After a year of international management, Monte Turri and Borgo Cala Moresca are back under the direct control of Arbatax Park Resort.

Arbatax Park has 17 rooms and 17 suites del Mare

The resort in the beautiful Ogliastra region in Sardinia offers seven different types of accommodation including accommodation for families, couples, groups of friends and adults only. With Monte Turri, the resort has increased the availability of its most exclusive rooms: its 17 rooms join the 17 Suites del Mare, the most luxurious and exclusive rooms at Arbatax Park.

“Bookings are up from the US and France and sales are up in Germany”

“Requests for high-level accommodation are increasing, both from Italian customers and from abroad, especially from the German and American markets, – says sales & marketing manager Paolo Curridori. -In the past few months, we have signed an agreement with Reimagine, which is promoting our resort in the US and pushing for partnerships with European tour operators. Direct bookings from France are increasing, and intermediate sales in Germany are growing. In Italy, we are seeing a trend that is representative of the market in general with a slowdown which is evidently influenced by expensive ferries and, above all, by the cost of flights."

Borgo Cala Moresca has two swimming pools 

Located in a reserved area on Capo Bellavista, Monte Turri, in addition to the 17 rooms, has a restaurant overlooking the sea and a swimming pool with a solarium. A panoramic glass lift leads to a private cove, with a platform equipped with sunbeds and umbrellas  Modelled on an old Sardinian village, the 225-room Borgo Cala Moresca overlooks a lovely stretch of sea with red rocks typical of the Ogliastra. The complex has two swimming pools, terraces, a restaurant, and a pizzeria, all just 300 metres from the sea.

Sardinian travel company 181travel’s experiential offer is growing through financing and new acquisitions.

With €2.5 million, including an investment from Cdp Venture Capital, Sefea Impact, and Primo Ventures, the Sardinian travel company is aiming to expand its offerings in experiential tourism, particularly in Southern Italy. It recently acquired Discovering PreSila, an operator based in Calabria thus positioning itself to surpass 2021-2022 when it handled over 40,000 guests and achieved a turnover of more than €3 million.

The focus is on sea-based experiences

“Our local activities have a particular focus on sea-based experiences, especially during the summer season,- explains Marco Deiosso, CEO and founder of 181travel. – Our exclusive sailboat offers various options, including a popular sunset aperitif. We also offer food and wine tours, cooking classes and wine tastings, as well as lunching with local shepherds and traditional dances.”

“Today’s traveller values authenticity, sustainability, and eco-friendliness”

The company's strong ties with local areas have allowed it to expand its portfolio of distinctive products and grow as an incoming tour operator, offering unique itineraries and experiential holiday packages, particularly in Sardinia and Calabria. These include nature tours, inland excursions with cultural and archaeological itineraries, spiritual journeys, and visits to sacred places. “Today, we are fortunate to welcome a more discerning traveller who values authenticity, sustainability, and eco-friendliness,” adds Deiosso.

Taking holidays until the end of October

Euromonitor data for 2022 shows that an increasing number of Italians prefer local and sustainable vacations. Some 81% of respondents in the study indicated their inclination towards eco-friendly travel, a 10% increase over 2021. This trend is also confirmed by 181travel, with 33% of Italians choosing to travel outside the peak season in 2023, extending their summer holidays until the end of October, and showing a preference for local experiences.

The new Italica Hotels & Resorts brand manages five hotels and intends expanding with more properties.

Resorts and hotels throughout Italy

The Italica Group which is part of the Italica DMC, in the past worked in partnership with the Spanish company Smy Hotels. The operator currently has five directly managed properties: the Bellamonte Hotel in Trentino, the Borgo Magliano Resort in Tuscany, the Garden Area in Rome, the Sighientu Resort in Sardinia, and the Tonnara di Bonagìa Resort in Sicily.

Italica Sighientu Resort

“We work with leading Italian tour operators and agency networks”

"We are back on the market with a new brand that replaces the original Italica Turismo after merging with Smy Hotels and reinventing ourselves with a new look,- says CCO Mauro Mazzola. -Attention to sustainability, enhancement of the area and local traditions are the foundations on which we have revised the brand, the logo and our place in the market. We are currently working with leading Italian tour operators and agency networks.”

