Valeriano AntonioliPrior to joining Lungarno Alberghi s.r.l., since January 2007 Antonioli was the Managing Director of InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa, a 293-room luxury resort in Scottsdale, Arizona, with 3,100 square meters luxury spa, 3,000 square meters of meeting/ banquet space and wedding facilities, six food and beverage outlets, five pools, three retail outlets, and 34 single family homes. In this role, he has been a member of the development team and successfully opened it in 2008 although the global economic crisis, immediately positioning it as a preferred destination resort for both local residents and upscale and luxury travellers. Under his guidance, the InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa has achieved important accolades, such as Travel + Leisure ‘13th Best US and Canada Hotel 2010’, Esquire magazine ‘Best New US Restaurant 2009’, Wine Spectator ‘Annual Restaurant Award 2009’, American Spa Magazine ‘Best Resort Spa 2009’, RobbReport.com ‘New and Noteworthy Spa 2009’, Departures ‘Best five new spas worldwide’, among others. Upon opening, in 2009 the property had been hot listed both by Travel + Leisure and by Condé Nast Traveler as one of the top new hotels in the world. Previously, as General Manager of the W Hotel in Los Angeles, he oversaw the entire hotel operation, while enhancing it into a contemporary, world-class hotel through a complete restructuring of its outlets. His vision included adding Los Angeles’ hottest bar, Whiskey Blue; critically acclaimed restaurant, NineThirty, which was awarded ‘LA Times Best Restaurant’ in 2006; opening the Backyard restaurant; New York’s hottest spa, Bliss. His influence helped cultivate the hotel into an urban oasis complimented by contemporary art, music and seductive interiors.