Editorial Board   Guest Author

Mr. Silvestri

Sebastien Silvestri

Vice President of Food & Beverage, The Venetian

Growing up in the south of France with a French mother and Italian father, Sebastien Silvestri learned both languages fluently and developed an appreciation for food and beverage at an early age from his uncle, a successful restaurateur in the Italian Riviera. Mr. Silvestri attended Esitel in 1993 where he studied culinary arts and hotel management and graduated with honors in 1997 after successfully completing the leadership program. Mr. Silvestri's career began at the Lanesborough Hotel in London, England where he served as a restaurant manager. He was then transferred to the United States to become the F&B Manager at The Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas where he worked with celebrity chef, Dean Fearing. After a successful four years with Rosewood Hotels, he welcomed his first daughter, Amelie, and relocated with his family to Tahiti in the French Polynesia where he became the Director of F&B at the Orient Express Hotel, Bora Bora Lagoon Resort and Spa. In 2005, Mr. Silvestri was recruited to open the new spa tower at Bellagio in Las Vegas and served as the General Manager at Sensi. After the birth of his second daughter, Angelique, in 2006, he relocated with his family to Newport Beach, Calif. to become the Director of F&B at The Island Hotel. Currently, Mr. Silvestri is the Vice President of Food & Beverage at The Venetian and The Palazzo Las Vegas where he oversees the properties' casino and pool beverage departments, in-suite dining department and refreshment center. He also works with several of the properties' joint venture partners including celebrity chefs Wolfgang Puck, Emeril Lagasse and Mario Batali. Mr. Silvestri enjoys spending time with his friends and family, traveling and enjoying a wide array of the world's best food and wine.

Mr. Silvestri can be contacted at 702-414-4477 or sebastien.silvestri@venetian.com

Coming up in January 2020...

Mobile Technology: Meeting Tech Expectations

What once seemed futuristic is now the norm, owing to the escalating developments in mobile technology, and hotels must continue to innovate in order to meet guest expectations. In a recent study from Mower, 65 percent of guests said they would gladly pay more for a hotel that provides the mobile technology they deem essential. The same study shows that 44 percent of travelers are more likely to book a smart hotel, and nearly 7 in 10 want to use smart devices provided by the hotel. And how do guests wish to use all this technology? A majority expressed a desire for mobile check-in and check-out, and mobile payment options. They also want to be able to stream content from their phone to the TV; to make service requests of the hotel staff; to control in-room lighting, temperature and sound; to order food and beverages; and to request a wake-up call - all from their mobile device. Guests also expressed preferences for robust wi-fi and convenient device charging ports throughout the hotel. They also appreciate the use of hotel branded apps which allow a guest to book a room, access loyalty programs, receive discounts and rewards, and even use the app to choose the room, floor and view they prefer. Some hotel apps also allow a customer to track their charges throughout their stay, rather than waiting to receive a bill at the end. Finally, mobile tech lounges are popping up more frequently in some hotels. These lounges offer guests the opportunity to perform tasks like airline check-ins or access to local info guides, but they also provide a place where guests can comfortably get some work done outside their room. The January Hotel Business Review will report on what some hotels are doing to meet their customers' expectations in the mobile technology space.

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