Arbatax-Tortolì airport in Ogliastra, on Sardinia’s eastern c,oast will be operational again from June, after more than ten years without flights. The airport will initially only be operational for small general aviation aircraft and private planes with up to twelve seats. From 2023 scheduled flights could also return for aircraft with between 70 and one hundred seats.

Creating new jobs in the area

The final go-ahead is expected from ENAC, which had prescribed a series of works and adjustments to allow the airport, closed since 2011, to also serve civil aviation. The reopening of the airport will result in a dozen new direct employees, as well as hundreds of new jobs throughout the Ogliastra area, from car rental companies to the upgrading of catering and accommodation facilities and tourist services.

The Ogliastra has a vocation for luxury tourism

This means from this summer being able to reach the Ogliastra’s stunning coast and bays without having to face the two-hour car journey from Cagliari and Olbia airports. Although at least this year it will only be for tourists who can afford air taxis, helicopters and private flights. Which fits perfectly with the Ogliastra’s vocation for luxury tourism. 

The hotel Le Ginestre has changed hands, having been snapped up by Slhre Fin 1, headed by Giuseppe Statuto, a real estate developer who already owns the Danieli in Venice, as well as the Mandarin in Milan and two Four Seasons: one in Milan and the San Domenico Palace in Taormina.

Competing with Qatar-based Smeralda Holding

The sale of the Le Ginestre puts an end to the ambitions of Enrico Meneghetti. The Italian-Swiss London based financier had announced his intention to bring the two brands Delano and Rosewood to the Costa Smeralda to compete with historic properties belonging to the Qatar-based Smeralda Holding, a €150 million operation that included the acquisition of the Ginestre, as well as the Palme di Liscia di Vacca. 

The Liscia di Vacca to reopen in summer 2024

Le Palme was sold shortly before Christmas 2021 to the international investment company Sixth Street, which boasts a portfolio of assets worth $60 billion including shares in Airbnb, Spotify and the San Antonio Spurs. The Liscia di Vacca hotel should reopen in summer 2024 after its planned renovation. However, it is not yet known under which brands the two hotels will operate in the future.

The Conrad Chia Laguna Sardinia, the first hotel of the Hilton luxury brand in Italy, will open in southern Sardinia on 13 April.

This is the latest instalment of a larger redevelopment project that included the entire Chia Laguna Resort and was carried out through the Star fund managed by Castello Sgr, with an investment of €30 million. Marco Piva Studio in Milan did the complete restyling, bringing out the colours and flavours of Sardinian culture.

The Conrad Chia Laguna Sardinia is an emblem of luxury

"In these two complicated and intense years at Chia Laguna Resort there has been an incredible evolution and a great job has been done to underline the magic of the location,” said Marcello Cicalò, group director of operations Italian Hospitality Collection, the company that manages the complex and two other properties including a Curio Collection. “Opening the Conrad Chia Laguna Sardinia is a real dream come true, because it is a brand that is not only the emblem of luxury and lifestyle, but also symbolises the strength of identity of a place like Sardinia.”

The destination plays a significant role for Conrad

Alan Mantin, Hilton managing director of development for Southern Europe, said:

"Conrad is a discerning brand operating in the contemporary luxury segment and it has a distinct identity. In Italy, it was crucial to find the right location, the right product, and the right partner. Chia Laguna Conrad is a product for guests who want to manage their time independently while being able to count on discreet and impeccable service."

The Chia Laguna can also host customised MICE events for up to 900 people.

Italians tend to be frequent repeaters 

Marco Pedna, general manager of the Chia Laguna Resort says that beauty and functionality meet tradition and local flavours in the property.

“The 2022 trend in reservations is very interesting. Italians are frequent repeaters, guests who have stayed at the hotel for five to ten years for an average of six to seven days annually. Americans are around 20% and UK, German and Swiss visitors each stand at 25%. We believe that 2022 and 2023 will be very interesting years in terms of international demand.”

