You have spent 15 years building the name Cuca Olveira. How has your work evolved from your first content projects into the luxury travel platform you lead today?

It has been 15 years since I began this work, and when I look back, I realise that what has changed most is both the content I create and the way I see this profession. I started by sharing my travels out of pure passion, and over time, that passion developed into a luxury travel platform connecting hotels, destinations, and brands with a community that values authentic, meaningful experiences.

Today, I do much more than create content. I develop communication strategies, tell compelling stories, position destinations, and help every collaboration achieve tangible results. My goal has always been to demonstrate that content can become an effective marketing and communication tool when it is created with professionalism, authenticity, and a long-term vision.

What does the name Cuca Olveira represent, and how does the connection with your great-grandmother influence the values behind your personal brand?

Cuca was my great-grandmother’s name. She was an extraordinary woman—full of light, strength, and kindness—and she had a profound impact on my life. I was fortunate enough to spend many years by her side. She is no longer physically with me, yet I feel her presence every single day.

Choosing her name for my brand was my way of honouring her legacy. Every project, every trip, and every achievement carries a part of her with me. During the most challenging moments of my career, I often think about the strength she gave me, and it helps me find the courage to keep moving forward.

When people think of Cuca Olveira, I hope they see more than a luxury travel brand. I hope they see values such as humility, kindness, respect, dedication, and the belief that genuine human connection is always at the heart of everything we do.

Luxury travel is often presented through beautiful photographs, yet a successful collaboration requires much more. What do you offer hotels and destinations beyond social media visibility?

Beautiful imagery is only a small part of the job. What truly matters is building trust.

Whenever I collaborate with a hotel or destination, I immerse myself completely in its story. I want to understand its philosophy, meet the people behind it, discover what makes it unique, and translate that into a story that genuinely connects with people.

I offer high-quality content, credibility, and authentic storytelling. My audience knows that I only recommend places I truly believe in, and that trust is what gives my recommendations real value.

I believe in building long-term relationships. Many of the hotels I first worked with years ago remain part of my work today, as we share the same vision of hospitality and excellence.

When you arrive at a hotel, what details help you recognise whether it offers a genuinely premium experience worth recommending to your audience?

The very first thing I notice is never the architecture or interior design.

For me, true luxury begins with people.

The warmth, professionalism, and genuine care shown by the team make all the difference. I pay attention to how guests are welcomed, how problems are handled, and how every interaction makes people feel valued.

Only then do I look at other significant aspects, such as service standards, attention to detail, gastronomy, cleanliness, comfort, and the hotel’s ability to create memorable moments.

I have always believed that a hotel can be visually stunning, but without exceptional hospitality, it can never deliver a truly unforgettable experience.

How do you transform a hotel stay or destination into a story that creates interest, builds trust, and inspires people to book the experience?

Before creating any content, I experience every destination as a guest.

I am not interested in simply showcasing beautiful suites or spectacular swimming pools. I am drawn to the people, the culture, the history, and those small details that often go unnoticed but make a place truly special.

When content creates an emotional connection, it stops feeling like advertising and becomes genuine inspiration. I believe people connect much more deeply with authentic experiences than with a collection of perfectly curated images.

What type of hotels, tourism boards, travel companies, and lifestyle brands are the best match for your audience and your style of content?

I primarily collaborate with luxury hotels, boutique properties, high-end resorts, tourism boards, destinations, and lifestyle brands that value authenticity, exceptional service, and excellence.

I am not simply looking for exclusive places—I look for destinations with soul.

My audience appreciates thoughtfully curated experiences, gastronomy, wellness, design, and personalised hospitality. That is why I enjoy working with brands that recognise that true luxury is defined by how you make people feel.

Could you share one collaboration that shows how your content helped a hotel, destination, or brand reach new clients or strengthen its image?

Over the years, I have had the privilege of working on many collaborations that I am incredibly proud of.

The most rewarding moments come months after a campaign has finished, when a hotel’s general manager or marketing director tells me that guests continue to book after discovering the property through my content or mention my recommendations when making their reservations.

For me, that is the greatest measure of success: creating content that continues to deliver value long after it has been published.

8. After 15 years in the industry, what have you learned about building long-term trust between a content creator, a hospitality brand, and the audience?

I have learned that trust is built through consistency.

