In short
Marie-Louise Sciò (CEO/creative director of the Pilicano Group) discusses redefining luxury through joy, time, and “quiet luxury,” while explaining how she modernized Hotel Il Pelicano without breaking its DNA. She also covers her brand expansions (design, fashion, media, retail), the Isimo platform, and upcoming Italian hotel openings, plus her approach to risk, growth, and digital access.
Guest backgrounds
Marie-Louise Sciò is the creative force behind Pilicano Group’s iconic hotels; she grew up around Il Pelicano’s parties and later designed/renovated bathrooms and helped reposition the property for younger guests. Maria Sharapova is the host of Pretty Tough.
Key claims
Ultimate luxury is health and time; hotels should evolve subtly, not “reinvent the wheel”; hospitality is about emotions; keep things human (limit phone/social media); TV hype can help business but shouldn’t be the goal.
Notable examples
Dua Lipa chose Il Pelicano for her honeymoon; the “ashtray” is the most stolen Il Pelicano item; Isimo launched pre-COVID as a “cabinet of curiosities”; Birkenstock collaboration; new hotel near Siena (architect Baldassare Peruzzi) and a second property; Negroni ingredients include property oranges.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VODefining Joy and Experience in Luxury
1:25 to 1:50
Marie-Louise shares her perspectives on joy, luxury, and the importance of experiences over material wealth.
“In fact, it's one of the keys to feeling fulfilled.”
Defining Joy and Experience in Luxury
2:41 to 4:09
Marie-Louise shares her perspectives on joy, luxury, and the importance of experiences over material wealth.
“You say, there are two things that never go out of style, sex and fun.”
Growing Up in a Hospitality World
4:10 to 7:22
Marie-Louise reflects on her childhood experiences at the Pelicano and how they shaped her view of hospitality.
“Yeah, I think we all want to feel something.”
The Transition to Leadership and Design
7:23 to 12:09
Marie-Louise discusses her journey from observing to actively redesigning the Pelicano, including her father's influence.
“And I understood that there was a different world that I was fascinated with when Slim Aaron started coming.”
Launching Isimo: A New Concept
12:10 to 14:03
Marie-Louise explains the creation of Isimo, a platform connecting people to Italian culture and products.
“that brought the Pelicano into the contemporary conversation.”
The Birth of Isimo
14:03 to 15:11
Learn how Marie-Louise Sciò conceptualized Isimo to represent Italian luxury.
“So all of these things kind of came together.”
Balancing Heritage and Innovation
15:13 to 19:24
Discover how Marie-Louise balances the history of El Pelicano with modern aspirations.
“But you also know that there's a history and heritage with El Pelicano, right?”
Imagination in Business
19:26 to 21:24
Explore the role of dreams and imagination in creating a unique brand experience.
“It's about subtlety and no big, huge, grand gestures.”
Imagination in Business
22:25 to 23:05
Explore the role of dreams and imagination in creating a unique brand experience.
“When you're a mom to young kids, it's hard enough to get a moment alone.”
Investment and Future Plans
24:20 to 28:00
Understand how a $200 million investment is shaping the future of Marie-Louise's hotels.
“You receive a$200 million investment from venture capital to expand in other locations in Italy.”
Show all 22 chapters
The Whimsical World of Tuscan Hotels
28:00 to 29:20
Explore the unique vision behind a Tuscan hotel and the challenges of acquisitions.
“I don't know, but my intentions are to bring it back to that kind of whimsical world because it's going to be a very unusual Tuscan hotel.”
Cocktails and Iconic Bars
29:20 to 31:20
Discussing the iconic bar at El Pelicano and the magic of the cocktails served there.
“yeah i i have a couple cocktails we're gonna bring here you're kidding yeah no we have cocktails Great.”
Disconnecting to Find Yourself
31:20 to 32:40
The importance of disconnecting from technology to truly relax and be present.
“The views, the sun, the warmth, the drinks, the food.”
White Lotus and Hospitality Trends
32:40 to 34:40
Examining the impact of TV shows like White Lotus on hotel business and guest intentions.
“So when you see someone on a Zoom call in your lobby, do you think just, what do you think?”
Quiet Luxury in Hospitality
34:40 to 37:10
Understanding the concept of quiet luxury in hotels and what guests truly seek.
“What do you think about as you watch that show and you just see a flock of people going to a destination because it's featured on a show?”
Recommended Hotels and Their Unique Stories
37:10 to 41:20
Sharing insights on recommended hotels and the unique experiences they offer.
“There's a lot of excess technology that I don't think we need.”
Personal Growth and Learning
41:20 to 42:00
Discussing the importance of personal growth and the lessons learned from various sources.
“Like we went on these long hikes with my husband, then my son.”
Exploring Personal Growth and Curiosity
42:00 to 44:09
Learn how openness and curiosity drive personal growth and inspiration.
“But from north to south, it's all inissimo.”
Business Insights: Seizing Opportunities
44:25 to 47:26
Understand the importance of acting quickly on business opportunities.
“This is the love story of real hinge couple Odin and Edward, written and read by me, Curtis Garner.”
Unlearning and Resilience
47:26 to 49:51
Explore the process of unlearning control and embracing resilience.
“So even though I have my rules about doing due diligence, dotting every I and crossing every T, when opportunity knocks and you know it's the right one, you just have to move.”
Defining Toughness and Beauty
49:51 to 50:39
Reflect on the concepts of toughness and what makes one feel beautiful.
“Not giving up is one of the best answers I've heard.”
Defining Toughness and Beauty
50:42 to 51:16
Reflect on the concepts of toughness and what makes one feel beautiful.
“Thanks to Amazon Prime for supporting this episode.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Marie-Louise Sciò:It's almost midday. You're right. Okay.
0:02Maria Sharapova:My grandmother used to say it must be 12 o 'clock somewhere.
0:05Marie-Louise Sciò:Cheers. Cheers. To us. To us. Okay, I'm going to give it a sip. And to Negroni's at noon. Noon. Almost noon. See, I purposely did this interview around 1130. Oh, this is a good Negroni.
