive to add value as opposed to discounting thus offering the client more than they expect which ultimately translates into better value for money.” Claire believes that this is truly important today in this competitive industry. “We seek to offer our guest what he/she is looking for, as opposed to offering what everyone else is offering or what you or me think they would like. That is where intimacy and individuality come in. Our guests refer to us as a hotel with a customized, personal approach.” Claire explains that this is reflected by the service, as well as the charm and comfort in Victorian luxury, that is immediately felt upon entering. She comments: “Through the direct feedback we get from our guests, either verbally or through our guest questionnaire, we have learnt that actually one out of three guests experiences this feeling when walking through our lobby.”
The ambience in the lobby somewhat reminds me of a particular hotel described lucidly in one of Agatha Christie’s mystery novels where every effort was made to ensure each guest’s physical and psychological comfort. Claire continues to explain: “What we do is look after our guests with all the attention we could possibly offer. We look at what the guest really wants and needs, and accommodate it. It is a service which is not sought after by the average person but by those that appreciate something different and who appreciate attention to detail. Those that want an enriching experience and an intimate one, and not just a good meal on a plate, or a cozy bed in a room with a view. An experience which is not made of tangibles but of those things that are in fact the least tangible, composed of human emotions which are after all what we all look for in our every day life, and which we all treasure. It is in fact an industry of human relations that we are in!”
Claire tells me of the little treats which she sometimes allows herself: “Occasionally I treat myself to my favourite dish from our à la carte menu, prepared by George our chef who has known me since I was little.” And what is this treat? “A tower of prime tenderloin of beef and pork fillet built on a spinach and wholemeal layers of bread presented with pink and green pepper corns, flamed in brandy. Working in the hotel industry, makes eating good food one of our privileges!”
Who are her ‘typical’ guests? “When I saw the palace for the first time with eyes set to manage it, I had a picture in my mind’s eye. It was so clear and so obvious. The place is so rich, so grand, romantic and full of life – what I would call, inspiring. You see, I guess it felt exactly how an artist would feel when working on a painting. This concept will target individuals or meeting and event planners, who hold several events a year – and who know what they are after and expect; those that are looking for consistency in service and a feeling of personal luxury not easily found elsewhere. The second focus is on the luxury client looking for the experience of deluxe accommodation but with the reliability and consistency found in a well established hotel. With the ground floor ready to be hired for any social event, and the upper floor complementing it with five executive suites, four of them duplex and each named and themed with individual character, Palazzo Capua is a truly unique historical destination. It is not about having a club floor for you to feel executive, but having an entire Palace; an intimacy which is hard to explain in words, until experienced.”
Claire’s father is of course the well known entrepreneur Anglu Xuereb and I ask her how her relationship with her father has changed from being his little girl to being his ‘employee’. She points out that she feels that she has two different relationships with her father. “The distinction between the two has been there ever since I was in my early teens, and perhaps that is why it was relatively easy for me to build on that. He is an entrepreneur. He has the vision. He envisages something, implements it, leaves it in good hands and moves on to the next project. That’s his system – fortunately for those who work for him. He does that, purely for everyone to take ownership of the little ship he runs. And that is the system which applies to me in the case of The Victoria.”
There are five suites in the Capua Palace – each of them exqusitely and individually furnished with fabrics from Camilleri Paris Mode. Each suite has a name associated with some historical dignitary who left his or her mark on the Palace.
These include the Tagliaferro suite, named after the Palace’s original landlord and the suite named after Prince Francesco who was born at Capua Palace. What about her favourite place in the Palace? “The pictures say it all! It definitely is the entire Palazzo. It is my new baby. Remarkably however, the Prince Charles of Capua Suite, named after the prince who settled first in the Palace, is, I would say, my favourite room. Perhaps it’s all about the good feeling it gives me, contributed by the layout of the different areas, textures and colour.”
Interestingly, throughout our entire conversation Claire talks extensively about her work and the Palace but she tells me little about herself so I ask her a couple of direct questions. “I don’t really enjoy talking about myself. I could spend days talking with great passion about what I do and aspire rather than who I am. I normally let other people formulate their own opinion by my actions. But here’s a tip, I would say I can be the strongest person on the outside and simultaneously the softest person on the inside. I follow my instincts very much and believe in the power of the will. I guess I inherited this from my father. Those who know me well would also say that my heart is identical to that of my mother. Having said this, I would like to take this great opportunity to thank them for all that they have done, for it is, after all, thanks to their good upbringing that I find myself in this position. They have always given me courage, no matter how crazy my ideas may have been – such as grabbing my car and driving all the way to Switzerland at a young age, or deciding to work on a ship, away from everything and everyone not knowing where it was going to take me. Whatever the situation, they have always encouraged me to follow my dreams and act on my instincts. And for that, I am most thankful for I am a great believer in freedom. It is at that moment, that a person can think clearly and perform best. I am very respectful as well as grateful to those who have shown respect to me, and I carry their spirit with me all my life.”
Editor’s note: Styling during the photographic shoot was done by Andrew Alexander of Tanti Interiors