April 18, 2026
Romantik Hotel Villa Margherita, a stunning Palladian Villa in Mira (VE), is a unique UNESCO World Heritage Site and architectural treasure, and organizes unusual itineraries for visitors who want to get to know the area.
The aim is to discover Venice from new perspectives, such as taking motorboat rides on the Grand Canal or on romantic gondolas, as well as personalized tours.
Explore Venice’s most romantic corners
You can board a historic boat and explore the wonders of the Brenta Riviera, stopping to see Villa Malcontenta, Villa Foscarini Rossi, and Villa Pisani, all designed by Andrea Palladio. And Venice is an unmissable stop, with its suggestions, labyrinthine alleys overlooking romantic canals, and palaces that tell of days long past.
The best of Venetian cuisine
When guests return to the Romantik Hotel Villa Margherita they are greeted with an aperitif in the quiet of the park before heading to dinner to enjoy signature dishes and traditional Venetian specialties based on fresh fish, rice, and polenta. All paired with the cellar's excellent selection of Venetian wines. The Romantik Hotel Villa Margherita also has a Tesla charging station. Prices start at €202 per room/person per night.
Published in Business
A recent survey by Telegraph Travel revealed the greatest city on Earth. “Starting with a shortlist of 50 cities, we then collated data across a range of different categories which reward cities for their practicality, cultural prowess and history, but also for breathing space, luxury and safety.” And having crunched the data, one city emerged which the Telegraph crowned “officially the greatest city on Earth.”
The winner was Barcelona. With two far-flung cities, Sydney and Cape Town, taking second and third place. Of course we were heartbroken not to see an Italian city on the winner’s podium. But hold on…Italy is the ONLY country with two cities in the top ten: Venice at 5th place and Florence at 10th!
And who can really say what greatest means. As Vladimir Horowitz once replied when asked if he was the greatest pianist of all times: “What is the greatest? Can I say Beethoven is the greatest? Or Mozart? Although - he added with a twinkle - my mother does think I am the greatest pianist.”
Pamela McCourt Francescone
Executive Editor
Published in Editorial
Itabus adds 30 new buses to its fleet, as well as many new destinations. The new MAN Neoplan Skyliners will increase the fleet to 100 vehicles (300 when fully operational). Currently Italbus has 110 daily services connecting more than 140 locations for a total of over 800 routes per day. To celebrate Italbus’s 100th vehicle, the bus will have a special livery with the company logo and name in gold on the red chassis. With the fleet expansion, services on the main routes grow, and new regions are being added to the network, including Sicily, Trentino-Alto Adige, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
Many new connections and services
Sicily, which will be linked to Bari, Naples, and Rome via ten daily services distributed across four lines, will have numerous stops to ensure territorial coverage with Palermo, Termini Imerese, Cefalù, Milazzo, Messina, Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Enna, Catania, Taormina-Giardini Naxos, Syracuse, and Augusta all being served by Itabus. In the Trentino region Bolzano, Trento, and Rovereto will be served with four daily services to Rome and Naples. Then there's Friuli, which includes Trieste (8 services per day), Udine (2 daily services), and Gorizia (2 daily connections), all of which will be linked to various destinations such as Venice, Milan, Rome, and Naples. Calabria, which is already served by the Itabus network, will also benefit from two daily Rome-Catanzaro connections, as well as the extension of some Crotone services to Milan.
Intermodal hubs including airports
Itabus services are expanding to include intermodal hubs such as airports: in addition to Rome Ciampino and Milan Bergamo, stops will be added at Naples and Venice airports and new destinations for the summer include Otranto, Gallipoli, Ostuni, Rimini, Riccione, Cattolica, Senigallia and San Benedetto del Tronto among others.
Published in Transportation
The thermal baths at Terme Merano reopen on 14 May 2022. With its 25 swimming pools the spa complex is an unparalleled wellness experience where visitors can also enjoy Relaxation Lounges and the Roof Whirlpool on the panoramic terrace.
Relaxation Lounges for couples
Large and well-kept, the park on over five hectares has swimming pools of various sizes and types as well as relaxing shaded corners and sun loungers. There are also eight Relaxation Lounges. Each of these wellness corners is on nine square metres and has a couple's relaxation bed for two. The lounges can be booked for half a day or a full day for a total relaxing experience immersed in South Tyrol’s nature. There is also a space dedicated to younger guests with a colorful swimming pool, slides and water games, where children can have fun in total safety.
A roof whirlpool on the Sun Deck
The complex has a fitness pool and invigorating whirlpools, an area for counter-current swimming and saline water as well as a Kneipp thermal path. In total there are 25 swimming pools and guests can also enjoy the exclusive Roof Whirlpool, a large pool with pleasantly warm water on the panoramic Sun Deck Terrace.