0:22Marie-Louise Sciò:If you've ever dreamed of spending an afternoon with a book and a cocktail on the Italian coast, Marie-Louise Cho is the woman who has perfected this fantasy and brought it into reality. Marie-Louise is the CEO and creative director of the Pilicano Group, the force behind some of the world's most iconic hotels. Over the past two decades, she's transformed Hotel Il Pilicano from a legendary destination into a global lifestyle brand, expanding into design, fashion, media, and retail while preserving the effortless glamour that made it famous in the first place. Her hotels have become destinations for everyone, from fashion insiders to celebrities.
1:01Marie-Louise Sciò:In fact, Dua Lipa even chose one for her honeymoon. Over a couple of Negronis, Marie-Louise and I unpack the ingredients of true luxury and why it has far less to do with money than most people think. I'm Maria Sharapova, and this is Pretty Tough.
1:24Marie-Louise Sciò:Support for the show comes from Amazon Prime. It's important to have hobbies. In fact, it's one of the keys to feeling fulfilled. So when the opportunity presents itself to try something new, take it before you lose momentum. Try those painting sets out at the next girl's hang or invest in that sushi making kit for date night. Maybe a new set of bicycles for the family better get those helmets while you're at it and rest easy knowing that you can find it all on prime visit amazon.com slash prime to find millions of items delivered fast same day delivery it's on prime available in select areas terms apply hey i've got the campaign brief ready built from last quarter's data and the competitive landscape approved oh agents where would we be without you Somewhere with a lot more tabs open.
2:15Marie-Louise Sciò:Create your first Monday agent in minutes at Monday.com. Fall is here, and that means the pumpkin spice latte is back at Starbucks. It's the one we've been waiting for. So whether you're a fan of the original pumpkin spice latte, or ready to mix it up with an iced pumpkin cream chai, the new iced pumpkin cream matcha, or the new iced pumpkin cream shaken espresso, you can find your favorite taste of fall only at Starbucks. I like to start the pretty tough conversations with a quote by the guest. And yours is fabulous. I didn't expect anything less from you. You say, there are two things that never go out of style, sex and fun.
2:56Marie-Louise Sciò:How do you build that sensibility in the experiences that you've done at El Pelicano?
3:03Maria Sharapova:The fun part is the joy. I think joy is so important in everything and especially in what we do because we have the privilege of having people's time and that they decide to spend two days of their time with us. And it's the ultimate luxury. It's what we have is health and time. And so in that time, it's so important to bring joy. And so what I try to do all the time is to bring joy at all different points of contact. if it's through the graphics or the uniforms or the music choice. And it's about giving you a little sparkle inside that is joyful. And then the fun part is I always have a party every year, as you know.
3:49Maria Sharapova:The ultimate party maker. And I love to have parties because it's so good to have fun and everyone wants to have fun. And it fills your heart and it fills your soul and you just feel so good, even if maybe the next morning you don't feel as fresh. but you feel fulfilled and and so fun and joy are really really important and at a time when
4:10Marie-Louise Sciò:experience speaks so loudly right where you know there's so many things that money can buy but experience is such a it's a inner feeling right of what you're seeing who you're feeling it with who you're you're on this journey with and you're giving them this combination of comfort of something new, but also this element of experience.
4:31Maria Sharapova:Yeah, I think we all want to feel something. And as you said, like people who can, they've bought everything, but there's no, there's no price tag to how you can feel. And so it's really important. I always say we're in the business of giving emotions, of making you feel something and, um, which, which I love, which is, and I think it's a, it's a noble job to do that, right. To want to make people feel good. Um, and then yes, if we can put some fun in it. Even better. Tweak it a little.
5:02Marie-Louise Sciò:So after your father bought the Pelicana Hotel, I read that you used to watch these lavish parties from the sidelines, this little peekaboo that you open through a planter or curtains. What did you see as a young girl and what excited you about this idea of hospitality and joy?
5:23Maria Sharapova:I definitely saw a lot of parties because my mom used to throw a lot of parties as well. So, you know, if there was an eclipse that you could only see in Mexico, she'd throw a party in Puerto Erco in Tuscany. Did you see the eclipse? No, never, funny enough. So it's a party without the eclipse. There was a party without the eclipse. It was always the spirit of parties. My mom always had parties, so I think I have a love for parties that stems from that. But, you know, growing up in a place which for me was home, but then I'd have all these random people come. I was like, this is very strange. Is it a home or what's happening?
6:01Maria Sharapova:And then we had the usual guests who kept coming and who still do. But everyone, you know, on vacation, people come with their best intentions. And so they're joyful. They come more happy, you know, and I see a lot of people outside the hotels and they're completely different. But as a kid, I'd always see, you know, these wonderful adults who are incredibly elegant and seersucker suits and long gowns. And there was this just joie de vivre in the air. And we couldn't go there as kids because we weren't allowed because we were such naughty children. And so we basically didn't expect anything different from you, Marie-Louise.
6:38Maria Sharapova:Basically got kicked out when we took the lobsters out of this kind of lobster tank from the restaurant and threw them in the swimming pool thinking to save them. In El Pelicano. In El Pelicano. I'll never look at that pool the same. No. And the poor lobsters kind of went all white and just died in a second because it was full of chlorine. But that's when the no kids rule came in. And so everything I would watch it from kind of backstage and the backstage was behind the rosemary bushes or hiding between the trees. And it was a filter to this adult world of beauty and fun and elegance and kind of a time capsule.
7:16Marie-Louise Sciò:And did you envision yourself one day being part of that?
7:22Maria Sharapova:Not at all. And I understood that there was a different world that I was fascinated with when Slim Aaron started coming. he was a really good friend of my mom's and I would basically you know carry his bags and and go look at his shoots and it was I really saw understood or saw the world of il pelicano through Slim's eyes so I remember when he was styling the shoots there was this fabulous picture of my parents on the couch um and he you know there I was he was saying move this move that and I literally saw through that lens this incredible world that was a possibility with all this beauty and elegance and it was fabulous.
8:03Marie-Louise Sciò:So you were like a bellman, bell lady.
8:05Maria Sharapova:Yeah. Incredible.
8:10Marie-Louise Sciò:And years later, your father asks you to design a bathroom, right? Through your love of design, interior design. Yeah. He gives you a little challenge.