Italica Tonnara di Bonagia

Looking for medium-sized hotels that need management

The Italica Hotels & Resorts Group had a turnover of €11 million in 2022 and is planning to expand.

“We are interested not just in medium-sized hotels in Italian holiday resorts, both in the mountains and by the sea, such as Calabria, Puglia, Sardinia and Sicily, but also in small and medium-sized hotel chains looking for management. One of our goals is to satisfy the increasing number of requests from abroad, mainly from European tour operators looking for an all-inclusive product.”

The new Is Arenas Resort from Baja Hotels with an 18-hole golf course made its debut at the end of May. 

Set in a pine forest the resort has 75 rooms

Located 27 kilometres from Oristano in Sardinia the resort, set in a 936-hectare pine forest, has 75 rooms a gourmet restaurant, a panoramic terrace, a beach, two bars, a swimming pool, a 70-seat meeting room and a spa. It also includes an 18-hole par-72 golf course designed by world-renowned architects Von Hagge, Smelek and Baril.

Offers and packages including flights and excursions

Is Arenas Resort is also marketed through DMC Sardinia 360 and the tour operator Gastaldi Holidays, a brand of the Baja Way group which also includes Baja Hotels, with offers and packages including flights, transfers and, of course, a wide choice of excursions and experiences in the area.

“We are marketing the resort for golf enthusiasts”

“Curiosity, passion and care are the levers that have been driving our choices in the world of hospitality for decades,- says Baja Way director, Marco Bongiovanni.  -Today we are proud to present what we consider the flagship of our collection. We invested in this property with the intention of guaranteeing the resort a long seasonality, a full five months (it will close on 31 October), marketing it as a product for golf enthusiasts and for those who want to get back in touch with nature without sacrificing comfort. I am sure that we will have many satisfied guests.”

This summer Flydubai will enhance its flights to Naples and add a new Olbia route. 

Dubai to Naples Capodichino summer flights 

Flights between Dubai and Capodichino International Airport will increase to five per week from June 4 to June 18, 2023. During the peak summer period, from 19 June to 31 August flights will operate daily. From 1 September to 29 October there will be five flights per week, followed by daily flights starting from 30 October.

business suite flydubai

The launch of a new route

The airline has also revised its plans for the launch of a new route to Cagliari. Instead, the destination in Sardinia this summer, with a direct flight, is Olbia’s Costa Smeralda Airport. This decision was made when advance bookings did not meeting expectations. The initial schedule for the seasonal Cagliari-Dubai route, originally set to commence on 22 June with three weekly flights, remains unchanged but will operate from Olbia airport. Flydubai's Italian network now also includes daily flights to Milan Bergamo, in addition to the existing connections to Catania and Pisa. 

Business Suite Flydubai

“We will continue investing to enhance the customer experience”

Recently, the company introduced a new premium seat called the Business Suite, specifically designed for single-aisle aircraft and with direct aisle access.

Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 photographed on July 26, 2017 from Wolfe Air Aviation’s Learjet 25B.

“We have come a long way since introducing our initial no-frills model 14 years ago,- said Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of the airline. - From the introduction of our first Business Class in 2013, we are proud to now introduce a premium product that competes with the business experience provided by many wide-body aircraft carriers. We will continue investing in innovation to enhance the customer experience across our growing fleet.”

Cala Cuncheddi Hotel is a gem set on the Capo Ceraso promontory in Sardinia’s northern Gallura region.

A resort with an infinity pool and a private beach

Just 40 minutes from Olbia’s international airport, Capo Ceraso has beautiful panoramic views of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Situated in a magnificent private park with century-old olive trees, Cala Cuncheddi Hotel is a charming resort with its own enchanting infinity pool and private beach. 