 

Ryanair’s network grows this summer with new fights from Alghero in Sardinia and from Catania and Comiso in Sicily.

New Catania to Brussels, Frankfurt, Genoa and London flights

Flights on the two Sicilian airports increase with 32 frequencies from Catania Fontanarossa, including the four new entries to Brussels, Frankfurt, Genoa and London. There will be eight routes from Comiso Iblei Airport, including two new entries: Venice and Bari.

Over one million passengers in the next 12 months

Alghero has almost doubled the number of flights operated in the pre-pandemic period: over 160 weekly flights (90 more than in summer 2019) on 22 routes, including four new services to Bordeaux, Budapest, Cork and Dublin.  The airline estimates it will carry over one million passengers in the next twelve months.

Flights from Alghero to ten countries

"This growth reinforces our commitment to Sardinia, connecting Alghero with ten countries and giving tourism a much-needed boost in this long-awaited summer," said Jason McGuinness, commercial director of Ryanair.

Both Porto Pollo, and Punta Trettu have ideal kitesurfing conditions. Porto Pollo, which is some 35 km from Olbia between Palau and Santa Teresa, is a small kitesurfing paradise. This is one of Sardinia’s most renowned spots for kitesurfing thanks to the intensity and frequency of the wind that blows from the Strait of Bonifacio, with days of winds at between 20 and 30 knots for about seven months a year.

Two half-moon bays with blue seas and white sands

A long strip of land connects the coast of Sardinia to the small Isola dei Gabbiani, forming two half-moon bays with blue seas and white sands which are a surfer’s paradise. The prevalence of winds from the north-west and north-west guarantee flat water in one bay and choppy, small waves in the other. So there is something for everyone!

Punta Trettu has a lagoon with crystal-clear water

Heading towards the south of the Sardinian coast, in the municipality of San Giovanni Suergiu we find a 600-metre strip of sand known as Punta Trettu (meaning narrow tip) which ends in a lagoon of crystal-clear water. The coast here is super flat and exposed to winds from all directions: mistral, west, sirocco, east and libeccio.

The mistral wind, which blows mainly during the summer, is often strengthened by the thermal wind, giving it between five and ten knots more than expected. The thermal wind also acts on the sirocco, which is always tense and clean, and mainly present in the months of September and October. The shallow and sandy seabed makes Punta Trettu a perfect playground for freestyle lovers, and an ideal choice for those taking their first steps with kitesurfing.

Spartivento di Chia in Sardinia is a little paradise on earth, with its crystal clear emerald seas, pink flamingos, high sand dunes and fragrant Mediterranean scrub. Crossing a wooden walkway from the beach you come to the Aquadulci Hotel, a natural oasis in an enchanting setting.  

The Aquadulci Hotel has minimally elegant rooms

This 4-star hotel has a large garden, a swimming pool, a bamboo gazebo for massages that use the organic essences of native plants, and minimally elegant rooms with furnishings in natural materials by local artisans. They also have private gardens, patios or terraces and there is an extensive outdoor lounge area in which to relax and enjoy an aperitif. 

Local lobsters, cured hams and traditional pastries

In the à la carte Aquadulci restaurant the menu includes many local delicacies such as Sant'Antioco lobster, Villagrande cured ham, Cabras bottarga and the famous Camona tomatoes from Pula, as well as traditional pastries fresh from the kitchens.  

Explore Chia’s coast on an old sailing schooner

Take a vacation to be enjoyed barefoot, from the soft carpet of grass in the garden to the fine sand of Su Giudeu, one of the most beautiful beaches in the Mediterranean. This coastal stretch of Chia with its beaches and hidden coves is just waiting to be explored on foot or on an old sailing schooner. 