8:20Maria Sharapova:I think it was more to see a return on the investment that he had sent me to Rhode Island School of Design, more than like encouraging my love of design. But he said, you know, I need to redo two bathrooms at the Pelicano. Why don't you do them? And so I did the two bathrooms and I was very happy. And then I remember standing in the lobby, which is exactly how it was, you know, 25 years ago and how it was in the 70s. And I said to my dad, I said, I think you need to reposition this place for a younger crowd because, you know, everything has a cycle and it was starting to get kind of dustier and the average age was really high.
8:59Maria Sharapova:And he said, do it. I thought, I can't. No, I can't do it.
9:04Marie-Louise Sciò:He had that confidence right away in you.
9:06Maria Sharapova:Yeah, I think he did. No, he did. And he also is very, he's also pretty tough because, you know, he throws you into the water and says, now you swim. And I thought, listen, I can't do it. I told him, I said, I don't feel confident, but what I can do is kind of interview some architects and see if they're the right ones. So I interviewed these amazing architects, but everyone, all of them were going to put their ego and their story on it. And I thought, I'll probably screw it up. But I grew up here. I know the DNA. I know the story of this place. And I want to preserve it. And so I kind of, you know, closed my nose, jumped into the water.
9:48Maria Sharapova:And over a winter, I hired someone and we kind of started redesigning it. But saving everything that I could, so all the sconces, everything that was...
9:57Marie-Louise Sciò:Preserving the heritage.
9:58Maria Sharapova:Yeah, because I think the soul is in all those little details. And I didn't want to make it something different because to me that place is magic. And I wanted to preserve it, but I also wanted to create a dialogue between the past and today because or else it would feel...
10:16Marie-Louise Sciò:But looking back at that, I mean, Ilpele was his baby, right, for years growing it into an icon that it was. And for him to put you in the position of taking that major design role, I mean, you must have shown him certain qualities, right, in leadership, in your taste. What do you think he saw in you?
10:38Maria Sharapova:He always said, you're going to be, you're a leader. You're a leader. And I absolutely never believed that. A, I didn't know what he really meant. And then B, I never thought I was because I was terrible in school. I was incredibly insecure, terrible at writing, terrible at math, terrible at so many subjects, egg and spoon race in sports. So that was your sport? Pretty much. I never qualified for any other sport. And how did you do in that one? Not so good.
11:06Marie-Louise Sciò:Last place. Last place. So he saw you grow into and turn some of the things that you struggled with in school and grow with age and confidence and maturity. He definitely gave me opportunities. And he definitely believed in me because, you know, you don't give a hotel or whatever is your business or your child.
11:29Maria Sharapova:And he tried. And that gave me a lot of confidence. And the same thing goes with the book. You know, we did this book when I was doing the research for the interior design. I called Slim Arons and I said, do you have, you know, pictures? Because I need to, I want to reference how it was. And he said, I sold everything. The archive is in London. So I came to London and I went through boxes and boxes and boxes of photographs. And that's when I told my dad, I was like, we have to do a book. And there, I know he told me later, he was like, I just thought I was throwing out a chunk of money out of the window, basically.
12:05Maria Sharapova:but I wanted to give you confidence. Instead, the book then became kind of the game changer that brought the Pelicano into the contemporary conversation.
12:15Marie-Louise Sciò:Many people know and speak about, you know, your hotels, but it's almost this like little kept secret, right? And someone's been there and experienced it. And someone has heard about an ashtray, you know, that perhaps a friend of theirs stole. Or there's this book that's become iconic. And you were, you know, pretty much at the forefront of that.
12:35Maria Sharapova:It's all the little gestures. That's the things I always curated and always loved. There's all these kind of little surprises. And the ashtray is the most stolen item, which I love. Till this day? Oh, yeah. And also, you can now buy it online, but people tend to not do that. It feels so much better when it's free. Right? Sometimes I'm the one who gives them like, just take it. Take the ashtray. Just take it.
12:58Marie-Louise Sciò:It's a little cracked, but take it. Well, let's talk about that, because that is very much a detail that was important to you as you started growing the brand. And it all started with this idea and concept of Isimo. And I, you know, I know the meaning of it, but I want you to walk me through what is it and why that was the right time to start. Isimo?
13:23Maria Sharapova:Well, I was curating all the shops in the hotel. And I love fashion. And so I was doing all the buying and also a lot of kind of collaborations before they were huge in hotels because now there's a lot of them. But everything happened quite organically. So we did a lot of, you know, small and bigger projects with different brands. And then I thought I need to have a platform where to put these things. And we were trying to grow the hotel group, but we weren't finding the right place yet. So I wanted to create something that could keep us in touch with people during the winter, basically, when we're closed.
14:03Maria Sharapova:And it was a website. So all of these things kind of came together. And I thought I can put all of my interests here, our collaborations, and talk about Italy in a way that is not pizza, ice cream, and mandolino, but actually bring people under the skin of Italy. And so then I thought, what's the name for this? Because it's kind of a cabinet of curiosities, Isissimo, because you can shop, but you can read, and you can buy from pasta sauce to blazers. You know, it's very random. It's not randomly curated. It's a fun shopping experience. There's a lot of different stuff and our merchandise. And I thought, what is the fil rouge?
14:41Maria Sharapova:What connects all of them? And I thought, well, it's an Isimi, right? It's the Isimo of Italy. And Isimo is a superlative that we Italians add to everything. So we say, Bonissimo, Bellissimo. So I thought, that's the name, Isimo. And so we launched it just pre-COVID. I mean, smack during COVID, in the middle of COVID. When people were also really dreaming about travel because they, you know, a lot of people thought we'd never be able to do that again. And Italy was on everyone's map. So that's how it happened.
15:13Marie-Louise Sciò:How do you, as someone that, I mean, when you, besides the hotel, which in itself is a daily grind and work, you also create the playlists, you create the menu, you think of the collaborations, you know, that you incorporate into the hotel gift shop. But you also know that there's a history and heritage with El Pelicano, right? But you have a mindset of looking in the future as well. How do you find this like practical balance of both? Like where does that touch come from?
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15:47Maria Sharapova:I think it's really, it's intuitive though. It's a lot of like, all of these projects and these collaborations are kind of intuitions, but they also come out of personal needs.
15:58Marie-Louise Sciò:Like when we did the Birkenstock thing, which my father kind of nearly passed out when I told him I was doing Birkenstock.
