'The Corinthia Spirit' launched by Corinthia founder Alfred Pisani

Alfred Pisani, founder and Chairman of the Corinthia Group, launched his biography - The Corinthia Spirit - on Tuesday evening.  

Marking over 65 years of hotelier experience from his early years in 1962 at the age of 20, Pisani who is 84, traced his life through the challenging sixties until recent events dominated by the COVID pandemic. Pisani underlined his success was fruit of his determination and inspirational vision but also that of his family members and dedicated staff.  

The octogenarian founder, who still leads the group, heaped praise on his executives and his closest aides for making this dream come through. He also did not miss the chance to announce new projects for the coming year.

The evening held at the Corinthia St George was also peppered with anecdotes from the past including from President Emeritus Marie Louise Coleiro who reminisced on a meeting over lunch with Dom Mintoff and Pisani, and Michael Cohen, the latter a former journalist who introduced Pisani to Mohammed Fayed, then owner of the Harrods in London.  

The book which takes readers through the story of the expansion of the Corinthia group in several countries, is best encapsulated by the words of Pisani in the book’s preface: “People can view this book as a straightforward story about the creation of a hotel business over the pat half century or so.  Yet it is important for readers to appreciate that our journey began from a tiny Island with no natural resources which, back, in the 1960s, some people had not even heard of. This made our mission doubly difficult.”

The evening ended with a spectacular selection of different cuisines for the guests but notable was one particular table which revisited the first menu of The Villa at the Corinthia Attard.