Kite surfing and windsurfing courses, tennis and golf

The hotel also provides bicycles, organizes excursions by mountain bike, horseback riding, kite surfing, and windsurfing courses, and there is tennis and golf on the nearby 18-hole course. Book your stay by 31 March 2022, for a 10% discount. From May 21, 2022, prices from €75 per person per night with bed and breakfast.

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The Tharros archaeological site is a vast open-air museum on the western coast of Sardinia where you can discover over two millennia of history.

The ruins of the ancient city, founded in the 8th century BC and abandoned in the 11th century AD,  are in the southern part of the Sinis peninsula, in the municipality Cabras, just a few kilometres from the coastal city of Oristano. This open air museum is a natural amphitheatre overlooking the sea and bordered by the isthmus of Capo San Marco and by the hills of San Giovanni di Sinis and su Murru Mannu, on top of which you find ancient remains of a Nuragic village. 

Two Phoenician necropolises and ancient walls

There are also remains of two Phoenician necropolises and the Tophet which is a cemetery where urns containing the cremated remains of babies and sacrificial animals were once placed. Thousands of artifacts of funerary objects were found in the tombs in the necropolises including ceramics, jewels, amulets and scarabs. Under Punic rule, the districts of Tharros, including the artisan area specialized in iron metallurgy in Montiferru, spread out across terraces on the hills of San Giovanni, where the defensive walls of the fortified city begin. 

Ancient temples with Egyptian influences

The temple built here was partially dismantled in the Imperial Age and a new sanctuary, one of the many the Romans added to the city, was built. In Temple K, consisting of a portico and an altar with an Egyptian groove frame, we can see the reuse of two blocks with engraved Semitic letters, pertinent to a probable (pre-existing) Temple of Punic Inscriptions.

You can imagine what life was like here 2000 years ago

The city was transformed over time to an orthogonal plan with regular paved streets and an impressive, articulated sewage system. Walking down these streets today you can clearly imagine what people’s lives were like here two thousand years ago. In pride of place they built three thermal plants close to the sea. In the early Middle Ages parts of the baths became Byzantine burial areas while others were transformed into an early Christian complex including a baptistery (5th-6th century AD) and a sanctuary. 

Parts of the ancient Roman aqueduct are still standing

You can still admire parts of the Roman aqueduct, in particular the castellum aquae, a distribution tank divided into three naves by pillars in the city centre.   After the 19th-century scientific excavations, investigations resumed in the mid-20th century and they continue today, bringing to light new finds on this extraordinary site.   

The 2022 season of Maremma Safari Club’s scheduled walking trips start with two Tuscan itineraries in April and May. These, and the other four scheduled walks that run up to October through mostly unexplored parts of Italy, are described by founder and host Rudston Steward as “off beat.” 

 

Walking across Monte Amiata and Elba

Tuscany is the first region to feature in 2022 with the Monte Amiata 19-24 April walk that will cross this little-known region of Southern Tuscany and its 1,738-metre mountain (a popular winter skiing choice). Then, from 21 to 26 May, Steward will accompany a group of slow-tourism buffs across the island of Elba which is just off the Tuscan coast. The port of Piombino is two hours by car from Florence, and the ferry from there to Elba’s capital Portoferraio - the starting point of the itinerary – takes just an hour.

“People are attracted by being in contact with nature”

Two scheduled 2022 walks are already sold out: the 10-14 May route through Calabria’s wild Aspromonte region, and the very popular and physically challenging 5-10 July Dolomites trip.

“I launched Maremma Safari Club in 2016. The 2022 walks are my first post-pandemic adventures on foot, and they are drawing a lot of attention. People are increasingly attracted by being in contact with nature, and getting away from run-of-the-mill holidays.”

Groups stay in guesthouses, boutique hotels, wine estates and castles 

On an average day, walking little-known country trails and byways, and along untrodden paths known only to Rudston, groups cover about 20 kilometres a day with picnic lunches in the countryside or a break for local specialties in a typical trattoria. The accommodation is in double rooms in charming guesthouses, boutique hotels, wine estates and Medieval castles. Travel transfers and add-ons can be requested for all tours, and breakfast, lunch and dinner, and local table wines are always included.   

