The Modern Hotelier #122: Sustainability & Innovation for Hotel Mattresses | with Andrea Piana
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Steve Carran: Welcome to another episode of The Modern Hotelier. We're excited to release this episode with Andrea Penaia from Penaia Technologies. David, what were some of your favorite takeaways from this episode?
David: Well, Andrea was great. And, you know, one of the things people forget about is the main thing you do in a hotel is sleep. and so with their, you know, with piano sleep and their mattresses and what they're doing for sustainability, I just thought it was a really cool episode and I loved learning about what they're doing and how they're, they're helping the industry.
Steve Carran: Yeah, I agree. I think this is the oldest company we've ever talked to. 1582 is when they were established, so really cool to hear the history, how they came over to the United States and then got focused on mattresses. So, really cool episode. We hope you enjoy it.
David: Enjoy. 

David: Welcome to The Modern Hotelier, the most engaged podcast in hospitality. I'm your host, David Millili.
Steve Carran: I'm your co host, Steve Carran.
Jon Bumhoffer: And I'm the producer, Jon Bumhoffer.
David: Steve, who do we have on the program today?
Steve Carran: Yeah, David, today we have on Andrea Piana, CEO of Piana Technology. Andrea's passion for environmentalism drove the 440 year old legacy of his family's textile company to the top. to shift towards sustainable solutions and technological innovations. He envisions a truly circular zero waste economy and sees an opportunity to provide the building blocks for the new physical and social infrastructure driven by compassion and empathy.
Welcome to the show, Andrea.
Andrea Piana: Thank you for having me, Steve and David. Pleasure to be here and an honor to be here. Thank you very much.
David: great. So we're going to get started. We're going to go through a lightning round of questions, getting to know a little bit about your personal background, your, your career, and then dive into some industry topics. Sound good?
Andrea Piana: Roger that.
David: What was your first job? My first job was actually at the age of eight years old. I was working in a manufacturing facility with my father.
Wow. Um, what's something you wish you were better at?
Andrea Piana: Probably everything. That's my nature. So it's an easy answer.
David: Alright, so what's a luxury you can't live without?
Andrea Piana: personal growth.
David: What's a place you've never been to, but you most want to go to?
Andrea Piana: Probably New Zealand.
David: Alright, so you've got your own late night talk show. Who's your first guest?
Andrea Piana: It's a living guest or is it a non
David: You can, you can pick either. You
Andrea Piana: Oh, I would definitely love to add Jesus, for sure, no question about Yeah. that's great. 
Steve Carran: beautiful. That was great, Andrea. Now we're going to learn a little bit more about you, kind of what makes you tick a little bit. So you grew up in Italy. Is that correct?
Andrea Piana: That's correct. Thank you.
Steve Carran: So how did growing up in Italy shape you into who you are today?
Andrea Piana: That's an interesting question. So I'm originally from the northwest of Italy, a tiny place called Biella. I'm literally from the mountains. So when we used to have snow, in 15 minutes from my house, I could ski. So it's one of the few regional area of Italy where you learn first how to ski and then how to play soccer. So, you know, it's rare. So growing up in Italy, I think that, uh, uh, with the family environment where I was raised, it was really a function of having a beautiful relationship with the outdoor, playing with, uh, with my friends, skiing a lot, of course, a typical chaotic, but very intense Italian family.
So it's really representative of what you see in the movies or you read about it. So 
Steve Carran: that's,
great. 
David: you went to college in Italy, so kind of two questions here. What did you study and what are the, some of the differences you're seeing living in the U S versus Italy? 
Andrea Piana: Well, I studied the most boring things, which it was economics, which, uh, I regretted absolutely. If I could go back with the time machine that you gave to me before, I would definitely study something different. So, Living in the United States, I moved here since 1995. It was, uh, it was a remarkable gift and a remarkable opportunity.
the United States is definitely based on meritocracy. It's definitely based, it's a country of law and you really can perceive that, uh, achieving the impossible is actually possible. So I, I love, I love this country and, um, sense of patriotism For me, it's been a remarkable, uh, journey and I'm extremely fortunate.
Steve Carran: That's awesome. So you were a two time world champion of semi contact. Can you tell us what is semi contact and how you became a two time world champion? 
Andrea Piana: Uh, yes, um, I've been two times world champion semi contest. Semi contest is like kickboxing or character point. So, where instead of going through the full contact of the motions, you go in and you come out with a hit. And, um, I was a good athlete overall in anything that I was doing. Purely coincident.
Coincidentally, I grew to become six three at the age of 13, but I was, uh, 127 pounds, so nobody would really be able to compete with me. So, so it was either skiing or was either, kickboxing, semi contact, and I was fortunate enough to, to win. so that's how I became two times world champion.
