Feb 25 2025 34 mins
Dolores Semeraro interviews founder of UniqueStays Catarina Varão on true experiential hospitality ultimately leads to social growth.
Portugal-based Catarina is passionate traveler by profession, hotel curator by vocation, dedicated to an adventurous lifestyle that inspires and teaches, in contrast to an immersive and “slow” pace of life. Full-time mother and part-time dreamer, whose main activity is consultancy in luxury hospitality and tourism. Hotelier, designer, trainer, coach, PTO (nor just “CEO” jack of all trades) of the company TH2 and founder of the luxury hotel soft brand UniqueStays. Graduated in Tourism Management, postgraduate in Tourism Products, Master in Hotel Management with Character and PhD in Geography.
On this episode:
The Importance of Guest Experience
- The value of “time” in the hospitality industry and the need to focus on guest experience, where even small activities can make a significant impact on guest experience if done with dedication.
- The loss of human touch in industrialized and standardized hospitality practices.
Sustainability and Local Involvement
- The challenges of industrializing and standardizing hospitality, emphasizing the importance of local community involvement, calling out The McDonaldization of the world and the rise of small boutique hotels.
- The importance of involving local communities in decision-making processes and the need to respect local habits and traditions while teaching sustainable practices.
Authenticity vs. Staged Experiences
- The difference between authentic and staged experiences with the importance of raw moments over uber-staged experiences that repel tourists rather than attract them.
- The importance of genuine interactions and experiences in creating a memorable guest experience.
Connect with Catarina on:
Dolores Semeraro is a sought-after international tourism keynote speaker and sustainable tourism marketing professional.
Dolores actively works in the tourism and travel conference space as a keynote speaker and moderator, gracing the stages of international tourism summits and trade shows.
As a professional keynote speaker, Dolores’ speaking topics encompass sustainable digital marketing for the tourism industry, how to establish digital mastery, and learn how to identify today’s traveler’s needs.
During the pandemic, Dolores launched her podcast show named ‘Truth Behind Travel Podcast’ where she regularly interviews tourism and travel industry leaders and representatives on how to rebuild the future of travel.
In the recent years, Dolores has continued to work and live on beautiful islands such as Mauritius, where she started her tourism and hospitality marketing consultancy working closely with the Mauritian luxury hospitality sector as corporate trainer.
According to her international clients, Dolores is a gifted trainer and intuitive workshop facilitator.
She is now based in Europe where she actively works as keynote speaker and corporate trainer in the tourism industry.
Instagram @dolores_semeraro
LinkedIn @dolores.sem