16:04Maria Sharapova:I was just like, what is the hotel got to do with kind of German sandals? It's like, it's got to do with it. Because I was wearing Birkenstocks all the time. And I was in the hotel at nine and I never knew when I would leave. And I needed something that was a bit more elevated. And I love Birkenstocks. So I thought, let me write to them and say I have this idea. Cold letter.
16:29Marie-Louise Sciò:Did you send them a cold letter? Yeah.
16:30Maria Sharapova:Their head of brand and marketing knew about Pelicano. And he was like. okay, do you want us to, you know, send you some ideas? I was like, no, no, I've got it because I designed it all. So I literally sent him the PDF file with all the shoes. And he said, kind of, great. So we moved forward with that. And then I told, when I told my dad, he literally turned blue. He's like, you're going to destroy the brand. It's going to be a disaster. I was like, trust me, because he couldn't see the association. And that came out of a personal necessity. Like I wanted to. It's a personal love. That's what you used.
17:06Marie-Louise Sciò:That's what you wore.
17:06Maria Sharapova:But I wanted them in silk or I wanted them in raffian. I just wanted them a little bit more elevated.
17:11Marie-Louise Sciò:How did you have the confidence just to send someone a message? Because that takes a certain...
17:16Maria Sharapova:I always just go for it. I just jump a bit like back in the day. Close my nose and jump. I'm not afraid of taking risks. And that's what's gotten you far in your career. I think so. Has it ever backfired? Yeah. I mean, I've also made not so great decisions, but I think one should always try. I'm always about, I'm always open to learning new things, to exploring, to going for it, to taking risks. And I think if you, it's a mindset that I was definitely taught by my dad.
17:53Marie-Louise Sciò:And in taking over the Il Pelicano brand, which is currently for hotels, and I know you're expanding and we'll get to all of that. But one of the key, I would call it a mistake, that a lot of new owners make is they come in and they feel that they need to put their own spin onto it. Like I compare it to sports teams, you know, and you know owner going in and saying, you know, the color of jerseys now needs to be red. Right, that they change everything. Change everything. And it backfires. How did you know, where did that instinct come from that you always, you know, you have a fresh perspective, right?
18:36Marie-Louise Sciò:Your father has carried this legacy for so long. He'll always be there to support you. But how do you establish your own footprint?
18:43Maria Sharapova:I always had an approach of respect and tiptoeing. I never wanted to completely change anything because I respect its past. I respect its history. And that's the approach I have with all the new hotels we're doing. But I remember when we opened the summer after I'd done the first renovation, I was terrified of these clients who'd be coming for 50 years, that they would hate it. And this wonderful couple came in and said, something's changed, but I can't put my finger on it. And I thought, that's exactly what I want to do. I want to evolve it, but not destroy the DNA. The DNA, I want to respect it.
19:24Maria Sharapova:And so that's always the approach I have, which is kind of very, it's gentle and subtle and it's not obvious. It's about subtlety and no big, huge, grand gestures. But there's a delicacy in not trying to, I don't want to, you know, reinvent the wheel.
19:45Marie-Louise Sciò:Right.
19:46Maria Sharapova:But we have a very, a language that is ours in that sense. You know, you go to so many places and you feel it's been stripped away from time and time is so precious and you can't buy that. So once you've ripped it all out, that's it.
20:05Marie-Louise Sciò:One of the things you did with ECMO is ultimately it's a digital platform, right? It's, you know, you've curated beautiful objects that are in your gift shop at a destination, but they are now easily accessible. And in a world of digital media, you know, of artificial intelligence, how did you realize that that was like part of your evolution and that's where you needed to be? You wanted to create access for the world outside. You wanted to give a sneak peek of Italy, of your property, to someone that's never experienced it before. And they could get it when they're on the other side of the world.
20:43Maria Sharapova:I think it's great to be able to dream. Dreaming and imagination is wonderful. And we did this great imaginary road trip during COVID with two friends of mine that we were posting online about a road trip in Italy. And it was all in our fantasy, but it's what we wanted to do and what a lot of people wanted to be able to do. And we had a huge following with this imaginary road trip because people were like loving it. And so I think there's something about imagination and dreams that is so important in our everyday life. And that's what we try and bring with Isimo through our editorial is to transport you into an Italy that you don't know and give you space for fantasy.
21:32Marie-Louise Sciò:And for people that are in businesses from face-to-face interaction, right, that are looking in the outside world and intimidated by what you see in the digital space and in AI, what advice would you have for them?
21:52Maria Sharapova:to keep it human to keep it human in terms of the emotions you put in what you do and the emotions that then are red on the other side I'm a big believer that if you put love into something it shows so to not only have a commercial approach to things but to really have a point of view and emotions and I think that gives back a lot
22:24Marie-Louise Sciò:Support for the show comes from Amazon Prime. When you're a mom to young kids, it's hard enough to get a moment alone. But to get a night to yourself, that can feel almost impossible. When the rare moment does arrive, make the most of it. That's where Prime comes in. That three-day weekend the kids are over at grandma's. A play date turned into a sleepover. Or maybe dad just takes them out for the evening so you can decompress. don't miss the opportunity for a girls night complete with cheeky glasses and decorations or an outdoor movie marathon with a projector and themed popcorn buckets and you can get it all on Prime with same day delivery embrace the spontaneous and treat yourself when the moment arises visit amazon.com slash Prime to find millions of items delivered fast same day delivery it's on Prime available in select areas terms apply
23:20Marie-Louise Sciò:Fall is here, and that means the Pumpkin Spice Latte is back at Starbucks. It's the one we've been waiting for. So whether you're a fan of the original Pumpkin Spice Latte, or ready to mix it up with an iced pumpkin cream chai, the new iced pumpkin cream matcha, or the new iced pumpkin cream shaken espresso, you can find your favorite taste of fall only at Starbucks. Excuses are easy. An epic movie night? We don't have enough snacks. Dinner party with the girls? We'd have to decorate. surprise date night nothing to wear but amazon's prime same day delivery lets you say yes before the moment slips away try that new popcorn maker order those cheeky drink glasses get that new perfume and turn that i wish we could into an i'm so glad we did visit amazon.com slash prime to find millions of items delivered fast same day delivery it's on prime available in select areas terms apply Let's shift gears to business.
