I have heard that Roberto Wirth was like this, a superb hotel manager who spared not a single detail. Sure enough when I first met him got a glimpse. He was accompanied by a hotel employee who wanted to show him the new tables for the lounge in the lobby of his hotel. Roberto is profoundly deaf, and he is the owner and General Manager of the best hotel in Rome. His employee patiently waits to speak as Roberto looks over the new table, several times beginning to voice but stopping when he realizes Roberto isn’t looking up just yet. In his 30 years at the Hassler, 25 of which were spent as General Manager, the staff has certainly learned the nuances of how to communicate with a deaf person; eye contact and clear speech among other communication techniques are clearly employed at this world class hotel.

The table is beautiful, but isn’t assembled just right so it is wobbly. Roberto finally looks up after seating himself on the table, briefly closing his eyes with his hands placed on top, and imagining himself as a guest. The wobble is unacceptable, but he knows they are on the right track, and wants to see a perfectly assembled table before giving his approval. No detail in this hotel goes unnoticed, and every aspect of the Hassler experience is to be impeccable. Rome is a stunning city, arguably one of the most beautiful cities in the world. To tour the city is to be treated to a beautiful and unique sight after each turn of a corner. But even among the eternal city’s ancient sights, there are a few that stand above the rest, and the Hassler Roma, perched atop the popular Piazza di Spagna is one of the most comfortable destinations in all of Rome.

The Hassler has a long history, built in the late 1890s and completely rebuilt in 1939. It reopened in 1947 to the general public after the US Air Force used it as their Rome headquarters during the Second World War. Since it has opened, it has been managed by Oscar and Carmen Wirth before being passed along to Roberto Wirth, who eventually bought out his family and became the sole owner of the hotel. The hotel and management has won numerous awards including repeatedly being recognized as the number one hotel in Rome, the favorite destinations of Kings and Queens. Roberto Wirth in 2005 won the Hotelier of the World award, one of the most prestigious awards available to an hotelier. Although technology today provides many improvements and accessibilities for a deaf person, Wirth’s rise was conducted with very little assistance and plenty of self determination.

Wirth spent nine years in the United States from 1968-1977, and he enjoyed the accessibility that the TTY brought him but was stunned when he came back home and realized Italy did not have any. He bought three in the US (which were very expensive at the time) and brought them to Rome. He kept one at home, one for himself, and gave one to his secretary. And until the fax and internet came along, these were his primary modes of communication. Wirth is known for socializing with his guests, making them feel welcome and this is a big part of the experience for many of the high level guests who stay at the hotel. Roberto makes it clear to his guests that he is deaf, and he relies on lip reading. After years in the business, you’re bound to pick up some tricks. Some guests communicate very well and Wirth will spend more time with these guests, but when there is a guest that does not communicate very well or is difficult to understand, Wirth is often “busier than usual” and stays away more.

Wirth is proud of the fact that he was born in Italy and is a Roman, because he says the Italian language is one of the easiest languages to lip read in the world. “If I was born anywhere else in the world,” he says, “I would not be able to lip read as well as I do today.” While Wirth knows several languages, and is fluent in English, he admits he is unable to lip read English as well as he lip reads Italian.

Roberto has spent the majority of his life as an extremely successful hotelier, and a large part of his success has been his personal touch. The Hassler is host to an elite set of clientele, with many dignitaries, heads of states, and celebrities choosing to stay at the luxurious hotel when visiting Rome. Wirth provides his guests with a level of attention that basically requires him to be at the hotel nearly all the time. After 30 years of devoting his life to working at the Hassler, 25 of which have been spent as General Manager, Wirth has set his sights outside of the Hassler Roma, creating a reputation for himself that goes beyond hotelier.

When asked about the impact of the economy on his business, Wirth said that there was a noticeable impact within the middle-class, and he could see that here were far less middle-class people travelling to his hotel. But the within the upper class, the current economic crisis has very little impact on people with that type of money, and therefore his hotel has suffered very little. Drawing on this experience and diversifying the internationally known Hassler name into a brand targeting the elite class of people is Wirth’s next mission.

One of the ways Wirth started was by forming the International Wide Academy of Rome in 2002 just outside the Hassler hotel, a prestigious site that is the first of its kind in Italy. There Wirth is not only able to indulge in his appreciation for fine wines but has the opportunity to share that love with others. Wirth has also opened fine dining restaurants in Japan and India, in addition to the restaurants in the Academy and the Hassler.

Wirth has also recently started the Hassler Life, a magazine geared towards its guests who stay at the hotel. Guests will not only be exposed to the Hassler experience during their stay, but they will now be able to take the Hassler Life home with them, and be increasingly able to indulge in the Hassler experience wherever they go. For instance, as part of his growing brand Wirth has worked with top perfumers to develop Amorvero, an amber fragrance described as a rare and precious jewel that captures the sense of elegance and refinement of the Hassler Hotel. Amovero is Italian for truelove, and while its scent of lemons and oranges is unique, so is the Hassler brand experience and Wirth’s attempt to globalize the experience that has been repeated countless times via word of mouth.

Wirth has long relied very little on advertisements because the majority of his guests are repeat customers and often spread the word about their experience. In recent years with more fierce competition and the convenience of the internet, Wirth has had to advertise his hotel more simply to keep up with the industry standards; lesser hotels take advantage of the internet to appear like a better hotel and competitive to the Hassler. But Wirth says Hassler guests who stay at another hotel know the difference, and they know the Hassler is the best hotel in Rome. It is a natural move for a man who has been called one of the greatest deaf businessmen in the world, to grow and build on his previous successes. Wirth and the Hassler brand is poised and positioned for not only an unlimited ceiling of opportunities, but to create a luxurious lifestyle that anyone is sure to desire.