Victoria Del Castillo’s journey, today Senior Director Rooms Division at Mangia’s, through cultures, people and new challenges

Inside Mangia’s was created to tell the stories of the people who, every day, help shape our vision of hospitality. Different journeys, international experiences, professional and personal choices come together in authentic stories of growth, ambition and continuous evolution. 

This is the story of Victoria Del Castillo, Senior Director Rooms Division at Mangia’s. 

Be inspired by the journey that shaped her vision. 

The sea as a point of reference 

If she had to choose a place that truly represents her, Victoria Del Castillo would start with one particular element. 

The sea. 

Born in Barcelona, she cannot imagine herself living in a city where she cannot look towards the horizon and find it. 

“I was born in Barcelona, a city by the sea. I don’t think I could live somewhere without the sea in the distance.” 

A constant point of reference in a professional journey defined, by contrast, by continuous movement. 

Different countries. 

Different cultures. 

Different people. 

And a curiosity that, over the years, has become the driving force behind her career. 

A profession born from curiosity 

For Victoria, hospitality was not an immediate vocation. 

It came almost by chance, as part of a professional journey that had already taken her through very different industries and environments. 

The real turning point came in Barcelona, during the opening of a large hospitality property. 

“Everything was new, everything had to be built from scratch. It was a very interesting job, and I realised how much I enjoyed it.” 

Above all, Victoria discovered something about herself. 

She was not someone who could spend the entire day behind a desk. 

“I need to move, to go places, to talk to people. I’m a very active person.” 

It is through interacting with others, observing and looking for opportunities to do something better every day that she found her professional path. 

Knowing the world means knowing its people 

The United States, Spain, the Caribbean, Mexico, Jamaica and Tenerife. 

Victoria’s international journey has allowed her to experience profoundly different cultures. 

But for her, travelling means more than discovering new places. 

“Knowing the world means, above all, knowing the people who live in it.” 

Over the years, she has learned the importance of what she calls cultural skills: the ability to understand the person in front of you and adapt the way you communicate. 

“You cannot speak in the same way to someone from Asia, the Caribbean, Northern Europe or the Mediterranean.” 

Listening before speaking. 

Understanding before deciding. 

Recognising that every culture brings different sensitivities, habits and ways of approaching relationships. 

An experience that continues to profoundly influence the way she sees hospitality today. 

Three months that became seven years 

One of the most significant experiences of her career began with an assignment that was initially supposed to last just three months. 

Victoria became involved in the opening of a property in Barcelona. 

She contributed to developing processes, defining Front Office procedures and coordinating with Housekeeping. 

Then those three months became seven years. 

“When you do your work with passion, time passes very quickly.” 

It was there that she began developing a skill that would become central to her career: transforming operational experience into processes that help people work better. 

And understanding that procedures and standards are not simply rules to follow. 

They are tools designed to support people. 

One shared identity, many personalities 

This experience became even more important during the following ten years, when Victoria worked on processes, training and standards across an international group of 26 hotels. 

The challenge was complex. 

Creating a common foundation without erasing the identity of each individual property. 

“When a guest arrives at a hotel, they should be able to recognise the company’s identity.” 

But for Victoria, consistency does not mean uniformity. 

Each hotel must be able to express its own personality while remaining part of a shared vision. 

“Every property has a different identity, but there must be a common foundation that allows guests to recognise the brand.” 

A balance between standards and individuality that she considers essential not only for the guest experience, but also for the people working in the hotels every day. 

People come before roles 

If there is one element Victoria considers essential in her work, it is human connection. 

Her idea of leadership is based on being close to people. 

Walking into an office. 

Sitting down over a coffee. 

Listening. 

Exchanging ideas. 

Understanding what is really happening in day-to-day operations. 

“A title isn’t important. What matters is what you know and how you are able to share it.” 

Because, in her view, knowledge never flows in just one direction. 

“People learn from me, but I learn so much from them. That is why we call it experience.” 

A simple philosophy that sums up her approach to leadership: sharing what you know without ever stopping learning from others. 

A new culture to discover 

When the opportunity to join Mangia’s came along, Victoria found herself facing something she had never experienced before. 

She had never worked in Italy. 

She did not speak Italian. 

Yet during the first phone call, something convinced her. 

“I immediately felt a connection. I liked what they were telling me and I liked the project.” 

Once again, the curiosity that has accompanied her throughout her career came into play. 

A new language. 

A new country. 

A Mediterranean culture close to her own, yet different. 

“I liked the idea of discovering another culture and becoming part of a new project.” 

A challenge she chose to embrace, guided by the same desire to discover that had first brought her, almost by chance, into the world of hospitality. 

Making work easier 

When Victoria talks about the contribution she would like to make at Mangia’s, she starts with a very concrete goal. 

“I would like to make work easier for everyone.” 

She thinks particularly of the people working in Housekeeping every day. 

A physically demanding job, defined by intense rhythms and great attention to detail. 

“If my experience allows me to make even one small change that improves their work, that is already an important goal for me.” 

The same principle applies to Front Office. 

For Victoria, the two departments must communicate constantly and work as one team. 

Because improving a process is not only about increasing efficiency. 

It means helping people work better and, as a result, creating a smoother experience for guests. 

Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes 

There is a Spanish expression Victoria carries with her that perhaps sums up her approach to work better than anything else: 

ponerse en los zapatos del otro. 

Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. 

Not simply figuratively. 

It means genuinely trying to imagine the working day of the person in front of you. 

“I have to think about someone who cleans fifteen or twenty rooms every day. I have to try to understand how they feel at the end of their day.” 

Only then, Victoria believes, can you ask yourself what needs to change. 

What can be simplified. 

How you can help. 

“Putting myself in someone else’s shoes means imagining myself doing their job, so I can truly understand how I can help them.” 

After more than twenty years in hospitality, perhaps this is the lesson that best captures her journey. 

Because understanding people comes before any process. 

Looking ahead 

Victoria Del Castillo’s story is one built on curiosity. 

The curiosity that leads you to discover new countries. 

To encounter different cultures. 

To observe people. 

To question the way things have always been done and ask whether there might be a better way. 

After more than twenty years in hospitality, that same curiosity continues to guide the way she works. 

With one simple belief: 

to improve the guest experience, we must first understand and value the experience of the people who make hospitality possible every day.