24:21Marie-Louise Sciò:Yes. It's 2023. You receive a$200 million investment from venture capital to expand in other locations in Italy. You've got two on the way. You say you want to get to eight? Total eight, nine, yeah. Okay. How does your mindset shift when there's so much money on the line? Yeah. How do you think about the future? Is there more responsibility?
24:53Maria Sharapova:There's for sure more responsibility because now I have a partner. But it goes again in the always challenging myself and always wanting to grow because we could have also stayed with the three hotels we have. But when I did start working at the hotel, which was the last thing I thought I would do, then I really discovered what was the thing that made me happy in the morning. And it's this job. And so the evolution was to exactly this. I wanted to find a partner. I wanted to continue what my father had started, not just because he had started it, but because I love it. And it fulfills me. And it's a place where I can be creative and bring creativity and business together.
25:39Maria Sharapova:So it was kind of a natural evolution. And sometimes I still don't believe it. And I'm like, oh, because, again, I was the egg and spoon person. So my self-confidence was less than zero. I never had the self-confidence. So when I did get that letter, I was thrilled. And there's moments that I do try and stop and like savor the moment and look back and really appreciate.
26:08Marie-Louise Sciò:Is there something you can share about the two new hotels that will open?
26:12Maria Sharapova:Yeah, we're really excited. We got this one hotel outside of Siena, which is an architectural masterpiece, because then my big passion is always architecture and design, by Baldassare Peruzzi, who wrote The Architecture Code in the Renaissance. And it's incredible. And it was an old glory of an existing hotel, kind of the first boutique hotel in Tuscany. And then the guy had extraordinary taste, but maybe not so skilled businessman. So it kind of went out of business. And then banks had a very terminal story and we bought it completely furnished. So now the real challenge is we can't leave it exactly as it was for many reasons.
26:51Maria Sharapova:But is is is cherry picking all the furniture and try to bring back to life his vision, which was really eclectic. And again, going back to the DNA and what's in the walls, like I don't want to go into someone's house, even if it's today, it's our house. but that house is so much in the walls and in that furniture so I want to try and preserve that as much as I can it's going to be very eclectic how dusty was it? very, it was very dusty
27:17Marie-Louise Sciò:how long was it unoccupied for?
27:20Maria Sharapova:I think six years, seven years with furniture in it? not only furniture, tablecloths napkins on the tables it's like something went off and everyone ran out it's amazing creepy creepy but kind of waiting for someone to come and bring it back to life because that property is so beautiful. And I love finding these kind of gems that just you need to kind of, the approach is always to blow the dust off. And I always want to make it feel like it's always been there. And it goes back to what we were saying at the beginning, not putting my ego on it, but just trying to respect as much as I can and hope I'll get it right.
28:01Maria Sharapova:I'll get it wrong. I don't know, but my intentions are to bring it back to that kind of whimsical world because it's going to be a very unusual Tuscan hotel.
28:10Marie-Louise Sciò:Did you ever discover a gem that you tried to get and you tried to buy and it didn't work out?
28:16Maria Sharapova:Oh, yeah. A few. Frustrating.
28:20Marie-Louise Sciò:How do you let it go?
28:23Maria Sharapova:I let it go.
28:28Maria Sharapova:What's the Italian version of letting go? La charandare. I find it really hard. I try until the end. Like, I never give up. I'm always trying to find different ways to bring a solution home. And then until I've exhausted them all, I don't give up. Like, I never stop at the first no. I'm like, okay, this door is closed. I'm sure there's a side door. Oh, there must be a window. There must be a fire escape. I try to go in anyway. Yeah, this has happened. And as everything, you know, they'll be stuck in me. I'll think, oh, damn it, that hotel we so should have got. But maybe it wasn't in the cards.
28:59Marie-Louise Sciò:and do you ever go back to it like several years later and think maybe in my fantasy yeah a lot in your dreams in my dreams after you have a few negronis yeah you wake up in the middle of the night and then i go traveling yes it's the fairy tale it's a fairy tale yeah so speaking of negronis yeah i i have a couple cocktails we're gonna bring here you're kidding yeah no we have cocktails Great. The reason we have cocktails is because your bar at El Pelicano is iconic. And your barman. Yeah. The great Federico. Federico is one of my favorite human beings. Like when I'm booking a room at El Pelicano, I just think of him.
29:46Marie-Louise Sciò:I'm like, I cannot wait till aperitivo so I can give him a big hug. So anyway, so I have Negronis and we're going to give it a sip. Great. And you're going to tell me how it's compared to Federico. Great. Okay. This is a first. What? It's almost midday. You're right. Okay.
30:02Maria Sharapova:My grandmother used to say it must be 12 o 'clock somewhere.
30:05Marie-Louise Sciò:Cheers. Cheers. To us. To us. Okay. I'm going to give it a second. And to Negronis at noon. Noon. Almost noon. See, I purposely did this interview around 1130. Oh, this is a good Negroni.
30:20Maria Sharapova:Hmm.
30:21Marie-Louise Sciò:It's up there. It's up there. It's not Federico's.
30:24Maria Sharapova:It's not Federico's.
30:25Marie-Louise Sciò:Federico's a special man.
30:27Maria Sharapova:Yeah, because he puts that love and that magic. And he always has a twist on his cocktails. Like he always uses a little bit of a different ingredient. He always has his. And those oranges?
30:40Marie-Louise Sciò:Do you use oranges from the property in the Negronis?
30:43Maria Sharapova:Yes. And we also use peaches for the Bellinis. Did you have the Bellini? Because it's with real peach. It's not peach juice.
30:52Marie-Louise Sciò:So you.
30:53Maria Sharapova:With the peaches. It's amazing.
30:56Marie-Louise Sciò:For someone that's not watching the video, our movement was that we squeeze the peach. Or you spin the peach. You spin the peach. You do something with the peach. And you create the juice.
31:14Marie-Louise Sciò:You have this unique view of what it is to relax, right? Because ultimately, when one goes on vacation that is at one of your properties, they are there for, you know, to enjoy everything there. The views, the sun, the warmth, the drinks, the food. Experience Italy at its best. But they're also there to take their mind off of this, like, busy life, distractions. You're someone that mixes work with pleasure, right? All the time. Yeah. I mean, we're all victims of it. What advice do you have for people that really need to relax in their lives?