Three restaurants and a private yacht

The beautiful Li Cuncheddi beach with golden sand, crystal clear shallow waters, and dramatic cliffs is a short stroll away. The Cala Cuncheddi Hotel has 85 rooms and suites overlooking the Sardinian Sea and is home to three restaurants, Asumari, Asarena and Zinnibiri, all inspired by Sardinia’s culinary culture which combines a passion for traditional recipes and local produce. The two bars, extensive wellness area, Sa Cantina wine bar and very own 16m Papik Yacht make Cala Cuncheddi Hotel an unforgettable Sardinian stay. 

Breakfast Ph Credits. Monica Spezia LivingInside

Direct summer flights from Ireland

With the much-anticipated new Little Mermaid film soon coming to screens, guests hoping to visit Sardinia will be able to spot some of the filming locations. The Gallura area is also the perfect destination for anyone travelling from Ireland, as the Irish flag-carrier Aer Lingus has added a new Olbia route to its 2023 summer schedule. 

The 7Pines Resort Sardinia, near Arzachena on the island’s northern coast, is part of the Hyatt Destination soft brand. 

“We invest in the quality of life of our staff”

"This season we reconfirmed 85% of last season's staff: a very important figure that also confirms our commitment to training, - says managing director, Vito Spalluto. – We take care of our team, investing in their quality of life, we train them and we also have a reward and bonus scheme.”

Two pools, two restaurants and a spa

With a main beach and four secluded coves, the 7Pines Resort Sardinia has 76 rooms, including eight junior suites and 20 suites with sea views, two swimming pools, the Spazio and Capogiro restaurants, fine dining also open to outside guests, the original Cone Club and the Pure Seven Spa, which opened this spring.

The first MGallery by the Accor Group has opened in Cagliari in Sardinia. 

With 85 rooms and two swimming pools

The Accor Group’s new five-star MGallery Palazzo Tirso boutique hotel has 85 rooms and suites, two restaurants (one gourmet, and one on the rooftop with views over the city), and two bars. It also has a 300 sqm l'Occitane spa with a solarium, a sauna and two swimming pools - an infinity pool on the rooftop and a heated hydro-massage pool. There are also a gym and three meeting rooms on a total 180 sqm for up to 90 delegates. The MGallery Palazzo Tirso is right opposite the city's marina, just a few steps from central Via Roma.

The building is a fine example of neoclassical architecture

The MGallery Palazzo Tirso was converted from a building designed by Cagliari architect Flavio Scano in the mid-1920s. It stands out for its unique style and was one of the first examples of neoclassical architecture in Sardinia. The building belongs to the Puddu Costruzioni group, which led the restoration and renovation work for the new Accor property, entrusting the interior design project to the Marco Piva studio.

Sardinia’s Abi d'Oru Hotel gets a €20 million restyling with 50 sustainable renovated rooms, and a new swimming pool.

Rooms and suites named after famous Sardinians

The Abi d'Oru Hotel in Porto Rotondo reopens its doors for the 2023 season on 27 May, with a new look and a collection of seven suites and junior suites dedicated to eminent personalities in the history and culture of Sardinia. Each room is a small world containing the legacy left by a well-known Sardinian personality: from judge Eleonora d'Arborea to Nobel prize for Literature winner Grazia Deledda, from Antonio Gramsci to the designer Edina Altara, and from the great artist Maria Lai to Eva Mameli, the first woman in Italy to teach botany at a university.

A spa and a Bee Happy area for kids

With three restaurants and bars, the Abi d'Oru boasts one of the richest gourmet offerings on the coast, coordinated by executive chef Pierluigi Putzu. For lovers of relaxation, there is the Abi Spa, and for little ones, there is the new Bee Happy area which is made from eco-friendly, plastic-free and recycled materials. 

A restyling costing over €20 million

“There have been and will be many investments, but we are on the right path. It will be an amazing season for the Abi d’Oru, we are preparing to welcome everyone to our wonderful Sardinian home,” says managing director, Diana Zuncheddu. The restyling will resume this winter and be completed by the 2024 summer season, for a total investment of over €20 million."

Tuscany and Sardinia are dream destinations for sleep-filled holidays and here are two properties in which to indulge in sleep tourism, the new trend for 2023.

