Patina Maldives, Fari Islands has announced the appointment of seasoned hospitality professional Antonio Saponara as its new general manager. Saponara has a track record of managing hotels for luxury brands, including Aman, Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, Jumeirah and The Ritz-Carlton. He takes over Patina Maldives as it enters its second year of operation.
After starting out in F&B operations, Saponara moved to Phuket, Thailand to take up the role of executive assistant manager at Amanpuri, overseeing operations and launching a new restaurant in partnership with two-Michelin star chef, Naoki Okumura, before taking over as hotel manager in 2008. Later, he joined The Surin Phuket as general manager, renovating the resort with architect Ed Tuttle and re-launching it after a complete rebranding and repositioning.
From Thailand, Saponara moved to China, joining The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong and later stepping up as the opening general manager of the Bulgari Hotel Beijing. Saponara achieved profitability for Bulgari Hotel Beijing within the first month of operation, maintaining an unprecedented level of colleague and guest satisfaction throughout his tenure, including in 2020, despite the onset of COVID-19. Prior to joining Capella Hotel Group, Saponara was the pre-opening general manager of Bulgari Hotel & Residences Moscow, slated to open in December 2022.
“It is a tremendous privilege to have been entrusted with the stewardship of one of the most inspiring, forward-thinking pioneers of next-gen Maldives hospitality; I am excited to bring fresh impetus as Patina Maldives embraces the next stage of its perpetual journey to positively impact people and place,” said Saponara.
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