The first to have the Skill Bike
The Terme Merano’s gym is the first in South Tyrol to offer the unique experience of the Skill Bike. This realistic training simulation mimics a real mountain bike race, with slopes and gradients as riders compet with other cyclists visible on a screen. The Skill Bike adjusts according to the rider's weight, pedaling style and other performance parameters. Park & Move is an e-bike and mobility scooter rental system and is the prefect way to enjoy the area and nature without effort and without stress, but above all without pollution. There is also an inductive charging station and e-bikes available for rent as well as automatic charging and rental stations for mobility scooters in the car park.
A combined ticket for the Terme and Trauttmansdorff Castle
The Giardini & Terme combined ticket includes a 3-hour entry to the gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle and to Terme Merano, with a 10% discount on MySpa treatments. Also included in the ticket is a gastronomic voucher worth €10 for the Bistro at Terme Merano or for the Schlossgarten restaurant in Trauttmansdorff. For a holiday in Merano you can choose one of the partner structures like the City Hotel Merano which, up to 2 June 2022, has a Merano Spring package that includes three nights with breakfast, one bottle of prosecco in the room and one Giardini & Terme combined ticket. All starting from €365 per person
Published in Leisure
Accor will manage a Notovel and an Adagio property in Milan Sesto. The reconversion plan of the Milano Sesto industrial area, by the US giant Hines in collaboration with Prelios, is taking shape and provides for the new property.
The new building will open in 2026
The new building, scheduled to open in 2026, will be close to the new Sesto San Giovanni station, and the City of Health and Research. This health complex for clinical research and training funded by the state and the Lombardy Region will include the new National Cancer Centre and the Carlo Besta Neurological Institute which will welcome around 4,000 daily visitors.
The 301-room building will include apartments
The hotel will have 301 rooms and consist of two Accor brands: the Novotel with 204 rooms, and the Adagio with 97 apartments intended for medium to long-term use. The building will be on 19 floors, spread over approximately 16,000 square metres.
Two iconic brands for an important redevelopment
“We are very proud that two of our iconic brands are part of this very important urban redevelopment project - comments Jerome Lassara, vice president of development in Southern Europe, Accor – and thanks to our partner Amapa we will develop the two properties which join the nine we already operate with them in Italy."
Offices and student accommodation
"We are committed to showcasing this long-neglected area and make it a driving force for the local communities, as well as attracting new residents to the offices, the student accommodation and the unique new health facility,” added Mario Abbadessa, senior managing director & country head of Hines Italy.
Published in Hospitality
The Parco Cavour water park in the Veneto region reopens on 2 June with fun, relaxation and nature to spare just a few minutes from Peschiera del Garda.
This oasis of relaxation and excitement for young and old can best be described in three words: quality, uniqueness and sustainability. Opened 45 years ago, since 2017 it has topped Tripadvisor’s platform, as well as winning the Tiqets award as the best Italian tourist facility of 2021. It has also received numerous awards as the greenest water park in Italy thanks to its extensive green areas and its attention to and respect for the environment.
Sustainable development and environmental awareness
Always oriented towards a policy of sustainable development, in recent years the park has adopted numerous technological solutions to reduce its impact on the environment: from water saving to the installation of solar panels, and from the use of ozone to a separate collection system that allows 90% of the waste produced to be recycled.
A 100% cement-free lagoon
The company's efforts and philosophy have been the same for 45 years: to provide fun, wellbeing and relaxation in a smart and totally eco-friendly environment. Parco Cavour offers visitors numerous attractions and services, like the new and exclusive CocoBay Beach, a large area with slides set in rocks and adventurous paths for guaranteed fun. Then there is Palm Beach, a lagoon of fine white sand and tropical palms. The recent, strictly natural building techniques were 100% cement-free cement, making it identical to an exotic beach.
A mega 45th anniversary party on 26th June
Every weekend Parco Cavour has an extensive programme of spectacular events, shows and entertainment for holidaymakers of all ages. Inside the park there are several refreshment areas serving only the best and freshest menus. For the 2022 season, and to celebrate the 45th anniversary of its opening, Parco Cavour has prepared a series of great events and there will be an mega party on 26th June with special guests, music and entertainment.
Published in Leisure
The new Radisson Blu Ghr Hotel Rome is a makeover of the old Grand Hotel Ritz and the Regent
May 10, 2022The Radisson Blu Ghr Hotel Rome is a makeover of two historic properties: the Grand Hotel Ritz, which opened for the 1960 Olympic Games, and the Regent Hotel.
With a total of 285 rooms of six different types, four restaurants, a congress centre, and a spa, the hotel's new look has not erased its glorious past. Modern comforts, clean lines and minimalist furnishings blend with the original frescoed ceilings, chandeliers, parquet floors, and white marble.