31:58Maria Sharapova:Chuck the phone. Phone is such a distraction. One tends to live in this underworld, which is whatever happens online. And I personally find immense benefit when I don't use the phone or any social media or things like that. and I see last week I was at the Pelicano and the whole beach was reading a book and it's so rare to see people read books because everyone's scrolling and so I think that's the secret to really disconnect to really become present because you're always looking forward or backwards in the phone right and that's someone else's life so you're never really present to yourself so I think the phone is the key to disconnecting and to really coming back to yourself because I think so now It's not only about relaxing.
32:47Maria Sharapova:It's about coming back to yourself.
32:50Marie-Louise Sciò:So when you see someone on a Zoom call in your lobby, do you think just, what do you think? Sadly, it's kind of me doing that Zoom call in the lobby. Tell me what you think about yourself. Not good. Not good. The first time I came to Ila Pilacano and I entered and I was on this long trip. So I had these like two huge suitcases and I come in and I walk outside to this gorgeous view. and it was kind of midday so everyone was already drinking negronis swimming they were out by the pool on the cliffs enjoying themselves and you were there alone with your father and you were having a business meeting oh like a very strong competitive oh wow yeah and i saw it from because i wanted to like come run to you and give you a hug but i noticed that this was a very important meeting yeah there was like tension and and this thought crossed my mind like this is a lady that creates these relaxing experiences for her guests and someone that's at one of her properties and
33:59Maria Sharapova:she is working her butt off although i always look like i'm on vacation yes i mean you do have some chic outfits you know imagine if you saw someone run around in a suit on a computer there it would be like an eyesore so i always try to kind of blend in and not look like i'm working have you watched the white lotus i have it's quite fun i mean it's true that there's quite extraordinary stories in hotels really extraordinary what do you think of the effect as someone that knows the ins and
34:36Marie-Louise Sciò:outs of hospitality and the effect that a show like that can have on your property. What do you think about as you watch that show and you just see a flock of people going to a destination because it's featured on a show?
34:50Maria Sharapova:I mean, business-wise, it's great, right? I mean, what's happened with a lot of TV shows, especially White Lotus, is that these hotels have like two, three-year wait lists. But the intention of going to a place, I wouldn't want people coming to the Pelicano because they saw it on a TV show. The intention is different, right? The optics? Well, the intention of why you're going to that place, like you're going to that place because so-and-so was there or they were doing that. So I think, again, business-wise it's great, but it's not something we strive for too much. It's such a fine balance between creating a location that feels,
35:35Marie-Louise Sciò:It's just it's a quiet luxury. And I know we've used the term in and out all the time. But I do think it really speaks to what you've created is that there's. It's a very warm experience and it's deep, but it's it's almost like a silent known. Yes. Like you felt it. You've been there, but you don't you know, you don't shout out to the world or you show off. It's it's quiet.
36:04Maria Sharapova:Also, that's the reason why a lot of people come, is that no one cares. Like, no one cares who the other guests are. No one comes there to show off. You've been there. I mean, you go to bed at like 11. I mean, if I'm at the bar, then a little later. I'm in bed at 9.30. All right, so I pushed it. But it's a very, all three hotels are quite quiet. And no one goes there to be seen. And no one goes there to see. So it's kind of very tranquillo.
36:34Marie-Louise Sciò:Tranquillo. I like that. Tranquillo. Tranquillo. Tranquillo. When you enter a hotel room for the very first time or a property, what are the three things that are very important to you?
36:46Maria Sharapova:The bed. Bed is everything. Which part? The mattress? The mattress. The pillow? Mattress. Mattress has to be a really good mattress.
36:55Marie-Louise Sciò:What's Marie-Louise's preference on mattress? Firm with a topper.
36:59Maria Sharapova:Okay. So then you can get a bit of both. The light system has to be easy. On, off. Not those digital dashboards that, you know, you press one thing and the curtains open and you press another thing and all the lights go off. Simplicit, easiness. Too many buttons. Too many buttons and too much. There's a lot of excess technology that I don't think we need. And a good bathroom. Bathrooms are really important. That's something my dad always told me. It was like bathroom is very important. hotel. That's why the luxury is in the bathroom. And that's the first thing you designed for him. And God, it was expensive.
37:36Maria Sharapova:I really took him seriously.
37:38Marie-Louise Sciò:He was like, whoa, expensive for him or expensive for you? For him, for him. He's still paying for that lesson. Like, ooh.
37:49Marie-Louise Sciò:If there are three hotels outside of your group that you can say, you can recommend, Yes. What would they be?
37:59Maria Sharapova:Number one on my list by far is a bedroom breakfast in Civita di Bagno Reggio called Corte della Maestà. It's four bedrooms, just breakfast, but the most glorious breakfast. It's incredible because the hotels I love are the ones that are an extension of someone. And you can see a point of view and you can see their taste and you can see the humanity of that place. And that place is extraordinary. Besides the fact that the town is amazing, it's a town that you can only get to by walking bridge with eight full-time residents. So it's really... It's on my bucket list because of you. It's amazing.
38:36Maria Sharapova:Because you've spoken about it. It's so wonderful. And talking about making you feel, I mean, and Cristiana who runs it, it's so full of passion and love and just wants you to feel great. Everything about that place. And I go there a lot. and although I have a house across the valley, sometimes I sleep there because I love it. So that to me is really special. I think she really nails the true meaning of hospitality. I also love Le Couvent in Nice, I think. It's a beautiful hotel and I'm very difficult about new hotels, but I find that the intention of that hotel and how it's executed is incredible and the food is amazing And I think Nice is incredible.
39:23Maria Sharapova:It's a great, great city.
39:25Marie-Louise Sciò:You know what I think they got right? You're going to laugh at me. It's the shade of white that they've chosen for their rooms. Yes. And everyone has an idea of what a shade of white is. Sometimes it's like stark white. Sometimes it's this warmer one. Sometimes it's a gray, but in a different space. Like there's a warmth to it. But when you look at the wall, you think, oh, it's just a white wall.
39:49Maria Sharapova:But there's no. Nothing's left to chance.
39:53Marie-Louise Sciò:No.