Steve Carran: How long did you do semi contact kickboxing for? 
Andrea Piana: So I did it for um, eight years and then I kept doing martial arts throughout my entire life,
Steve Carran: Sure. Very cool. Very cool. Well, that was great. Now we're going to learn into your career a little bit. How you got to where you are today. So after you graduated college in Italy, did you go right into the family business, or did you dip your toe in other things? 
Andrea Piana: straight out to family business. I don't think I even had the options, mental freedom or the consciousness, subconscious level, definitely, I was a director toward the family business. I was actually keeping studying and in 1995 we opened our first facility here in the United States. My family asked me if I was interested in moving and learning and running this facility and I decided to accept their offer.
David: And so, Piana was actually, the technology was founded in 1582 as an Italian text mill, textile mill. And, and tell us more about the history there and how the focus on bedding came about.
Andrea Piana: first of all, we are from this specific geographical area and this area has some advantages. It's, um, has a lot of sheep farm. and there are hills and there are mountains, so a significant amount of, uh, of water, and the water is very soft, and so it's not hard, there is no residue. It was a perfect combination for a lot of family to move in that specific, uh, area, and to embrace, uh, the availability of ships, the availability of, uh, light water, the availability of a water mill.
So we would really leverage the kinetic energy to move the first type of textile manufacturing. and that's where we started. That does not mean that we have been successful since, since 1582. I just want to make sure we're clear about that. 
Steve Carran: that's great. And then you kind of mentioned this already, but in 1995 you opened your first, uh, Piano Technology opened their first American factory in Cartersville, Georgia. What really caused your family to look into America to open a factory here? 
Andrea Piana: So since the early 90s, we were shipping dyed cotton. Dyed cotton is used for, it was used for the traditional textile market. So apparel and, and daining. And the United States government established a quota. And so we would not, we were not able to ship more than X amount of pounds every year. So, we decided, to open our first manufacturing facility in the state of, uh, Georgia in 1995. To supply the 
domestic industry, of course. 
Steve Carran: Sure. Very cool. 
David: So you recently released, and I hope I pronounced this right, Renovo Mattress. how did this come about and what makes that mattress so unique?
Andrea Piana: Well, you know, in the state of Georgia, we have, uh, almost entire supply chain. We start from fiber treatment and we evolve into, uh, what is called traditionally non woven applications. And, um, we supply Multiple markets, one of them is actually the bedding industry. We supply approximately 20 percent to 25 percent of the bedding market with some of our components as a technology of a bed.
So a natural, as an organic extension, we wanted to leverage our innovative spirit and our commitment to circular economy to be a catalyst in the vending industry. And so we decided to create a bed that was extreme innovative and the most sustainable bed in the industry. That was the premise of this vision.
Steve Carran: That's awesome. Is the fact that it's most sustainable why it's so innovative? Or what makes the beds so innovative in the industry? 
Andrea Piana: that's a good question. So the purpose statement of the organization itself, we believe that we are a powerhouse of innovative, sustainable technology. So the pillar of the organizations are to be, extremely innovative. So adding functionality in terms of, uh, We assess the well being of an individual, and also to have a full respect toward the environment.
So the innovation does not come just with a focus on sustainability. The innovation comes from understanding how we can protect, humans, how we can enhance their quality of sleep and, uh, how we can do that, without, Having an ecological bankruptcy 
Steve Carran: Sure. 
Andrea Piana: witnessing 
today. 

Steve Carran: Very cool. So now we're going to get into more of the industry thoughts and a little bit more about Piana specifically. So like to know specifically, you know, the Renovo mattress, how is that specifically impacting the hospitality industry? And what benefits does that not only bring to hotels, but also the guests of the hotels as well? 
Andrea Piana: Well, first of all, we hope it's going to have a strong impact on hospitality. Time will, uh, time will prove if our vision is indeed, uh, uh, was corrected. So we created a, um, in these specific mattresses, we created an environment that, uh, has functionality of absolute safety. a functionality of, uh, providing, uh, far greater air permeability.
So an element of freshness, uh, throughout the entire bed. So there is not accumulations of, uh, of heat. and then we apply our PureKhan technology. we apply, uh, uh, molecules with specific, uh, focuses on neurotransmitter activities. So it's a center technology. That, uh, I think we're the first of its kind to start to implement it here in, uh, in, in United States.
So, the capability to assess that, uh, at least for hospitality, we want to create an environment where it's going to be extremely comfortable and, uh, there are no bacterias. And, uh, we want to maintain a, a, a, a luxury sense of, uh, of, of feeling o of sleep. You have to wake up or rested.
And so currently, and also in the future, we are adding more technology. Uh, we see this more as a, as an apparatus, as a platform. specifically focus on the, on the wellbeing of, uh, of humanity.
