August 12, 2014

Forte Village Resort actually has more than one ‘forte’. It arose from the entrepreneurial far-sightedness of pioneers. In the Seventies, Lord Charles Forte grasped the tourism potential of this part of Sardinia about 45 Km from Cagliari and introduced Italy to the concept of the luxury resort, instantly bringing it to international recognition. The jet set immediately chose it and made it one of their favourite haunts.It has a forte for continuously accumulating awards. Its prize list reveals that for fifteen years in a row it was judged the World’s Leading Resort. The last time was last year. Pretty impressive,...

Curious facts from the world of hotellerie; fast, sparkling and fizzy as the bubbles in a glass of Champagne.   Wedding bells  – Deborah Dyer, stage name Skin, leader of Skunk Anansie, married her manager on 11 August 2012. For the occasion, she chose the five-star de luxe Lido Palace in Riva del Garda. The guests included the director of Avatar James Cameron and the couple Valeria Golino and Riccardo Scamarcio. – Singer and actor Justin Timberlake and actor Jessica Biel tied the knot in Borgo Egnazia. The fateful day was Friday 19 October 2012. Superstitious…? – They fell in love on Lake Como and decided to have their...

Announcing the first “ME by Meliá” hotel in Italy from Meliá Hotels International. The new ME Milan Il Duca will be opened in 2015 in Piazza della Repubblica, in the heart of Milan. Refurbished by Studio Arassociati (Aldo Rossi Associati), the hotel will have 132 rooms, including 34 suites, the most spectacular of which will be “Suite ME”, a lounge bar and a restaurant, in addition to several meeting rooms. Characterized by a cosmopolitan, elegant and fashionable style, the hotel will also boast a Roof Bar, another distinguishing trait of ME structures; this will cover an area of 600 square metres and...

The iconic hospitality of Lungarno Hotels Collection, the hotel management company owned by the Ferragamo family, has added another key tile to its mosaic of luxury by opening Portrait Firenze. It is a space without time, where harmony defines the design. An exclusive residence that overlooks the Arno and offers a close-up of Ponte Vecchio. Aristocratic. No other adjective could capture the essence of this “portrait” of Florence in the ’50s, whence Italian fashion sprang. And the service is an integral part of this journey through time, helping to make it an unparalleled experience for the guests of Portrait Firenze....

Holidays in Capri… One thing you can count on as regards hospitality on this charming island is Meliá Hotels & Resorts‘ treasure in Anacapri. It is Meliá Villa Capri Hotel & Spa, a harmonious blend of Liberty style and design, much more than a petit hotel: it is the “Adults Only” hotel, where privacy and peace are guaranteed. The hotel will reopen for the new season next 16 April, and it is proposing several new features. For instance? A Pillows Menu is available in the 19 rooms and suites, making even the choice of pillows truly personalized. The jewels in the crown of...

From Starwood’s Le Méridien to the Dorchester Collection. For a sum rumoured to be in the region of 105 million euro. We are speaking about the Hotel Eden in Rome, which at the end of September became part of the collection of hospitality jewels owned by the Sultan of Brunei. A new life and a new page to be written, as always in the pursuit of excellence, for the luxury five-star hotel located a short stroll from the Spanish Steps and Via Veneto. But before that happens, careful restoration will touch up its looks, valorizing its nineteenth-century atmosphere. At present, the timing...

The Four Seasons in Milan celebrated its twentieth birthday this year. It did it in fine style at the end of the summer with a special cocktail party, together with friends and distinguished guests such as Mario Boselli, Giuseppe Zanotti, Beppe Modenese, Piero Pinto, Teresa Missoni, Marta Brivio Sforza, Gabriella Dompè, Cesare Prandelli, Tancredi Cordero di Montezemolo, Giorgio Forattini, Gaetano and Albertina Marzotto, Enzo Miccio, Andrea Buccellati, Cristina Versace, Davide Oldani, Matteo Thun and many others besides. It was a clear sign that consistently investing in quality and innovation pays off. And is appreciated. International globetrotters appreciate its elegance, exclusiveness,...

StYle In a luxury hotel, every sensory perception must be an unbroken sequence of emotions inspired by your surroundings, whether they are refined and enhanced with fine furnishings or with installations in perfect contemporary style, in which the choice of the materials and the technological equipment distinguishes the hotel’s identity. From a welcoming letter in your room signed by the manager to the staff in smart uniforms who, with poise and a discreet smile, are ready to satisfy your desires, and sometimes to anticipate them. Or the scent of the flower arrangements, lavish or minimal, that adorn the lobby or...

Last September, after a long wait, Palazzo Montemartini finally opened its doors in the Castro Pretorio neighbourhood, in front of the Baths of Diocletian and a short stroll from Termini Station. Rome’s new five-star hotel, part of the Ragosta Collection, is a perfect blend of opposites. On one hand, it has all the classic elements you would expect to find in a period dwelling, such as marble and stucco-work, and on the other, it has comfort and design with a contemporary impact, and is oriented towards energy saving and eco-compatibility, building automation and smart apps. Palazzo Montemartini is a quick-change...

Perhaps it is still to soon to call it a trend. And yet there are indications. Observing the new openings and the projects of the international chains, one fact emerges: the big names of hospitality are banking on the islands. In the Venice Lagoon above all. Do you remember San Clemente Palace, on the island of San Clemente, which closed last year? According to the rumors – officious but not overly so considering that we are talking about the respectable paper Il Gazzettino diVenezia – the 200-room five-star resort, once a jewel in the crown of Amato Ramondetti’s Turin Hotels...