Auberge Resorts Collection

Paolo Ibba is the Resort Manager at Chileno Bay Resort & Residences, part of the Auberge Resorts Collection. With over 25 years in luxury hospitality, he combines operational expertise, cultural sensitivity, and a passion for creating unforgettable guest experiences in Los Cabos.

In an exclusive interview to travel and hospitality tech outlook, he shared his insights on guest centric hospitality.

You’ve built a career in hospitality across multiple locations. What were some pivotal moments that shaped your approach to resort management and deepened your commitment to guest-centric service?

I started my career at luxury airport hotels. Luxury by then meant to be incredibly efficient and fast, as guests would only stay a few hours at a relatively high cost. It was a much more transactional environment, and whenever I was able to connect with a guest, I felt I was in the right place and really enjoyed working in hospitality. This eventually brought me to my first resort assignment, were service was less about fast and efficient, but more about meaningful service and connections – you would get to know a guest, a couple, a family, and I met many incredible guests and had so many wonderful, different conversations that I know I only could have working in a resort environment.

The best moments in my early career up to now are when a guest smiles, laughs and when we contributed to their happiness. Ultimately, we exist to make other people happy, and in the same time ourselves.

Managing a resort involves coordinating across departments—spa, dining, housekeeping, outdoor activities and more. How do you foster cross-functional alignment to ensure a seamless guest experience?

Creating a safe environment and foster teamwork is paramount for every business to be successful. The combination of both allows collaboration to happen, and only when 550 employees collaborate, only when the executive member committee collaborates, and only when home office and local leadership collaborate, will we maximize our potential and achieve great things on a long term basis. If not, we may have success in the short term, but will we be able attract, develop and retain the best in class talent for 550 exiting positions?

What are some challenges you frequently encounter in resort operations, whether related to staffing, seasonal fluctuations, or evolving guest preferences? How do you stay proactive in overcoming those challenges?

We are a people business – from people to people, and every resort is as good as its weakest link, so talent selection, training and retention is key, which means we need to be among the best employers to be able to attract top talent. Cabo is a very small destination with perhaps the densest amount of ultra luxury resorts in the word compared to the habitants and size of our two towns, Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, so our labor market In Cabo is extremely competitive.

“The best moments in my early career up to now are when a guest smiles, laughs and when we contributed to their happiness. Ultimately, we exist to make other people happy, and in the same time ourselves”

Inspiring and motivating team members and earn their respect and loyalty is not something you can create a magic recipient. It is daily task to lead by example, recognize others, be vulnerable, seek to understand, connect genuinely with your team members, and walk the talk. Service excellence and a friendly, empathetic work environment is not only possible, it’s the only way to have sustainable, long term success.

Having worked in different regions and cultures, what perspectives or best practices have you brought into your leadership style that you believe contribute to long-term team and guest satisfaction?

It’s the Golden Rule – “treat others the way you want to be treated”. It is such simple phrase, but it is so powerful when applied by a community, a society, a company or simply within your family. The Mexican culture and the Mexican work and service ethic is very much based on the golden rule. One of the reasons live in Cabo for over 18 years.

Thankfully my leadership style has evolved, as I was very fortunate to have incredible mentorship throughout my career, and through readings books from authors such as Simon Sinek, Will Guidara, James Clear, that have influenced my vision of leadership and collaboration. There is a supreme goal even in hospitality – do what is right. Work on the process, not the outcome. Always put the guest first, the employees second, and you last.

For aspiring professionals aiming to lead within hospitality, what core values, skills, or experiences do you believe are most important for building a successful career in resort management?

Patience and vulnerability are virtues, not weaknesses. Always seek to understand first, you can lose a lot of hard worked respect by judging too quick or by simply not knowing enough. Trust and empower others, you will be surprised how good they are when you open doors, train and accompany them and let them shine. Always do the right thing, never compromise your ethical and moral standards. A Hotel exists to make other people happy. If you take incredible care of guests and team members, you do not have to worry about financial success, it will come. Before thinking what the company can do for you, think what you can do for the company.