David: so how is PianaSleep helping the hospitality brands with sustainability? And do you have any like great stories of, you know, guest feedback or things of that nature where people are just like, Hey, I just, you know. I need to know where this mattress came from because I got to get one for my house. 
Andrea Piana: Well, uh. we do believe that, hospitality, has a great opportunity, to become extremely transparent in how they approach their relationship with, customers, but also with the environment. they can be a beacon or a catalyst toward changes, because, future generations generation z generation alpha, they're very idealistic as they should be, as we all should be.
And they're going to be the judge of the decisions of some, corporations. So I think that's a great opportunity for, for hospitality. You know, I mean, every single day, we throw away 50,000 mattresses. Every single day. So if you stack them on the top of each other, their height is the same as Mount Everest. it's nonsensical, because there is not a need. And so our intention was to really offer a mattress that can be, 100 recyclable. It's produced in a manufacturing facility. that is 100 solar. and we want to add more and more functionalities. I just came back from, from Italy.
We are currently working with, a university in the south of Italy. On, really, customized even more, scent technology and applying specific sensors, for, that are going to be introduced in the market in the next 24 months. I think hospitality has a great opportunity to be, to be a leader and, an individual should have, or a customer should have the, right to choose, Where do they want to sleep in terms of quality, in terms of alignment with their value, in terms of alignment with their beliefs? That's a power that nobody should remove from us. We have the 
right to choose. 
Steve Carran: Absolutely. And I love your point on sustainability, you know, that you have recyclable mattresses, but I have to ask another question, you know, what made you kind of focus on the hospitality state for Piana Technology instead of more the residential space or, any other spaces? What made you passionate about diving into hospitality?
Andrea Piana: Well, a couple of things. First, um, we had to find with clarity, the aggregate demand of unhappy customers. And it was very easy to find that at the hospitality level. Those hotels, small and not necessarily large, they were very focused on the functionality, quality, and sustainability.
They were more reachable, they were more personal, and generally more aligned with what we stand for. that was the initial main focus. Much easier at the beginning to reach, uh, an interlocutor, which was already aligned, uh, with multiple option, meaning multiple rooms instead of reaching or going directly to consumers at this specific stage of our, of our life. 
Steve Carran: that's great. Kind of one follow up question, do you have any numbers on how, non recyclable mattress, how long that takes to break down? 
Andrea Piana: Well, I don't believe, uh, uh, in general terms, they actually break down. I mean, eventually everything breaks down, but there will be, My point of view, centuries. 
Steve Carran: Yeah, because you have the springs, if they have that, and every, there's just so 
Andrea Piana: uh, yeah, 
Steve Carran: like it would take forever. 
Andrea Piana: yeah, you have PU foam and, um, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. So it 
Steve Carran: Yeah. 
Andrea Piana: by the compositions 
overall.
David: I have a question for you. What's What's next? Like what is the new, like kind of the next, you know, kind of evolution of the company or where do you see trends just in general going when it comes to sustainability and mattresses, bedding, kind of the, you know, there's so much talk about sustainability and hospitality.
So what do you, what do you think's next or what's next for, for you?
Andrea Piana: But I I think there is a a definite, an overall misconception. Sustainability has been used, abused, exploited, in any form that you would like. Really, we should talk about, Circular design. capability to, reduce, reuse, and recycle components. And you can do that in a very safe way. So I, overall hope that the industry will have, more clarity to what they can do to support these, realistically, these, ecological bankruptcy that we're, facing.
we are here in Georgia. I don't know exactly where you're located. I don't remember, but, we had the hurricane that has been going through, thunderstorm. And, and science is very, clear from the 1970s to today, the overall surface temperature has been increasing and the kinetic power of the hurricane has been increasing.
That's simple. that's science. So there is much more that we can do from that perspective. The rest of, uh, how we foresee the future, it's really about, Improving the quality of, uh, humanity through a substrate in this specific, uh, this platform that is a bed, where we rest anywhere between six to eight hours, eight hours if you're very lucky, definitely that's not me, but if you can envision a system where you can regenerate your immune system, you can do tissue repair, tissue growth, cell regenerations, uh, the proper, data gathering of, uh, On a larger surface, you can do on the phone, you can do on, I'm sorry, you can do on a bracelet, but it's a very small surface area.
So you got to think really, uh, futuristically, uh, it should be a place where you wake up and you're more rested. And, uh, I know your stage of sleeping can be achieved maybe in less hours and you have better quality of life, et cetera, et cetera. So we see more in innovative approach on that 
Steve Carran: yeah, no, I'm excited about that because I am a terrible sleeper. So like, anything that helps me track my sleep or kind of knows how I can improve my sleep, I'm all for that. So this technology sounds right up my alley. But one, one final question, kind of from our end here. you're CEO of a company.
