In an exclusive interview with Travel and Tour World, Mary D’Argenis-Fernandez, Founder and CEO of MDA Hospitality Solutions, outlined how her firm is transforming service culture at Mangia’s Resorts in Sicily and Sardinia, marking a pivotal expansion of MDA’s global footprint into the European luxury hospitality market.
MDA’s training programs focus on enhancing the guest experience by empowering resort leaders and frontline team members with refined technical and soft skills essential for luxury-level service. These include areas such as product knowledge, team communication, storytelling, and operational excellence. The goal is not just procedural training, but crafting an environment where each guest feels uniquely valued and emotionally connected to the destination.
At Mangia’s Resorts, MDA has observed that even small gestures—such as sharing the story behind a dish’s origin or a restaurant’s name—can turn a routine dining moment into a memorable cultural journey. This storytelling-based approach not only enriches the guest’s experience but reinforces the authenticity of Italian cuisine and hospitality.
What sets MDA apart is its multi-sensory learning model, incorporating auditory, visual, and kinesthetic techniques that engage team members and improve long-term skill retention. The training emphasizes how every action—no matter how small—impacts the guest journey, from arrival to departure.
MDA’s understanding of both business operations and employee motivation allows it to bridge the gap between ownership goals and frontline delivery. While resort owners seek operational efficiency and profitability, employees desire a sense of connection and value. MDA’s programs support both by fostering an environment of personal pride and cultural expression.
The partnership with Mangia’s marks MDA’s first expansion into Europe, building on extensive experience across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. This move not only broadens MDA’s geographical reach but also deepens its capability in managing and training culturally diverse teams with varying hospitality standards.
Importantly, MDA’s long-standing relationship with Blackstone properties has also contributed to the success of its training programs. While Blackstone invests in structural and aesthetic improvements, MDA enhances the human element—sharpening the interpersonal and service skills that define true luxury hospitality.
At flagship properties such as Brucoli Resort and Santa Teresa, MDA is instrumental in Mangia’s strategic push to reposition itself as a 5-star brand. The training supports both revenue growth and guest satisfaction by aligning the service standards with premium guest expectations—ensuring every interaction reinforces luxury, authenticity, and value.
How will MDA Hospitality Solutions’ training programs enhance the guest experience at Mangia’s Resorts in Sicily and Sardinia?
MDA’s training programs are designed to enhance the guest experience by equipping leaders with the skills needed to train their teams to deliver service at a luxury level. Our work is centered on skills-based and technical training, with a strong focus on areas such as team member interactions, product knowledge, storytelling, and operational efficiency. We have extensive experience in bringing these concepts to life for frontline team members.
By demonstrating best practices, team members become more confident and effective in communicating the uniqueness and authenticity of Italian cuisine. A key component of this training is understanding what matters most from the guest’s perspective. During a dining experience at one of Mangia’s signature restaurants, we observed how small touches, such as sharing the story of family ties to a recipe or restaurant name, can significantly elevate the guest experience.
Providing context and background for a dish transforms a meal into a memorable journey, creating a personal connection with guests and creating an authentically local experience. MDA lays the foundation for this level of engagement and empowers leaders to continue the process with their teams, ensuring guest connections are meaningful and extend beyond the training.
What makes MDA’s approach to hospitality training unique, and how does it align with the cultural expectations of Italy’s luxury resorts?
MDA is uniquely positioned to serve as the bridge between operators and the interests and desires of employees. MDA understands that owners and operators seek a well-run, efficient operation that drives both profitability and unforgettable guest experiences. At the same time, employees want to feel connected to their workplace and valued in their roles.
Our training approach deconstructs the guest journey and helps teams understand their impact on the guest’s experience. From the moment a guest arrives at the restaurant to the departure, we emphasize the importance of small, yet powerful, gestures which contribute to storytelling and enhance the authenticity of the overall experience.
MDA’s training incorporates auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learning styles, creating an engaging and interactive experience for the team. This multi-sensory approach ensures that team members not only retain the information but also apply it in practice, reinforcing their understanding and embedding the learning organically.
How does MDA’s partnership with Mangia’s Resorts in Italy mark a significant expansion into the European market for the company?
MDA brings years of global experience across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with training programs implemented in over 35 US states. Mangia’s Resorts marks our first venture into European hospitality. This program has deepened our expertise in working with diverse teams from around the world, each with varying levels of experience and standards.
Through this expansion, we continue to grow our global perspective by collaborating with teams who take immense pride in their cultural heritage and express that passion through their work. It’s this authentic connection to culture that elevates the guest experience and enriches our training approach.
What role does MDA’s long standing relationship with Blackstone properties play in the success of its hospitality training programs at Mangia’s Resorts?
Blackstone properties are uniquely positioned to enhance the overall value of an asset. While other companies may focus on the physical aspects—such as design, furniture, and décor—MDA specializes in developing the soft skills of leaders and teams to elevate the guest experience.
Although capital improvements contribute to a property’s value, it is human capital that truly defines the quality of the hospitality experience. MDA is a proven expert in training employees on the soft skills essential for delivering exceptional service in a luxury environment.
How will the training program at Brucoli Resort and Santa Teresa impact the resorts’ revenue and guest satisfaction in the long term?
Mangia’s Resorts is elevating its service to a 5-star, luxury level. As the leader in luxury service training, MDA is supporting this transformation by elevating the technical and service skills of the frontline team. In luxury hospitality, revenue is driven by the overall experience, which includes the added value of personalized services and premium amenities. MDA provides the essential soft and technical skills that guests expect in a 5-star environment, ensuring every interaction reflects the highest standard of excellence.
The post MDA Hospitality Expands into Europe with Transformative Luxury Training at Mangia’s Resorts in Sicily and Sardinia appeared first on Travel And Tour World.