I would never recommend a place I would not genuinely choose myself.

I have learned that humility opens far more doors than follower counts ever will. I have never been comfortable with the attitude of superiority that some people bring when they arrive at a hotel. Behind every property is a team of dedicated professionals working tirelessly to create unforgettable experiences.

One of my favourite parts of every collaboration is getting to know those people. I enjoy spending time with the marketing team, management, reception staff, chefs, and everyone involved. Very often, professional relationships become genuine friendships, and I believe that authenticity naturally shines through in the content I create.

9. Your book will be published in October. What inspired you to write it, and what side of María will readers discover that they may never have seen through Cuca Olveira?

For many years, people have followed my travels, but very few truly know María.

This book was born from a desire to share the more personal side of my story—the fears, the challenges, the lessons I have learned, and everything that has happened behind the beautiful images shared on social media.

I believe that allowing yourself to be vulnerable is one of the most meaningful ways to connect with others.

10. Who did you write the book for, and what do you hope readers will feel or recognise in themselves after reading it?

I wrote this book for anyone who has ever been afraid of pursuing their dreams or has considered giving up.

When readers finish the last page, I hope they feel less alone. I hope they realise that perseverance is always worthwhile and that life’s most difficult moments can become the beginning of something extraordinary.

11. How can readers follow the book launch, attend presentations, or purchase a copy once it becomes available?

All updates will be shared through my social media channels and official website. I will be announcing the launch dates, the cities I will be visiting during the book tour, and all the details about where and how readers can purchase a copy.

This is an incredibly special project for me, and I cannot wait to share it personally with everyone who becomes part of this experience.

12. In September, you will launch pet-friendly welcome boxes for hotels across Europe. What need did you identify in the hospitality industry that inspired this project?

Over the years, through working with hotels across different countries and closely following the development of the hospitality industry, I noticed that more and more people are choosing to travel with their pets. At the same time, I realised there was a significant difference between simply allowing pets and offering a truly pet-friendly experience.

In many cases, pets are accepted, but they are not genuinely included as part of the guest experience. Those thoughtful touches that make them feel just as welcome as their owners are often missing.

That observation inspired this project. I wanted to create a solution that helps hotels stand out by improving the guest experience from the very first moment with a carefully curated, practical, and high-quality welcome box. It is a way of adding value for both the hotel and families travelling with their pets, supporting the idea that true luxury is found in the details—and in making every guest feel genuinely welcome.

13. What will guests and their pets find inside the welcome boxes, and what makes the selected Galician products distinctive?

Each welcome box will feature a carefully curated selection of premium products created by Galician producers and chosen for their exceptional quality, authenticity, and commitment to animal well-being.

Every item has been thoughtfully selected so that pets feel genuinely welcome from the moment they arrive, transforming check-in into a memorable experience for the entire family.

Beyond supporting pet-friendly tourism, the project aims to introduce the craftsmanship, innovation, and outstanding products of Galicia to hotels and travellers across the European market.

14. How can these welcome boxes help hotels improve the experience of guests travelling with pets and position themselves as genuinely pet-friendly destinations?

Today’s travellers are looking for experiences, not simply accommodation.

When a hotel shows that it has thoughtfully considered the needs of pets along with those of their owners, it sends a very clear message: every member of the family is truly welcome.

These thoughtful details create lasting memories, increase guest satisfaction, encourage recommendations, and build long-term loyalty.

I believe the future of hospitality lies in paying attention to the small touches that make a meaningful difference. True luxury is found in the details, and those details transform a stay into an unforgettable experience.

15. Which hotels, distributors, Galician producers, and commercial partners would you like to connect with as the brand expands across the European market, and how can they get in touch with you?

I would love to collaborate with hotels that see hospitality as a combination of excellence and genuine human connection; with hotel groups looking to improve and differentiate their pet-friendly offering; with distributors interested in introducing high-quality Galician products to the hospitality sector; and with producers who share our commitment to authenticity, craftsmanship, and sustainability.

This project has been created with an international vision, and its roots are proudly Galician.

Any hotel, distributor, producer, or commercial partner interested in working together is welcome to contact me through my official website or professional social media channels. I firmly believe that the strongest partnerships are built on shared values and a common passion for creating exceptional guest experiences.

YOU CAN FIND MARIA HERE