Hoteliers who host: the luxury properties putting personality first

These are the people you want to have on speed dial. Glamorous but not bling, cool but not intimidating, Marie-Louise Sciò, CEO and creative director of Italy's Pellicano Group, creative director Gabriella Khalil, who operates Palm Heights in the Cayman Islands, and Philomena Schurer Merckoll, the queen of Marrakech bolthole Riad Mena, are tastemakers who understand the magic of a hotel run like their very own home.

One where their crisp taste informs every suite, hangout space and aspect of your stay – right down to the spa products. After all, there is nothing chicer than partnering with Costa Brazil or Santa Maria Novella. The latter is the choice of Sciò. The signature Santa Maria Novella Pomegranate Ritual... well, there's nothing quite as heavenly; except, perhaps, the Gardenia Rose massage.

That unparalleled feeling of being enveloped in a heady world of perfumed splendour at Il Pellicano is just part of the fantastically sensory mood that Sciò has created at her landmark pleasuredome hotel on the Tuscan coast, or at the palatial La Posta Vecchia in Ladispoli (the former family home of the Sciòs that was once owned by J. Paul Getty).

"There is a natural flow between how I host at home and the atmosphere we create at our Pellicano hotels; it's like they're constantly inspiring each other, feeding each other," Sciò tells The Blend. Not only are her properties run with genuine kindness and finesse (they also serve the best Bellinis imaginable), but, most importantly, they are also fun, like Sciò herself, who throws the best parties.

From the 70s Italian disco that fills the air as you savour the most refined spaghetti arrabbiata, to the divine Rivolta Carmignani bedding, the hotels are love letters to Italy. "I'm constantly inspired by the aesthetic richness of our country," says Sciò. Talk about la dolce vita... Let's just wait to see what she does at the latest Tuscan property acquired by the Pellicano Group, Relais La Suvera, when it opens in 2026.

High-octane glamour is a given at Palm Heights, where creative director Gabriella Khalil's slick New York design sensibilities have put the Cayman Islands back on the map in a big way. It's as seductive as you could imagine: all travertine marble, open plan and serious pared-down elegance, with fabulous collectible design pieces from Marcel Breuer, Mario Bellini, Pierre Paulin and Vladimir Kagan, to name a few, that Khalil, herself, has sourced.

"I see it as a reboot of the Caribbean's glory days," she says, "somewhere to relax and recharge, where the design concept was inspired by the 70s." And it is impossible not to feel a seismic shift of mood here, especially when the sun starts to set, and the Piña Coladas start to flow at the beach bar, The Coconut Club.

This is not a place to hold back, especially at Paradise Pizza or at Tillies, where the grilled snapper and green papaya salad are musts. "It really is the culmination of my passions: food, design, art and wellness. I love to entertain and everything I do is centred around creating an experience," says Khalil.

The good life comes easily to this beachside playground, which is also an ode to clean living: the Garden Club spa, with its Costa Brazil products and treatments, is a holistic big hitter, while Khalil's inspired choice of instructors means there's a progressive programme of Pilates classes on offer too.

When confronted with one of life's most pressing questions – how to pick the most inspired "design" riad in Marrakech – it makes sense to head directly to Riad Mena and its owner, Philomena Schurer Merckoll. Blasting fabulousness from the moment you step through its doors to be offered a signature Mena Martini Aperitivo (made with citrus fruit or pomegranate, depending on the season), it's a sybarite's dream – as if you are being hosted in a private home, where the sofas are scattered with velvet cushions and each of the seven rooms is an eclectic yet harmonious mix of mid-century modern and antique originals.

At Riad Mena, it's all about the atmosphere, as the sounds of Cesária Évora drift across the riad up onto the rooftop hangout, where the champagne is waiting on ice for you. Everything here is beautiful, from the beetroot chocolate cake to the endless vases of white roses in the bedrooms and on the breakfast table, or the inspired reading material such as Elias Canetti's The Voices of Marrakesh in the living room.

"I'm sure my ex-boyfriends would agree that my personality isn't to everyone's taste, so it's funny that all the personal touches at my hotel make it a place that so many of our guests return to," says Schurer Merckoll. And, just like its owner, you won't be able to get enough of Riad Mena's indulgent, glamorous and textured fun.

This article was originally published on The Week