Do you have any advice out there for folks that want to be a CEO one day or that's there inspiration to be? 
Andrea Piana: I think that's a very interesting question. First, of all, if I can give a suggestion is really define your purpose, define your values and then lead with, imagination lead with creativity, lead with passion. try to be a misfit. the rules are not there always to be respected.
Otherwise we will not evolve. I think you have to embrace life with great intensity. You don't want to be average. You want to just be truly happy. I think that's the beautiful aspect of life. That's the only suggestion I can give. 
I'm Not a typical CEO, so I'm sorry.
David: that's good advice.
Steve Carran: That's great advice. That is great advice. So we've been asking you questions this whole time. So now we're going to turn the tables and let you ask us a question. 
Andrea Piana: Fair. So if you can, uh, both of you, if you can tell me what you stand for, what is your purpose in life? 
Steve Carran: Ooh, David, you want to go first or you want to, you 
want me to go first? 
David: I can go first. I mean, I'm, I've been told it's, you know, I, I always say that I'm a big believer in karma and doing right. And someone corrected me and said, that's no, that's more spiritual than what karma stands for. So for me, it's always just trying to kind of, you know, you want to leave kind of whatever you're doing, whether it be the industry you're in, your children, whatever you're doing.
You want to just pass on to the industry, your children, something that makes their life better or makes the industry better. So for me, you know, I I'd like to, you know, not to be morbid when I pass people to say, this was an honest person. This was a person who cared. This was a person who was committed to trying to make things better, helping people, uh, helping their family.
And sometimes that means You gotta be tough. You gotta be tough on your kids or you gotta be tough on your, employees. Um, as a fellow CEO, I liked your advice because yeah, you've got to kind of find your passion. So for me, I just. I just love hospitality. I just love being in hotels. I love meeting new people from all over the world.
so that would be kind of my thing would be, I'd like to at least, you know, hopefully I make a change on this industry and continue to make a change and have made a change.
Steve Carran: This is why David and I have a podcast together, because I was going to say leave hospitality and even, even the world or my community in a better place than when I found it, you know? just making a positive impact. To maybe those getting into the industry or even those that have been in the industry.
but you know, leaving that, leaving that last full impact and also, I got this from my mother, but spreading positivity along the way, you know, it's life, life's short to go through it, not with a smile on your face. And, that's kind of my thing. Leave it better than when I found it and have a positive attitude on, on 
throughout my journey. 
David: we need more of that in this country right now. And I'll leave it at that.
Andrea Piana: You know, I mean, you think about it, we are three individuals in this, uh, in this call and the common denominator is to do good for humanity, overall. And so, I think overall people are pretty 
nice, uh,
Steve Carran: For the most part. I agree. I agree. 
Well, this is great. Now we have one question left. Our producer, Jon, he's been listening the whole time, so he's going to ask you one more question before we get you out of here. 
Jon Bumhoffer: Yeah, this is super cool. I loved hearing about, about what you guys do. I'm curious, like, from the, from a hotelier's perspective, what is the, like, the journey of a mattress, like, with them? Like, when somebody says, hey, we want to use your mattresses, what does that look like? How long do they last? What happens after?
All of those things. I'm just kind of curious of that journey.
Andrea Piana: That's a good question. So, specifically related to our mattresses, if we visualize the transactions between us and let's say a hotel. We would sell, um, X amount of mattresses and generally, hotels should change their beds every five to eight years. we would pick up these mattresses, we'd bring it inside of our recycling facility.
We will open these mattresses and then go through a sanitization process. And once we sanitize this material, we actually going to convert it into small, um, small If I'm saying this in English correctly, kind of mats, small beds that we will donate to, you know, kind of homeless, uh, facilities or, disaster relief or people that they are in, in need.
So that's our commitment toward, uh, what we 
want to do.
David: Well, that does it for another episode of The Modern Hotelier. Andrea, this is where you can plug away, tell people about how they can find out more about Piana, how they can connect with you, so plug away, the floor is yours.
Andrea Piana: I didn't plan this. So, I mean, probably they can find us at Piano Sleep, uh, on, uh, online. They can, uh, Connect me through LinkedIn, probably. And, uh, but most of all, I really would like to thank all of you. A great conversation. It's a pleasure and, um, spend time with you today. So thank 
you very much for everything.
I appreciate
David: So that does it for another episode of The Modern Hotelier, the most engaged podcast in hospitality. We thank you whether you're watching or listening, and until next time, we'll see you. Thank you, Andrea. Appreciate it. 
Andrea Piana: Thank you.
Steve Carran: Thank you.