He says Forte Village was the great love of his life. A bond so strong that not even retirement age could break it: that's why, at 72, Giuseppe Collu, the maître d' from Pula with experience at the world's most luxurious hotels, continues to ensure that the Santa Margherita resort boasts all his expertise in caring for its most exclusive guests .
To list all the names of singers, actors, politicians, businessmen, and powerful figures he's met in his 53 years at the Forte would take the pages of a notebook, but the photos he's collected—with the exception of one with his friend Luciano Pavarotti —are limited because "the guests never bother." Singers such as Sting, Madonna, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, the Rolling Stones, Hollywood actors like Dustin Hoffman and Kevin Kostner, and Italian film icons like Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni : the Pula maître d'''s book of memories is a never-ending red carpet.
"I started at 14 as a dishwasher at Is Morus, the first hotel in Pula," says Giuseppe Collu. " The meeting that changed my life happened shortly after in London, when I met Charles Forte's son . He asked me if I'd like to join the family group, which owned hotels all over the world, especially the one that had recently opened in Santa Margherita, a stone's throw from my home. In the summers, I worked in Sardinia; in the winters, I traveled to other Forte group properties, in Spain or Barbados, where I met celebrities from all over the world."
Like Queen Elizabeth, of whom Collu has a precise memory : "The whole hotel was in an uproar over her arrival in the Caribbean. I remember we were worried about the menu; it wasn't every day that you could host the Queen of England. Elizabeth, however, amazed me with her simple tastes: she only asked for a slice of grilled chicken and a salad ." Beautiful as she always was, dressed to the nines for a gala evening: the meeting with the eternal Sophia Loren has been etched in Giuseppe Collu's mind for decades: "And who can forget that day? I saw her get out of a taxi in front of the Ritz in Madrid. It was raining and her dress got wet. I took it and brought it back to her dry and ironed after half an hour : she really appreciated the service, and was very kind."
But as is only natural, such a long career— twice honored with the Italian Maître d' of the Year award from the prestigious "Food and Travel magazine," and spent satisfying the most demanding customers from around the world—can't be filled only with happy encounters: the "you don't know who I am" attitude is a constant presence at every latitude. "No names, please," Giuseppe Collu begins, "but I must say that the worst have always been politicians. Of course, you can't tar everyone with the same brush, but there have been several who weren't exactly the best in terms of manners ." But why, despite having retired in 2019 and being able to enjoy a well-deserved break, does Giuseppe Collu continue to work? "I go to the Forte in the evenings, and I only take care of a few guests," he explains. "I have a close friendship with Lorenzo Giannuzzi, the resort's general manager. I do it for him, but also for the love I've always had for this profession."
