Simone Marigliani — Borgo Scopeto Wine & Country Relais © European Hotel Awards 2026
BOARD’S CHOICE 2026 — Ethical luxury begins with coherence
Luxury becomes more convincing when what a hotel says is aligned with how it operates. Materials, landscape, employment, sourcing, service, environmental choices and guest communication all contribute to the credibility of the experience. Ethics, in this context, is not a decorative layer added to luxury; it is a test of coherence.
Simone Marigliani, General Manager of Borgo Scopeto Wine & Country Relais in Tuscany, receives Ethical Luxury Hotelier of the Year 2026 for a hospitality approach in which the identity of the place and responsible management are treated as part of the same project.
Ethical Luxury Hotelier of the Year 2026
Simone Marigliani — Vagliagli, Italy
General Manager — Borgo Scopeto Wine & Country Relais
Borgo Scopeto’s landscape is part of the hospitality model Simone Marigliani develops © Borgo Scopeto Wine & Country Relais
A hotel that belongs to its territory
Country hospitality depends heavily on context. Landscape, agricultural culture, local history and the rhythm of the surrounding territory are not secondary to the guest experience; they are often the reason guests choose the destination.
The challenge for a luxury property is to enhance that experience without neutralising the qualities that made the place distinctive in the first place. At Borgo Scopeto, the Tuscan environment is therefore more than scenery. It creates a framework for decisions about hospitality and long-term value.
Leadership becomes a form of stewardship: managing the present while recognising responsibility towards the landscape, local culture, teams and the future of the property.
Values become credible when they influence real decisions about the property, its people, its resources and its relationship with the territory.
Luxury at Borgo Scopeto is closely tied to place, scale and the rhythm of the Tuscan countryside © Borgo Scopeto Wine & Country Relais
From principle to management practice
Ethical hospitality requires more than broad statements of intention. It depends on the ability to translate values into routines, priorities and measurable choices. That is fundamentally a management task.
Simone Marigliani’s role is therefore central to the meaning of the distinction. As General Manager, he operates where strategic commitments meet daily reality. The hotel’s identity must remain visible not only in communication, but in the way teams work and guests experience the property.
This is why the Award is addressed to the hotelier rather than only to the building. Ethical luxury is shaped by leadership.
Heritage and contemporary hospitality are managed as one coherent experience © Borgo Scopeto Wine & Country Relais
A European definition of luxury with greater depth
The European Hotel Awards use a qualitative approach that values identity, consistency and meaningful guest experience. Ethical Luxury Hotelier of the Year 2026 extends this framework by recognising that contemporary luxury also involves responsibility.
This does not mean replacing pleasure with restriction. On the contrary, the most compelling responsible hotels show that quality can gain depth when it is connected to place and when the long-term consequences of management choices are taken seriously.
Simone Marigliani’s recognition at Borgo Scopeto reflects this evolution: luxury not as excess, but as coherence between environment, culture, people and hospitality.
Official 2026 laureate film
https://youtu.be/LunSs5xM7bg
Discover the Main Awards dedicated to excellence across European hospitality and visit the Hall of Fame to explore previous laureates.
Tags: Borgo Scopeto Wine & Country Relais, Ethical Luxury Hotelier of the Year 2026, European Hotel Awards, hotel leadership, Simone Marigliani, Sustainable Luxury, Tuscany, Vagliagli
