The Hotel Des Bains in Venice is to get a new €150 million relaunch investment. The property is one of the historic hotels on the Venice Lido, and on 5 July it will be 122 years old.

In the course of its prestigious history it has hosted the likes of Henry Ford, Robert De Niro, Liz Taylor and King Farouk of Egypt. It was also the scene of the first meeting between Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler. For a dozen years now it has been in a state of disrepair with part of the roof collapsed.

The numerous restoration projects presented to date have failed, and the original plan was to turn it into a residential building. But now the current owner, represented by the Milanese real estate company Coima, has come up with plans to renovate the hotel, its park, villas and beach facilities, while respecting the hotel's historical vocation.

Waiting for the agreements to be signed

Initially the idea was to invest just over €100 million, but the project, which was presented over a year ago, came to a halt. Then just a few days ago Coima announced it was committing no less than €150 million, practically a third more than previously planned.

More than half of the investment is expected to be financed by the banks, while the remaining €70 million will be put up by the Coima Esg City Impact urban regeneration fund. Now all that remains is to wait for the agreements to be signed so that work can finally begin. Although previous attempts never

Vivosa Apulia Resort is the answer for unique experiences and special holidays, and is the only resort in Puglia in a natural park directly overlooking the Salento sea.

Guests can enjoy unique sea-related experiences ranging from dinner on a sailboat (in the harbour) to the discovery of caves both on the Ionian and on the Adriatic, and from trips on a historic gozzo to those in canoes and kayaks. The 333 rooms are in ten limestone courtyards, like those in typical Apulian villages with stairs, arches, flowers, and patios. To get to the magnificent beach, you walk through flower-filled gardens, past the spectacular swimming pools that are on different levels, to find yourself among sand dunes and on the sea.

The Vos-Vivosa is Apulia’s only organic spa

The Vos-Vivosa Organic Spa wellness centre of Vivosa Apulia Resort also fits into the eco-theme, offering exclusive treatments with local products. This is Puglia's first and only organic spa and the Vivosa Fitness Crew organizes many activities like spinning, yoga, pilates, pinewood spartan path and meditation…to mention just a few. Families will have a great time and for children there are workshops on recycling, botany and ecology lessons, and games in the pine forest, on the beach, and in the theatre.

Dinner by starlight on a sailboat

Dine in a bay protected from the wind but not from the haunting perfume of the sea. On this unique experience we set sail at sunset along the coast admiring the colours of the two seas: the Ionian and the Adriatic. A welcome cocktail is served before a romantic candlelit – or rather a starlit – dinner that includes a three-course fish-based menu, a dessert and Apulian wine.

Excursions on board a historic gozzo

You will board the historic Bonaccia or the Maretta in the port of Torre Vago and sail along the coast of Leuca, the extreme point of Italy's heel, with its high rocky cliffs, small inlets, sea caves, and crystal-clear seabed. There are two swimming stops, as well as the option of snorkeling to explore the area’s magical underwater world. And lunch on board can be arranged upon request.

Guided kayak & canoe excursions to Leuca 

In a canoe or a kayak, moving through calm waters and following your guide, your will discover the coast of Santa Maria di Leuca with its scenic landscapes, sheer cliffs on the sea, hidden coves and sea caves. Taking time to swim as you make your way along the coast, the instructor will help you discover a wonderful underwater world.

Boating with local fishermen

Spend an exhilarating day at sea with local fishermen, for a one-of-a-kind exciting experience, and with the possibility of sighting dolphins and turtles. Listening to the fishermen relate anecdotes about fishing, and their lives spent at sea, is a unique way to learn about local traditions. 

Bwh Hotel Group opens the Worldhotels Crafted Collection Mulino di Firenze. Located just a few minutes from the city's historic centre, the 4-star superior Mulino di Firenze has 41 rooms while the Grano D'Oro restaurant, overlooking the Arno River, seats 50 and expands its capacity, spilling onto the outdoor terrace in summer. The hotel also has a spa in an ancient 15th-century mill, now transformed into a haven dedicated to wellness and personalized beauty treatments. Access to the spa is by appointment, for two people, and is exclusively reserved for hotel guests.

A pool, a spa and meeting rooms for up to 320

The swimming pool, which opens in the summer months, is in the solarium area with deckchairs, sunbeds and parasols. Officine Condotte is the Mulino di Firenze's multifunctional space for receptions, meetings, weddings, exhibitions and installations and consists of two areas: an open-air amphitheatre on 400 square metres that can accommodate up to 240 people, and the plenary hall on 250 square metres for events from 210 to 320 people, and this can also be divided into three separate rooms. Transfers to the centre of Florence and free covered parking complete the hotel's facilities.

The Obereggen and Carezza ski areas get ready for the 2022 winter season in the Val d'Ega.

Just 20 minutes from Bolzano, in the snow-capped landscapes of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the two ski areas are preparing for the ribbon cutting of their many facilities which are ideal for all levels, from professionals to beginners, as well as for snowboarders and families with children.

One ski pass for 111 kms of slopes

In addition to being one of the 12 ski areas of the Dolomiti Superski, the Val d’Ega is part of the Obereggen-Val di Fiemme consortium. The local ski pass covers skiing on 111 kilometres of slopes in Obereggen, Pampeago , Predazzo, Cermis-Cavalese, Alpe Lusia and Bellamonte.

Slopes for skiing, snowboarding, sledding and snowshoeing

Carezza is the most popular ski area for families with children. The facilities for little ones there include ski schools, leisure areas, a themed run, a varied program of activities and a games room. The curtain was raised in November 2021 revealing many kilometres of slopes of all colours and 12 ski lifts. The area is easy and quick to reach by cable car from the village of Nova Levante, and has also upgraded its snow-making system, offering experienced winter sports lovers and beginners alike great slopes and countless opportunities for snowboarding, sledding, skiing. cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and freestyle.