39:53Maria Sharapova:No. And I'm sure he went through a million swatches before he got that wine. I think that hotel is really incredible. The third is a hotel in the Dolomites, which is called La Perla. And the reason why I love La Perla, again, has to do with the extension of the personality of Michiel, who's one of the owners, who has a massive collection of wine and an incredible, profound love for Frank Zappa. He is the most expert person in Frank Zappa, I think, ever. So if you go to his wine cellar, it's all with Zappa's music. And you go through this incredible experience of his wine cellar. And then at the end, you go to this little living room and it has a Zappa interview on repeat.
40:40Maria Sharapova:And I love that. It's like a museum. It's so quirky and fabulous and soulful. There's so much soul and, again, vision and passion.
40:53Marie-Louise Sciò:I fell in love with the Dolomites this winter. It was my first time. And I went there alone for work and I thought, this place is magical. It is. And there's something in the air that makes you feel like you are a small existence, and that you're a small existent in a very large world. and I brought my family back in the summer and we had one of the best weeks that we've had in years. I can believe that. Because there's also something for everyone. Yeah. Like we went on these long hikes with my husband, then my son. Every gondola, you get on a gondola, you go up and there's a playground. All outside, they're large, they're animals, there's goats and rabbits and donkeys.
41:35Marie-Louise Sciò:And this is like normal. Yeah. I look at it as, you know, when I used to live in California, And like you didn't have access to all of that on every corner. Now it's like everywhere.
41:45Maria Sharapova:Yeah. And the Dolomites are really, you know, they were kind of so underrated for so long. But that's a lot of Italy. There's so many beautiful places besides. Undiscovered. Florence, Rome, you know, and the same. And Venice, which are amazing cities. But from north to south, it's all inissimo. It's allissimo.
42:06Marie-Louise Sciò:So to wrap this up before our very tough questions.
42:12Marie-Louise Sciò:As someone that is, you say one of your passions in life is growing.
42:18Maria Sharapova:Yeah.
42:19Marie-Louise Sciò:How do you grow? How do you find avenues to grow in? And from who do you learn? Who inspires you to move forward and take chances and take risks?
42:30Maria Sharapova:Everything around me is a, I see everything as a lesson. and everyone I feel always enriches me because I'm open to it. It's really an attitude thing. And I read and my boyfriend and my son and films and everything sparks a question. So I think that is, I have this, you know, always question everything, which comes a little bit from school, from RISD and a little bit from my parents who never did anything within the box. So I always see possibility everywhere and also growth everywhere. So it's kind of constant.
43:09Marie-Louise Sciò:So easy.
43:10Maria Sharapova:It sounds so easy. It's a mindset, you know. I love that. It's just being open to and being curious. I'm curious of what I don't know. And I'm very curious about the human mind and all the things we can do with it.
43:28Marie-Louise Sciò:Support for the show comes from Amazon Prime. Being spontaneous is one of those things that's so easy when you're young and harder to come by once you have more responsibilities. And when you have kids, forget it. But with Prime, when the moment presents itself, you can easily embrace spontaneity and shake up your routine with something new. Instead of another night scrolling on the couch, why not put together an epic movie night complete with snacks and decorations? When the kids ask to turn a play date into a sleepover, make it extra special with one of those galaxy light projectors. And when there's a change of weekend plans, you can pivot and finally host that game night to try the new card game you've been seeing online.
44:07Marie-Louise Sciò:You'll find everything you need on Prime. Visit Amazon.com slash Prime to find millions of items delivered fast. Same day delivery? It's on Prime. Available in select areas? Terms apply.
44:24Marie-Louise Sciò:I didn't like what you said, Odin pauses, about the future. This is the love story of real hinge couple Odin and Edward, written and read by me, Curtis Garner.
44:36Maria Sharapova:Listen to the free audiobook now.
44:41Marie-Louise Sciò:Welcome to another installment of Pretty Tough Tips, presented by Prime. Today, we're talking business and how to move at the speed of opportunity. Oftentimes in business, the worst thing you can do is wait. If you have a good idea or a great investment opportunity, you gotta move quick. And unlike in sports, there's not a clock to help inform your decisions. The best opportunities rarely wait for you to feel ready. I've made that call both ways. Sometimes betting on conviction, over comfort, sometimes doing the work to really understand what I was investing in before committing. And I've learned just as much from the times I hesitated and watched an opportunity pass me by as I have from the ones I got right.
45:26Marie-Louise Sciò:Most times I am someone that loves to look under the hood when I'm evaluating a company or a business opportunity. And I guess that goes all the way back to training and being an athlete and making sure that no stone is unturned and doing everything in your research and getting your body ready for the next big moment. And that's how I've always approached business, is understanding everything from the brand, its values, the founder, where it's come from, how are they going to do during challenging times.
46:00Marie-Louise Sciò:Sometimes I get opportunities to invest in companies that haven't launched yet. So it's a new idea, a new product, a new concept. And I deeply believe in it. And I think so many other people will. but there's always that little bit of hesitation because not many people have tried it yet. There are moments and occasions where an opportunity comes and you can't waste any time, you have to make a decision. Taking a chance and committing before the public has really had a chance to understand or try what it is, taking that leap of faith and believing in a founder, believing in a mission, believing in a product is a bit of a risk and there's a bit of pressure involved in that but ultimately if you believe in it and you've lived with it and tried it, then you go for it and pursue it.
46:49Marie-Louise Sciò:I spend quite a lot of time with the founder asking a lot of questions, sometimes too many because the world hasn't experienced or tried this product. And ultimately, this is part of the due diligence package to just gain confidence in a product that's yet to launch. Once I commit to investing in a company or being a face of a brand, And there's a part of me that needs to be comfortable with the decision and trusting the process of the due diligence that you did and just being passionate about it and moving forward and work with the founder on making it the best partnership it can be.
47:26Marie-Louise Sciò:So even though I have my rules about doing due diligence, dotting every I and crossing every T, when opportunity knocks and you know it's the right one, you just have to move. Go for it. Take a leap of faith.
47:41Marie-Louise Sciò:We're down to our pretty tough questions. What is something that you've had to unlearn?
