Co-Owner of The Madrona

If you could describe The Madrona experience in three words, what would they be?

Magical, Inspiring, Uncommon.

You developed the hotel with interior designer Jay Jeffers and his brother: how did the partnership come about?

Jay and I had been friends for about a decade when we ended up going into lockdown at his house in St. Helena. During that time, one of our friends became the real estate agent for the previous iteration of The Madrona and encouraged us to get out of the house and head over to Sonoma to see his new listing, mostly for something fun to do. We had no intention of purchasing the hotel but we both fell in love with it; seeing how much life we could bring to it. So we started scheming and tossing around creative thoughts, getting his brother Kyle involved on the finance side to help round out the team. Less than a year later we were holding the keys thanks to our early investors and a team of people around us to help along the way. It was very serendipitous.

What are some of the most important elements of a great customer experience?

For The Madrona, it’s all about creating moments of magic for our guests. We spend a lot of time thinking about how to showcase our eight acre property in unique ways that surprise and delight. I’ve been a firm believer that one of the greatest drivers of a great hospitality experience is removing barriers for a guest to enjoy their stay fully; always finding ways to say yes and then go above and beyond after that (You want to order snacks and cocktails to enjoy on a bench in the garden? Of course we can do that). That’s where our team embraces this creative spirit that compliments all of the amazing design and landscape.

How did you preserve The Madrona’s rich history while giving the property a fresh makeover? 

I credit Jay’s design with a lot of this. He and his team cataloged the hundreds of furniture pieces that came with the property, whittling it down to the best pieces, including a few dozen that were original to the estate. He also embraced the Aesthetic Movement that was popularized at the time the mansion was built, featuring whimsical animal motifs and a ton of exciting artwork. On the architecture front, we brought in a historical consultant to help us restore some areas of the property back to their original glory, including building back a huge section of the mansion’s front porch that rotted away decades ago. It was important for all of us to take the storied past of this estate and let that inspire every aspect of the concept. 

You have a beautiful vegetable garden on property: are the products used at the restaurant and what are the most popular dishes?

The gardens have been this amazing collaborative effort between our culinary and beverage teams, all with the oversight and planning of our farmer Aris Curtis. Every month they look a year out on the calendar and plan menus and cocktails around what our land is producing and then put in their wish lists for obscure varieties. We have one dish called The Madrona Salad that is made exclusively with ingredients from our half acre of gardens. We also had an epic tomato season which yielded one of the most tasty salads I’ve ever had.

You mentioned that, after two decades of opening hotels and restaurants for others, opening the doors to your own hotel has been the hardest and most emotional one, can you explain why?

I’ve always loved this industry, and specifically hotel & restaurant openings. It became a special focus of mine from my early days at Viceroy Hotel Group. After leaving my in-house role and taking on consulting projects, I continued that trajectory. But every time I would consult on a new opening, there was only so much I could do creatively. Some of my best ideas never got implemented and I could only affect the success of a launch so much in a scope of work that was pretty focused. The Madrona was the chance for me to fully create the concept alongside Jay and Kyle to do everything we’ve always wanted to do. I say it’s the hardest and most emotional because I’ve poured all of my energy into this thing for over two years; giving so much creative thought and meaning to every aspect of the experience. It’s become very personal, which makes it harder to look at it objectively sometimes (I’m getting better at that part).

How important are good quality linens and how do they impact a guest's stay?

Ohhh, at its baseline, hotels are here to provide a safe and comfortable haven for our guests. I look for a bedroom setup that invites guests to sleep in just a bit longer than they normally would or delight in a decadent afternoon nap; that is the luxury of it. Having the perfect linens on a great mattress is key to that.

What is your favorite Bellino product and why? 

For The Madrona we tested out at least a dozen different types of sheeting and even more towels. We landed on the 200 thread count Hotel Percale sheets and Vista towels. Those sheets are the perfect blend of having an immediate feeling of softness with the crisp white sheet vibe of a classic European hotel. 

5 favorite hotels and travel destinations around the world?

Can Cera in Mallorca is one I just returned from. It’s rare that I step into a hotel and feel that amount of excitement and inspiration from the moment I opened the door. They did everything right. Beyond that I love to travel to Mexico City for an easy weekend from the West Coast as well as a longer trip to Japan, mixing in a classic Ryokan in the country with some time in Tokyo eating everything I can. Skiing in New Zealand’s south island was intense given the terrain, but the landscape is breathtaking. 

What advice would you give to someone new to the hospitality industry?

Diversify the roles and brands you work for. Being able to see so many different operations, especially in a variety of locations, allowed me to hone my skill set and discover what I wanted my life within this industry to look like.