Joan Carles Casanovas: "When you go to a hotel you expect to have what you don't have at home."

S'AgaróJoan Carles Casanovas (Sabadell, 1967) is the new director of the Hostal de la Gavina. He has a long career in the hotel industry and has spent the last ten years managing another iconic establishment: the Hotel Casa Fuster. Casanovas is full of energy and attentive to detail. Before entering his office, he fixes a misplaced ribbon on a chair. He professes to being a lover of art history and a true foodie. Two passions that will be reflected in this new era in S'Agaró.

You were the director of the Hotel Casa Fuster for 10 years. And before that?

— I've been in the business for 38 years. I started here on the Costa Brava. I've done stints in Mallorca, in southern Spain, on the Costa del Sol. I returned to Barcelona with the Hilton, which opened its first hotel in Europe. That's when I specialized in five-star hotels, with a strong focus on openings.

Now you're joining a house with a rich legacy. What prompted you to take on the challenge?

— For a hotelier, saying you've been part of the La Gavina team is very important. It's much more than a hotel. I really enjoy art history and being part of hotels with history. That's why I've enjoyed this latest stage at Casa Fuster so much, because it's also a history.

Of everything that has happened at this hotel, do you have any favorite anecdotes?

— Beyond Ava Gardner and Frank Sinatra, there are people who aren't as well-known in the media, but they also have their own unique characteristics and needs. There's that guest who comes and likes to read that magazine, and that person who likes to sit at that table. These are things that give it soul, and the challenge is knowing how to combine it all. Hostal de la Gavina's repeat visit rate is extremely high. There are guests who have been coming for 30 years and staying three weeks, which is something that isn't common in very high-end hotels. Our main customer is the local customer. Then comes the American one.

What exceptions, extravaganzas, or custom-made suits can you make for special clients?

— When you work with certain artists, they may require you to change the color of the walls. In the hotels I've managed, I try to avoid that. porridge that you should go somewhere to find, if you like your slippers placed a certain way next to your bed... Or wine or champagne preferences. Or personalize a welcome gift.

What does it mean with a welcome detail?

— Think about what that person likes or why they've come. For example, they came to see MotoGP because they're a fan, so we'll reproduce a cupcake in the shape of their VIP ticket. Or they came to see a Tom Jones concert here at Porta Ferrada, so we'll do something related to that. From now on, we'll hold a very short meeting every morning to talk solely about that. Everyone is important. But there may be ten each day who require special attention.

What other changes would you like to make?

— We'll focus on taking the service level to the next level. We'll invest more resources, and we'll be able to do it much better. And we'll be introducing a slightly more modern offering, compatible with La Gavina. Always high-end; that is, I'm imagining cultural, themed dinners or lunches, perhaps held in an immersive environment. Things I've seen aren't done in this area and are aimed at an audience that values haute cuisine and learning.

The hallways of this hotel are a museum.

— Discover unique pieces; they're things the family has acquired over the years, all of which are very valuable. We still need to museumize it because you might pass by a wooden carving or a tapestry and say, "Wow, that's beautiful," but maybe it needs to be identified to give it even more value.

I think one of the challenges is to modernize the hotel without losing its essence.

— We recently finished remodeling some rooms. The fabrics we selected came from London. A hotel chain might have sought more economically viable options. But the Ensesa family, the hotel's owners, will spare no expense if they can truly find something that preserves the original essence of La Gavina.

I'm sure you've had many experiences from your ten years at Hotel Casa Fuster. Can you share any of them with us?

— One of the best challenges was in the culinary field. We earned both a Michelin Star and a Sol Repsol Award in just ten months. It's also the official hotel of the Barcelona Film Festival, and we've hosted Susan Sarandon and Johnny Depp. When we had Johnny Depp, during the pandemic, we had the hotel closed, but we held the press conference. I was able to spend some time with him, and he was fascinated by the hotel. At the press conference, the first thing he said was that he had fallen in love with Casa Fuster and that he would stay there as long as he could. That phrase became the headline in the press, leading to a flood of calls, visits, and messages.

He also has one with Woody Allen.

— Woody Allen was the creator of the jazz cycle that still plays today. We also maintain a personal relationship. Following the filming of the movie Vicky, Cristina, BarcelonaBefore I was there, I detected that there had been a good relationship between him and Casa Fuster. I contacted him through his manager to make myself available.

Could there be characters who are more accessible than they seem?

— Absolutely. It's more the barrier of what's around them than the person themselves. I've encountered top-level characters who are much simpler than we think.

How now?

— Richard Gere, for example, is a very approachable and friendly person. When he had 30 interviews in a day, and saw journalist after journalist asking him the same questions, he'd come over to where we were, have a coffee or a glass of water, and then come back out with that smile and professionalism. These men are made of different stuff, because after six days of that straight, I'd be tired.

What do we mean by luxury?

— Luxury is a subjective concept. It varies greatly depending on a person's nationality and culture. The challenge is knowing how to identify what luxury means to that person. For example, for guests from Saudi Arabia, luxury is square footage. This, in a historic, protected building, cannot be accommodated. For other nationalities, staying in an iconic hotel like La Gavina is already considered luxury. For me, it's a combination of hospitality and comfort. Ultimately, when you go to a hotel, you expect to have what you don't have at home.

What things has Catalonia done well in the tourism sector?

— We've built our brand very well. We're not just a sun-and-beach destination. We're a small destination with mountains, beaches, and a unique culture in the world, and no one else has that. When you go to trade shows, you don't have to explain to anyone what Barcelona is.

And what things have we done wrong?

— For a time, we lost the prestige we once had internationally, because we became an unsafe or dirty destination. Now we're getting back on track.