Completely customizable private walks

Steward meticulously researches all his itineraries.

“They are truly off the beaten track and we can go for days without meeting another walker,” says Rudston who personally guides each group. He also runs private bespoke walks fitting in up to 3-4 different private and scheduled groups each month. “Our private walks are completely customizable with regard to the length, the difficulty and the personal preferences of the group.”

Spring is the best time of year to explore Elba

The Elba 21-26 May walk will cross the island along Mediterranean footpaths (with a visit to Napoleon’s love nest) and with walkers getting to swim on a different beach each day. “This itinerary is not particularly challenging, and spring is the best time of year to explore Elba. The sea is stunning and you avoid the summer crowds.”   

Sardinia’s Supramonte walk ends in the boutique Hotel Cala Luna 

Also very popular is the last walking trip of the season, to eastern Sardinia’s Supramonte region from 4 to 9 October. After the 13-kilometre second day, dinner is hosted in a local ovile shepherd’s hut and the night is spent camping.  Another day, having explored the stunning Gorropu Gorge and its canyons, the walk ends at the limpid sea of Cala Gonone, with optional boat excursions and two nights in the Hotel Cala Luna boutique hotel. 

Photo Credits: Maremma Safari Club

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Ryanair’s Italian summer network will have 38 flights to Cagliari and 20 to Alghero. The Irish low-cost airline will also be placing a new aircraft at Cagliari, bringing the total to three, and will add four new routes to the network, which will count 38 destinations, for over 170 weekly flights (+50% capacity).

With Carcassonne, Palma de Mallorca, Nuremberg and Poznan as new entries, many classic destinations such as Paris, Madrid, Dublin, Milan and Venice are also confirmed

Alghero flights double from ten to twenty

Alghero gets the lion’s share with flights jumping from ten to twenty which means a hike from one half a million to one million passengers. 

A third aircraft based in Cagliari

Overall, Ryanair will operate 58 routes from Sardinia this summer:

"The addition of the new aircraft at Cagliari airport is a further investment of €100 million dollars; this is our largest summer operation ever at Cagliari and it will allow us to offer greater connectivity and over 170 weekly flights on 38 routes, including four new ones.  This all goes to supporting the recovery of tourism after two years of travel restrictions and giving a much-needed boost to the island's activities,” says Ryanair’s Commercial Director, Jason McGuinness.

Two old rural stazzo homesteads have been renovated for the Gallicantu Retreat in the Gallura region of Sardinia.

Standing on more than three hectares of Mediterranean scrub, the five rooms and two suites in the old buildings are a short walk from the village of Luogosanto, in the heart of the Gallura. Abandoned for almost half a century, the old 1930s properties belong to Marco Maria Berio and Raffaella Manca who followed every step of the renovations, selecting the materials and designing the furnishings.

Two suites overlooking the almond grove

The term stazzo derives from the Latin statio (station, resting place) and indicates both the farm and the buildings inhabited by the owners or sharecroppers. These two old stazzi have been restored with traditional materials and the main house has five bedrooms, each one different from the next, a living room with a fireplace for cooler evenings, a wellness area with a sauna, a Turkish bath and a small relaxation area. A little further on the Igna and Mendula Suites overlook the almond grove, and each area is designed using natural elements such as iron, stone and ceramics of modern Sardinian craftsmanship.

A swimming pool caved out of rock

The old stable now houses the Gallicantu's kitchen. Breakfast and dinner, only for the Retreat’s guests, are served on a terrace from which you can see the villages of Alta Gallura and Corsica. At the center of the estate is the swimming pool carved out of rock, a relaxing corner where you can forget the pace of the city and relax in the shade cast by ancient trees. Not to be missed is the Grotta, a spectacular wine cellar in which to enjoy cold cuts, hams and cheeses from the nearby stazzi and small local producers.

