Sirreti Residences has tapped the sommelier of Pope Francis to be its director of wines, in a move that comes just three years after the launch of the elite property collection.

A members’ only community, the group boasts a global portfolio of villas, chalets and penthouses that have never been available to rent before. It connects property owners with travel advisors and other professionals who service high-net-worth clients, in the hope of bolstering a market that is expected to grow by 17% in the next seven years. 

It’s now highlighting its service having developed an ironclad concierge team to manage its client-facing staffers, according to Sirreti chief executive officer, Wolf Worster. 

“It’s not that hard to find a beautiful home, but to find top service is another thing,” Worster told TTG Luxury. “The decision to launch this company was driven by clear data insights: in the private luxury accommodation sector for ultra-high-net-worth guests, the key differentiator is no longer just the quality/amenities/location of a luxury vacation property, but the standard of service.” 

Worster’s correct; today’s luxury travellers are often looking for highly-trained staff and hyper-personalised service, but with the hospitality sector is facing a staffing shortage. In London alone, 43% of five-star hotels have reported ongoing understaffing issues, according to Prime Recruit.

Worster, who has more than two decades’ experience in the luxury holiday rental sector, is determined to prevent Sirreti Residences from facing the same fate. 

He and co-founder Iain Beaumont (formerly director of events and hospitality at Cowdray Estate) have enlisted some of the industry’s top luxury hospitality professionals – including the Pope’s former sommelier, Carlo Attisano. 

Formerly head of wine selections for the Vatican Apostolic Flights, the Italian native went on to serve Pope Francis at the Vatican in 2015. He will now fly in from Rome, where he is based, to offer his wine expertise to guests at Siretti’s new residence in Lake Garda. 

Attisano isn’t the only member of staff at Sirreti who’s worked for high-profile clients. Jose Robles heads up staff-service operations, bringing an impressive CV of A-list placements to the position.

The industry veteran once served as personal butler to President Francois Mitterrand, while also managing residences that hosted the late French leader’s foreign dignitaries, such as Princess Diana, George W. Bush and Margaret Thatcher. 

He later worked as Palace Manager at Palazzo Farnesse, the French Embassy in Rome, where he oversaw a team of 25 and ran more than 100 official events. 

Robles brings these top-level standards of concierge to Sirreti, according to Worster: “He will prepare for two months all the things that are needed. Concierge is one thing but a full in-house butler who has managed homes for high calibre people is another.” 

Worster adds that it’s crucial to recruit high-profile people as managers, as they will have the right contacts when it comes to hiring more staff. 

Robles too has recruited a number of his industry peers to join him at Sirreti, one of whom has worked for international celebrities including Beyonce and Richard Dreyfuss. “These are dream colleagues,” Worster said. “And they all speak three or four languages. It’s hard to top.”