Two charming properties for restful breaks

Relaxation, a peaceful setting, and all the conditions necessary to enjoy a wonderfully restful and sleep-filled break is what you find in these two charming properties: Locanda in Tuscany, close to Siena, and Albero Capovolto near the stunning Costa Smeralda in Sardinia.  

Country life, vineyards and lavender at Locanda in Tuscany

In the heart of the Val d'Orcia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Locanda in Tuscany is an old farmhouse in Siena’s countryside between Pienza and the hot springs of Bagno Vignoni. It has been transformed into a charming country resort with nine rooms and suites for a country-life experience in the quietness and charm of a typical Tuscan setting. There is a superlative view of a soft, green sea with a thousand shades of gold and clay, offset by the unmistakable silhouette of Tuscany’s characteristic cypresses, vineyards, olive trees, wheat and lavender. 

Wooden bed frames for a better quality of sleep

Escaping from everything and everyone at Locanda in Tuscany you can relax by the beautiful panoramic swimming pool. The rooms are of different types, and have beds made by local craftsmen without the use of metal, to allow a better quality of sleep. The wooden-framed bed frame, in fact, insulates against electromagnetic pollution and is not an energy conductor, encouraging a good rest. For a perfect sleep, guests can choose between linen or cotton sheets, and in the morning, there is background classical music in the breakfast room.

Understated charm and a saltwater pool at Albero Capovolto in Sardinia

Suspended between the sea and the Gallura countryside, between heaven and earth, a stone's throw from the Costa Smeralda's most beautiful beaches, this family home has been transformed into a charming country and sea boutique hotel, with seven rooms and suites that have direct access to the infinity pool.

Feather pillows and an infinity swimming pool

Albero Capovolto is a place of understated charm. The rooms have evocative names, such as Respiro (Breath) and Intimità (Intimity) which are profoundly linked to relaxation. For a truly satisfying rest the hypoallergenic double pillows are 100% feather, and air, light and the scents of nature invade every room. Which is why to facilitate good sleep it was decided not to put TVs in the rooms. The choreographic saltwater infinity pool in the centre of the beautiful Mediterranean garden has relaxing views of the surrounding countryside. And after a healthy night's rest, the rich buffet breakfast with local products is to be enjoyed unhurriedly.

After the reopening of the Piccola Gardiola concept village in San Felice del Benaco, all Baia Holiday’s other villages have reopened. 

Four Sardinian villages have reopened

Since the beginning of the month four Baia Holiday Sardinian villages have resumed operations: the Centro Vacanze Isuledda, with a new ice cream parlour and a new wooden beach kiosk, and the Laguna Blu camping village, on the Corallo Riviera, a few kilometres from Alghero. Also open are the Baia Blu La Tortuga camping village in Gallura, and the Camping Village Capo d'Orso, a few kilometres from Palau and the Maddalena archipelago.

New facilities in Ostia Antica and Cavallino Treporti

In Puglia the San Nicola tourist centre is a new entry for Baia Holiday. The Camping Village Roma Capitol in Ostia Antica has also reopened, featuring a brand new 11,500 sqm water park, with an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a lagoon pool for children, a spa and a solarium, and the Cavallino Treporti Village has a brand-new addition: the Panta Rei spa. 

Hotel La Baja, near Oristano in Sardinia, joins Felix Hotels, bringing the group to eight properties with 400 rooms. 

A swimming pool overlooking the bay

Felix Hotels expands its presence in Sardinia with a new member to the group: the historic Hotel La Baja in Santa Caterina di Pittinuri (Oristano) which will kick off the tourist season on 18 May. With 29 rooms, and a spectacular terrace with a swimming pool overlooking the bay, the hotel is just a few kilometres from S'Archittu, the famous limestone arch over the water.

The Felix Group’s eighth owned-managed hotel 

The hotel group, which was founded in Gallura in 2020, now adds its eighth owned-managed hotel, bringing the total number of rooms to nearly 400.