The 360 ° Holiday Restaurant for events
Le Roof, the panoramic restaurant with a bar and terrace, is on the sixth floor while the Osteria Romana on the ground floor serves traditional dishes based on locally sourced ingredients, as well as a selection of organic products. Connecting the two original units there is also an elegant bistro with a winter garden serving healthy and street food, and the renovated 360 ° Holiday Restaurant can host banquets, events, and weddings for up to 250. The hotel has six meeting rooms, one of which is one of the few, if not the only, immersive room in Rome with 18 projectors for 360-degree video diffusion.
Two iconic Roman hotels
"The first Radisson Blu in the capital brings together two iconic hotels,” says General Manager Gianluca Capone. “The renovations, which will be completed by September, have not affected operations. The hotel is open and bookings are looking especially good for the autumn.”
Published in Hospitality
Sicilian Railway Experience is a new Rocco Forte rail product: a 1920s train from central Palermo to Agrigento’s Valley of the Temples, running from Villa Igiea to the Verdura Resort on the historic rolling stock managed by the Ferrovie dello Stato Foundation.
The Sicilian Railway Experience from Rocco Forte Hotels, a collaboration with the State Railways Foundation, has been designed for corporate events, presentations, and team building days.
Coastal itineraries
The coast-to-coast itinerary which takes about two hours, covers a route to discover western Sicily travelling through the most authentic and intimate parts of the hinterland and coming to UNESCO heritage gems like the Scala dei Turchi and the Valley of the Temples.
A fully customisable service
The new service is fully customisable, including the option of having a local guide on board to provide a guided journey or the services of a bartender to combine the panoramic views with a mixology experience featuring Sicilian flavours. There are also several customisation options for the train, which can be modulated with up to four standard cars with wooden seats as well as a carriage with leather seats, and a luggage area.
Published in Experiences & Tips
Prelios starts work on a new resort in Jesolo.
The new Jl Blue Resort on the Adriatic Riviera is a mixed residential and hospitality project from the Prelios Group.
Construction has started on the first part of the complex, which includes three residential buildings with 114 flats and should be completed by autumn 2023. This will be followed by the construction of a further three buildings for mainly residential and accommodation use on an overall area covering over 25,000 square metres.
Focusing on real estate assets
Prelios’ Jl Blue Resort project, carried out by the asset value enhancement business unit of the Prelios Group, is part of the management of Utp (Unlikely to Pay) credits relating to the real estate sector. The objective is the acquisition and management of real estate assets pledged as collateral for substandard loans, through the use of a specialized vehicle company. This belongs to the Reoco real estate company and the aim is to enhance the value of assets, finance their development and manage aspects such as urban development, construction and sales.
Published in Hospitality
The Italian hotel real estate market experienced a significant rebound in 2021, with a volume of transactions 92% higher than that of the previous year.
This was owing to some recent and significant portfolio disposals, primarily the acquisition of the second Italian resort operator Bluserena. Then there was the series of acquisitions relating to trophy assets in primary destinations such as the Grand Hotel de la Minerve in Rome, as well as the Bauer Giudecca and the Luna Baglioni in Venice.
An economic boom involving nearly 12,000 rooms
According to Ey's latest Hotel Investment Report, the total value of transactions completed in the previous 12 months totaled €2.1 billion with 57 transactions totaling nearly 12,000 rooms changing hands. The Italian hotel investment market has thus been able to recover, reaching levels above the ten-year average, albeit still lower than those recorded a couple of years ago, after a record-breaking 2019 and a 2020 heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Encouraging words
"The results of our report confirm on the one hand how the interest in the country on the part of international and Italian investors is still very strong, and on the other hand how confidence in the recovery in terms of tourist flows and operational performance is robust,” underlines the head of hospitality of Ey Italia, Marco Zalamena.
Rome, Milan, Venice and Florence are highly attractive
“Large cities such as Rome, Milan, Venice and Florence continue to be highly attractive, accounting for 52% of total investments. With reference to hotel services, after the decline in 2020 (-68% revpar on average compared to 2019), due to the closures and travel restrictions, the performances in December 2021 also recorded a rebound of + 82%, however, also in this case remaining below pre-Covid levels."
Resorts are now the most appealing asset class
Finally, among the most significant trends, resorts are now the most appealing asset class for the first time (43% of the total volume). A trend fueled by portfolio purchases as well as the sale of high-quality assets in popular tourist destinations like Cortina (Radisson Savoia, Hotel Cristallo), Costa Smeralda (Hotel Ginestre, Hotel Palme, 7Pines Resort), and the Italian lakes (Hotel Ginestre, Hotel Palme, 7Pines Resort) (Britannia Lake Como , Lefay Lake Garda). Furthermore, investors continue to focus on the 5-star and luxury markets, which account for nearly 40% of total investment volume.
Published in Business
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