A new 60-seat cable car 

The big news for 2022 is that the Tires cable car is operational, connecting the town of San Cipriano with the Frommer mountain hut in the Carezza area. The arrival and departure stations will be underground and the spectacular 60-seat cabin has a panoramic roof terrace.

Florence’s Helvetia & Bristol has opened the largest wellness centre in the centre of the Tuscan city. Open to both hotel guests and the general public, the spa is located where the Roman Florentia Roman baths once stood. The environment is suffused and dreamlike with Travertine surfaces, essential furnishings and areas for conviviality and relaxing.

Swimming pools with video art 

La Spa has a wet area that opens onto the calidarium, and continues with the aquamotus Vichy shower, the sudatorium Finnish sauna, the frigidarium and finally the tepidarium salt room. Then there is the lacus quietis, the area with swimming pools with different depths and various water features. Here the artist Felice Limosani has created a suspended piece of video art to be experienced immersed in the warm water: digital landscapes that through animations are reflected on mirrors and walls, creating a sensory experience for the body and mind. From the wet area, a path leads on one side to the gym, and on the other to the first floor with the treatment cabins, including a suite.  La Spa is managed by Snow Group Italia, part of the French group that owns over 60 wellness centres around the world.

“The new spa has a fascinating history, just like the hotel” 

"Helvetia & Bristol is a real icon,” says Elisabetta Fabri, president and CEO of Starhotels. “After a careful restoration and the recent addition of 25 new rooms and suites designed by Anouska Hempel, La Spa is now a destination within a destination and an exclusive experience. During the works we discovered that the ancient Capitoline thermal baths of Roman Florentia once stood here and this inspired us to create a spa that is unique in Florence. It is not just beautiful, it also has a fascinating history, as does the hotel.”

The San Nicola in Peschici  tourist resort has become part of the Baia Holiday family.

The open-air operator based in Salò recently closed negotiations for the acquisition of the 12-hectare resort in Puglia, 70% of which is in a beautiful wooded area in the Gargano Park. 

On the seafront for 1,500 guests

San Nicola's strong points, in addition to the natural beauty of the area, include its seafront position on a 700-metre stretch of soft sandy beach on which is has its own private lido bookended  by two stretches of cliffs that form a perfect bay. There are 420 pitches, some directly on the sea and many are in shady areas. There are also twenty-three masonry bungalows with private bathroom and verandas and the complex can accommodate 1,500 guests. 

Sports for all tastes and a children’s playground 

In San Nicola there is also a restaurant and a bar directly on the sea, a supermarket, two tennis courts, a five-a-side football pitch, a beach volleyball court, a children's playground and a games room. The area is also perfect for kitesurfing, windsurfing, horse riding, diving, canoeing, on-road and off-road cycling and canoeing.  With the new acquisition Baia Holiday now  has ten camping villages, two residences and a 4-star superior hotel from Lake Garda to the Venice lagoon, the Gulf of Trieste, the island of Lussino (Croatia), the Rome area and various seaside resort areas in Sardinia.

“We manage and market our properties” 

"We are very pleased that we have added San Nicola resort, an important new property in a key region such as Apulia, thus increasing the number of our properties which are totally managed and marketed by us. San Nicola is unique for its position in the Gargano park and for the beauty of the surrounding area,” said the CEO of Baia Holiday, Valerio Vezzola. 

In Governolo, a charming village in the province of Mantua, everything is ready for the most anticipated event of the year.

From Thursday 9 to Monday 13 June, and again from Saturday 18 to Wednesday 22 June, great food, music and various shows will be the order of the day.

This is a wonderful opportunity to discover the best Mantuan wines, to be enjoyed with many typical local delicacies, including ostrich in many forms, from appetizers to desserts. 

Tasting lunches, live bands and orchestras

On Sunday 12 and Sunday 19 June at 12.30, two tasting lunches are scheduled by reservation and every day there will be entertainment in the square from 9.15 pm. Ranging from 70s/80s disco music to classical favourites the best bands and orchestras in the area will be performing on stage.

The town stands where two rivers meet

Due to its unique geographical position at the confluence of two rivers, Governolo was once the gateway for navigation from Mantua to the Adriatic Sea. The ancient hydraulic basin, designed by Bertazzolo, recently renovated and fully illuminated, together with the nearby Matildic Tower, are just two of the town’s main tourist attractions.

Fascinating riverine industrial archaeology

In the same area there is the Mincio River Museum with many models, exhibition panels and videos illustrating centuries of local history and hydraulic archaeology. On the path along the former riverbed visitors can admire the mechanical devices that used to regulate the river level and allow boats to overcome the difference in height of the waters between the Mincio and the Po rivers. Lovers of outdoor walks will enjoy strolling along the cycle paths on the banks of the two rivers, losing themselves in the serene and tranquil countryside.   

Lefay Resorts becomes part of the Legend category of Preferred Resorts & Residences. This is the most prestigious cluster of the US soft brand, and also includes the subgroups Lux, Lifestyle, Connect and Residences.

"It is a great honour to be included among the five Legend properties in Italy - said Alcide Leali, Lefay's CEO – we are confident that this new strategic partnership will further enhance international attention on our group. It will also allow us to approach an increasingly diversified audience interested in our wellness destinations.”

 

Discovering Lake Garda and the Dolomites 

"We are very proud of the new partnership with Lefay," adds Preferred's vice president Europe, Roberta Possenti. "The Garda-based company’s hotels are perfectly suited to the Legend Collection and represent a must-visit destination for travellers who want to discover the wonders of Lake Garda and the Dolomites.”