“Hotel La Baja has a lot of potential and a beautiful location on Sardinia's west coast. With its entry into the group, all our consolidated service standards will be adopted, and the hotel will be gradually restyled,” says managing director Paolo Manca.

Renovations for the Galanias Hotel&Retreat and La Coluccia Hotel

The Galanias Hotel&Retreat in Bari Sardo, Ogliastra, has been expanded with ten new rooms overlooking the hotel's large garden, and there is also a new swimming pool. The La Coluccia Hotel, the group's 5-star hotel on Santa Teresa Gallura's Conca Verde Bay, will reopen on 13 May after major renovations that saw the addition of six suites and a new restaurant facing the beach.

Seaside hotel openings in April and May

In addition to the two hotels open all year in the centre of Olbia and Nuoro, the season started at Easter for the Country Resort and Restaurant Parco degli Ulivi in Arzachena and the Hotel Residence Porto San Paolo in the seaside village south of Olbia. The Hotel Airone in Baja Sardinia and the Galanias Hotel & Retreat in Bari Sardo are to open on 20 April and the Hotel La Coluccia in Santa Teresa Gallura on 13 May. 

Sardinia Fun’s kayak and trekking tours are the most authentic way to explore Sardinia, from the sea and in the hinterland.

Canoeing in summer and trekking from September to May

The company was set up during the pandemic period starting with trekking, kayaking and snowshoeing in the mountains as well as aperitifs by the sea with crudo plates.  'We wanted to focus on alternative routes, -says founder Salvatore Meloni, - and last year the demand was such that we could not fulfil all requests. But we invested in 18 new canoes and expanded, proposing new locations and adding lakes and rivers for winter experiences. We offer canoeing and ad hoc activities in the summer months, and trekking from September to May.” 

Pushing off-season tourism with ad hoc packages

Some 90% of canoeing customers are foreign visitors while most of the requests for trekking come from Sardinia. “We want to push off-season tourism, - says Meloni, - so we are proposing ad hoc packages that we promote at specialized fairs.” This year Sardinia Fun has a new EcoGreen boat, from the bottom of which it is possible to observe the seabed. 

For carefree, barefoot holidays in Sardinia the choice can only be Aquadulci Hotel in Spartivento, Sardinia. 

A hotel in local stone set among bougainvilleas

More than a hotel, Aquadulci Hotel is a place of the heart where you can take off your shoes, stroll down to the sea, and toss all those tensions to the winds. Nature reigns in this small world: the low property in local stone appears to want to hide among the bougainvilleas so as not to disturb the wonderful landscape just a few metres away.

Pink flamingos and high sand dunes 

The property, in the town of Spartivento on the Bay of Chia about 40 minutes from Cagliari, offers crystal clear waters with emerald hues, high sand dunes fringed by Mediterranean scrub, and the unique spectacle of pink flamingos as you walk barefoot along the wooden walkway connecting the hotel to the beach. This is a refined and intimate sanctuary where you can regenerate and pamper yourself, with rooms and suites (some with a private garden, others with a terrace overlooking the sea) in soft colours, furnished with locally handcrafted furniture and fabrics that invite you to relax.

Aquadulci Hotel 

Regenerating massages and a menu of local delights

Enjoy the large swimming pool in the garden which is dotted with palms and olive trees; indulge in regenerating massages and treatments with organic essences of native plants in the bamboo gazebo and sip an aperitif in the outdoor lounge area. The raw materials and excellences of the island are the protagonists in the Aquadulci à la carte restaurant: from Sant'Antioco lobster and the catch of the day to Villagrande ham, and from Cabras bottarga to Camona di Pula tomatoes. The traditional pastas are made by hand daily as are the pastries that delight the palate at dessert time, and for the rich breakfast.

Water sports, riding, tennis and golf

This is a place made for lovers of the sea, a privileged starting point for discovering hidden beaches and coves on foot or on an old sailing schooner. For those looking for an active vacation, the hotel rents bicycles and organises mountain bike excursions, riding, kitesurfing and windsurfing courses, tennis, and golf at the nearby 18-hole course. Prices start at €79 per person per night with bed and breakfast starting on 20 May 2023.