Olive oil and honey from the estate

The estate is surrounded by hundreds of olive trees, which produce the oil used in the kitchen, as well as almond trees, citrus and cherry trees. More than two hundred myrtle plants produce a delicious liqueur while ten families of bees produce honey for guests to enjoy. 

Volotea adds a new destination in France to its network from Olbia: the city of Deauville. The famous seaside resort in the Calvados region, and the gateway for visiting Normandy, will be linked by air to the Sardinian city from 10 May with weekly flights every Tuesday. On offer are more than 6,100 seats, and the new route to Deauville brings to 21 the number of destinations operated from Olbia airport.

In ten years Volotea has brought 1.9 million passengers to Olbia

Since 2012, the date of its debut on Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda coast, Volotea has transported some 1.9 million passengers to Olbia, on a total of 16,200 flights and with a total offer of 2.3 million seats on sale.  "From 10 May passengers departing from the airport will have many convenient options at competitive prices to take off an discover Deauville and Normandy, a very attractive region and suitable for all types of travelers,” said Valeria Rebasti, Volotea’s Country Manager Italy & Southeast Europe.  

Supporting the local economy 

“Thanks to these new flights we will also boost the number of foreign arrivals into Olbia to discover the beauties of Sardinia.  With our flights we are backing tourism on the island, and we are supporting the local economy that suffered so badly in the last couple of years due to the pandemic."

In 2021 IHC, the Italian Hospitality Collection, engaged in major restyling projects and the international rebranding of many of its properties. Three new brands were launched including the Baia di Chia Resort Sardinia which last summer became part of the Curio Collection by Hilton.

The Laguna Hotel, in the same complex as the Chia Laguna Resort, was rebranded a Conrad Hotels & Resorts with the new name Conrad Chia Laguna Sardinia. And the Grotta Giusti Spa Resort, in the Tuscan countryside, became a 5-star and part of the Autograph Collection by Marriott International.

The Grotta Giusti

Restyling by international design studios

The various restyling projects were carried out by international design studios. The Baia di Chia Resort Sardinia and the Conrad Chia Laguna Sardinia were subjected to an impressive renovation with the rooms, the outlets and all the public areas signed off by the Marco Piva Studio in Milan. The Grotta Giusti, with its historic 19th-century villa in a centuries-old park, has been restored to its former glory and now has a new high-end spa due to open in April.  Last year also saw inauguration of the renovated San Casciano dei Bagni Spa Resort in Fonteverde, after the restyling by the Milanese firm Garibaldi Architects.

New head concierge service 

In terms of performance IHC registered record numbers especially in its Tuscan spa resorts with results higher than 2019 levels: Fonteverde and Bagni di Pisa, in particular, exceeded the annual budget by more than 20%.   Le Massif in Courmayeur, reopened its the Lm38 restaurant curated by Michelin star chef Alfredo Russo, in December and was sold out into the first month of 2022. The 2021 summer season also went very well, thanks to the introduction of the head concierge service offering a wide range of personalized winter and summer activities.

Additional security measures were introduced

Group Director of Operations, Marcello Cicalò explained: "It’s been a busy year full of challenges and we can be satisfied with the results. I thank the whole IHC team for the great commitment they have shown, given the difficulties we faced. In the final part of the year we found ourselves managing a new wave of infections, and we implemented additional security measures in all our hotels. My wish is that 2022 can be the year of rebirth for tourism in Italy and around the world.”

The Chia Laguna Resort in Sardinia and the Hilton Rome Eur La Lama in Rome’s modern business district, are both on the Hilton 2022 openings hotlist.

Chia Laguna is due to reopen next spring with 107 rooms, all with private gardens or balconies, while the La Terrazza restaurant will have outdoor tables overlooking the Sardinian landscape. 