47:47Maria Sharapova:Oh, I thought about this. Symmetry. Symmetry always gave me safety. And so through design, and I know why I needed that kind of symmetry, and so symmetry is the answer. I needed to unlearn and be comfortable with things that are not perfectly aligned or perfectly balanced or perfectly composed. And that goes a bit, applies with everything in life. So control. I had to unlearn control.
48:21Marie-Louise Sciò:Is there a routine that's helped shape your success?
48:24Maria Sharapova:I think being curious and open. And I'm a hard worker. And passion, passion, being passionate. And that's been a big, I've always done everything with passion.
48:36Marie-Louise Sciò:What is a common misconception about you?
48:40Maria Sharapova:That I'm always on vacation.
48:46No, I can seem sometimes really kind of tough.
48:51Maria Sharapova:Strict. But I think it's just an outside shell, but far from it.
48:57Marie-Louise Sciò:What is your relationship to perfection?
49:01Maria Sharapova:And I'm trying to, I mean, I don't think perfection exists, but I am very detail orientated. And so I'm trying to separate that between work and private life. We're building a house with my boyfriend and he's like, this is not a hotel. This is not a hotel. You don't need to make everyone happy. It's fine if something's out of place. And I have a real hard time, but I'm getting there. So trying to kind of separate those would help the perfection. What makes you feel tough? That I don't give up.
49:45And being positive makes me, I'm always positive and I don't give up.
49:50Maria Sharapova:And that has made me very resilient to also very complex things that life can give you. So, yeah, I feel gently tough. Gently tough. In the sense that I'm a gentle person. Not giving up is one of the best answers I've heard.
50:08Marie-Louise Sciò:Yeah, but it is. It's so true. Don't give up. What is something that makes you feel pretty?
50:14Maria Sharapova:It's a big question. High heels.
50:19Marie-Louise Sciò:You are one of the few that would wear high heels to the beach. Because I feel pretty. Yes. And the way Michelle looks at me makes me feel really pretty.
50:34Maria Sharapova:And it's tender. Very sweet.
50:36Marie-Louise Sciò:We have to end on that sweet note. Yeah, we do. Thank you very much. Thank you.
50:47Marie-Louise Sciò:Thanks to Amazon Prime for supporting this episode. Excuses are easy. An epic movie night? We don't have enough snacks. Dinner party with the girls? we'd need new play settings. Surprise date night? Nothing to wear. But Amazon Prime's same-day delivery lets you say yes and jump before the moment slips away. So when the mood strikes, try that new popcorn maker, order those cheeky drink glasses, get that new perfume, and turn that I wish we could into an I'm so glad we did. Visit amazon.com slash prime to find millions of items delivered fast. Same-day delivery? It's on Prime. Available in select areas.
51:25Marie-Louise Sciò:Terms apply.
51:53Marie-Louise Sciò:I don't think I can be your friend, Isabella said. Rebecca's stomach flipped. This is the love story of real hinge couple Isabella and Rebecca, written and read by me, Temi Denton-Hurst. Listen to the free audiobook now.
From the publisher
Maria Sharapova sits down with Marie-Louise Sciò, CEO and creative director of the iconic Italian luxury hospitality company, the Pellicano Group.
Marie-Louise shares her remarkable journey from watching her mom’s hotel parties from behind the rosemary bushes to securing a $200 million investment and expanding across Italy.
Together, Maria and Marie-Louise laugh, drink Negronis, and ponder the true meaning of luxury. Tune in as they sip, share stories, and unpack what it really takes to build an unforgettable brand and customer experience.
SUBSCRIBE►Subscribe to Pretty Tough: https://www.youtube.com/@mariasharapova?sub_confirmation=1
LISTEN:►Listen to every episode on your favorite podcast platform: https://pod.link/1893437254CHAPTERS
00:00 | Introduction: Negronis at Noon and Perfecting Italian Luxury
01:17 | The Quote: Why Sex, Fun, and Joy Never Go Out of Style
04:00 | Growing Up Il Pellicano: Hiding Behind Rosemary Bushes and Lobster Rescues
06:55 | Taking the Leap: Designing Bathrooms and Rethinking the Hotel Brand
10:45 | The Power of Details: Stolen Ashtrays and the Iconic Pellicano Book
12:00 | Launching ISSIMO: Bringing Italy's Cabinet of Curiosities Digital
14:40 | Breaking the Rules: Cold-Writing Birkenstock and Embracing Bold Risks
17:15 | Respecting Heritage: Evolving a Legacy Hotel Without Destroying Its DNA
21:05 | Scaling Up: Raising €200 Million and Acquiring New Tuscan Gems
26:40 | The Ultimate Taste Test: Comparing Cocktails with Hotel Il Pellicano’s Legendary Barman
28:30 | Disconnecting in Luxury: Why Phones Are the Enemy of Relaxation
33:20 | The Ultimate Hotel Checklist: Mattresses, Lighting, and Bathrooms
34:40 | Marie-Louise’s Top 3 Hidden-Gem Hotels Outside of Her Group
38:50 | Constant Growth: Finding Lessons and Inspiration in Everything
40:00 | Pretty Tough Tips: Moving at the Speed of Opportunity
43:10 | Pretty Tough Rapid Fire: Unlearning Control, Misconceptions, and What Makes Her Feel Pretty
FOLLOW THE SHOW►Maria on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariasharapova/►Maria on X: https://x.com/MariaSharapova►Pretty Tough on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prettytough/?hl=en
About Pretty Tough
Pretty Tough is the weekly interview podcast hosted by five-time Grand Slam champion, entrepreneur, and bestselling author Maria Sharapova. Each week, Maria sits down with founders, CEOs, athletes, creatives, investors, and other high achievers for candid conversations about leadership, ambition, decision-making, performance, entrepreneurship, wellness, and building exceptional careers.Drawing from her own experience at the highest levels of sport and business, Maria explores what it really takes to succeed—from navigating failure and reinvention to scaling companies, leading teams, and pursuing excellence over the long term.
About Maria Sharapova
Maria Sharapova is a five-time Grand Slam champion, former World No. 1 tennis player, entrepreneur, investor, bestselling author, and one of the most recognizable athletes of her generation. Since retiring from professional tennis, she has built businesses, invested in consumer, technology, and lifestyle companies, and become a respected voice on leadership, performance, and entrepreneurship.
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