A library bar and a Conrad Spa

The Sardinian hotel's signature restaurant, Sa Mesa, (meaning the table in Sardinian dialect), will serve specialties linked to the area and a wide selection of Sardinian wines from small local producers, in an informal and casual atmosphere. The contemporary Bar Bollicine will be the ideal choice for sipping a cocktail and enjoying a wide selection of wines and spirits, and the Conrad Spa will be an oasis of wellness with six treatment cabins, a dedicated bar, a yoga studio and a gym.

Close to shopping and airports

The Hilton Rome Eur La Lama is located in the district of the same name, with direct access to the La Nuvola Rome Convention Centre which has 30 meeting rooms, and a plenary room that can hold 5,000 and is an exclusive venue for large-scale events. The metro station is located a few minutes away on foot and the Euroma2 shopping mall can be reached in ten minutes by car. The centre of Rome and both Fiumicino and Ciampino airports are less than half an hour from the hotel which will feature a rooftop restaurant, a terrace, activities for children and a library bar. The grand opening is scheduled for autumn 2022.

Rome should be the fourth Mandarin Oriental destination in Italy following Milan, Lake Como and the pipeline property in Cortina d'Ampezzo.  And in Sardinia Hyatt will debut its soft brand mid-2022. The news of the Rome Mandarin Oriental comes from in the Italian daily Il Sole 24 Ore, which stated that the property chosen by the group should be the Villini Sallustiani, acquired a few months ago by Merope from Colony Capital.

€100 million invested in a Rome villa complex

The Villini Sallustiani is a complex of ten villas set in a centuries-old park and represents one of the capital’s main trophy assets. In order to secure its ownership Merope is believed to have invested €100 million, to which a further 80 million will be added for a makeover.   

New branding for the 7Pines Resort in Sardinia

From Sardinia the news is that a hotel property originally planned to be a Kempinski will now be branded by a major US group. Following the departure of the group's CEO, Martin Smura, the Geneva-based Kempinsky pulled out of the deal for the new 7Pines Resort in Sardinia, scheduled to open in mid-2022.

Italy’s first Hyatt Destination property

But now we know that the 76-room, 4-star complex will become a Destination, Hyatt’s soft brand which will thus make its debut in Italy. The Hyatt Group already boasts a portfolio of five hotels located in the so-called Big Four  - Milan, Venice, Rome and Florence - with a total of 500 keys. Among these, the latest arrivals, Jdv by Hyatt The Tribune, and the Unbound Collection Tornabuoni, located respectively in Rome and in Florence, are the result of a deal with Ag Hotels. 

Volotea expands its network from Cagliari with the addition of two new routes to Nice and Lille in France, starting on 30 May and June 2 respectively. The Nice flights will operate twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays, providing more than 10,000 seats, while the weekly flight to Lille is scheduled every Thursday, and puts a total of approximately 4,400 seats on sale. With these two routes, operated exclusively by Volotea, the Spanish airline’s destinations from Cagliari will stand at 21.

Volotea has three bases in Sardinia

Since 2012, the date of its debut in the island's capital, Volotea has carried over 1.69 million passengers to Cagliari, amounting to a total of over 13,000 flights and 1.95 million seats on sale.  Sardinia has always been a strategic destination for the growth of the low-cost’s network, and it has three of its operating bases on the island, in Cagliari, Alghero and Olbia.

More options for Sardinians and foreign visitors

"These two routes provide new options for passengers wishing to take off to discover the wonders beyond the Alps,” said Valeria Rebasti, Country Manager Italy & Southeastern Europe.   The flights will also give new opportunities to foreign visitors who want to reach Cagliari and visit the beauties of the region, thus supporting and strengthening the local economy, she added.

“Sardinia must expand its network to France” 

"In this phase of restart for the tourism sector - commented David Crognaletti, Chief Commercial Officer of Sogaer, the management company of the Sardinian airport - it is essential for Cagliari and southern Sardinia to expand their networks towards the north and south of France, which is one of our most strategic markets."