Villa Gelsomino is an Art Nouveau residence on the Gulf of Portofino, an oasis of luxury overlooking one of the most exclusive stretches of the Ligurian Riviera in the province of Genoa.

The five enchanting suites in the 19th-century residence overlooking the beautiful coastline, are named for some of the Ligurian Riviera’s most famous little towns: Portovenere, Camogli, San Fruttuoso, Portofino, and the Cinque Terre.

Villa Gelsomino is managed by an all-female team
The sea views from the property have seduced poets and artists down the centuries and the property, managed by a young, enterprising and all-female team, has conserved the atmosphere of an Art Nouveau residence, but with harmonious contemporary details. The period inlaid floors and ceiling frescoes, antique furniture and crystal chandeliers are complemented by the comfortable contemporary beds and modern bathrooms with LED lights and minimalist allure.



Green electricity and no single-use plastic
There is no more delightful way to start the day than by enjoying the spectacular Riviera view from the colonnaded patio of the Villa Gelsomino, or in the gazebo in the garden with is centuries-old palm trees and perfumed jasmine, over a breakfast of quality home-made products, jams and cakes made from local ingredients. In this natural paradise only green electricity is used, and trees are planted to offset the emissions from cooking and water heating in collaboration with the Treedom project. Special attention is also paid to the Plastic Free Certification Standard project, that eliminates single-use plastic in favour of environmentally friendly alternatives, such as micro-filtered water dispensers instead of bottles.



Romantic bespoke menus
Villa Gelsomino is open all year round, and guests can treat themselves by booking a private chef who will prepare a romantic menu for two inspired by the best Italian traditions. 

Villadorata Country House in Sicily is a country residence a few kilometres from the town of Noto, nestling in the rolling hills of the valley of the same name.

A former palmento where oil was produced and dating back to the end of the 19th century, it has undergone a restyling and been transformed into a contemporary and welcoming residence. The Val di Noto consists of eight Baroque towns in the south-east of Sicily, and is one of Italy’s most stunning UNESCO world heritage sites.  

22 hectares of olives, lemons and almonds and a vineyard

In a separate building from the 7-room hotel in the historic centre of Noto, Country House Villadorata is an ideal link between the town and the countryside, enhancing the different aspects and uniqueness of the area which is on the edge of the Vendicari Nature Reserve. Surrounded by a luxuriant 22-hectare estate of olive, almond, lemon and orange trees and a small vineyard, all cultivated organically, the Country House is committed to minimizing emissions and maximizing the use of renewable energy, the aim being to achieve energy self-sufficiency.

Five suites with private pools

The eight deluxe rooms with verandas are divided between two buildings, and the five spacious independent suites have private pools. Completing the services offered by the hotel there is a large swimming pool – the water enriched with a blend of natural salts with beneficial properties combining health, well-being and pleasure. The W Villadorata Restaurant, helmed by Viviana Varese, is an immersion in the flavours of southern Sicily, also thanks to the farm-to-fork products from the resort's own land and from a nearby farm where the utmost respect for the environment is the name of the game.

Themed tours in the UNESCO Val di Noto  

The magnificent Val di Noto has a wealth of precious hidden treasures immersed in a wild and harmonious natural setting. To help guests discover this splendid area and to promote its beauty Country House Villadorata offers a choice of themed tours in the surrounding area. 

InHomie, Italy’s first hotel without staff, is to open in Rimini and is the brainchild of Nardo Filippetti, former founder of Eden Viaggi.

After taking over the Hotel Naiade in Rimini, the current president of the Lindbergh Hotels&Resorts group will renovate and transform it into a highly automated property - but simple to use, he is keen to point out - which will have a receptionist as its only staff member.

No in-house catering

InHomie is a pilot project in which the company will invest €3.5 million, Filippetti explained to the Corriere di Bologna newspaper. The idea stems, among other things, from the current difficulty in finding qualified staff. The luxury property, which will have 43 rooms and be sold at rates of around €55 per night, will not have any in-house catering, but guests will be able to use the city's wide range of delivery services.

The format could open in cities like Milan and Rome

If the pilot project is successful, Lindbergh's president is already thinking of exporting the format to other regions of Italy, especially to main commercial and economic hubs such as Rome and Milan for hotels with 40 to 50 rooms. The novelty is also part of the company's ambitious expansion project which, according to a report in the daily Il Sole 24 Ore, does not exclude the possibility of future collaborations with large groups and investment funds. 

Livigno, in the heart of the Italian Alps in Lombardy is known as Italy’s Little Tibet and, as well as a winter wonderland with over 115 kilometres of ski trails, it is also a popular summer destination, a place in which to regenerate the mind and the body enjoying a direct and privileged contact with nature. 

Modern lifts to over 3,000 metres altitude

The start of Livigno’s summer season is 11 June, coinciding with the opening of the Mottolino Bike Park. On 25 June it will be the turn of the Mountain Park Carosello 3000 and, on 1 July, of the Mountain Area Sitas with modern lifts that quickly reach over 3,000 metres altitude with just one Bike Pass, which is the summer version of the Ski Pass. With these openings Livigno gets into full summer mode with a network of hiking, running and biking trails that are accessible to all and a varied range of opportunities for fun and relaxation with outdoor experiences, good food and glamorous shopping in its over 250 exclusive boutiques.

Chasing the myth of great Italian cycling

With more than 3,200 GPS-mapped kilometres, 17 of cycle paths and three bike areas for all levels, the bicycle is undoubtedly the queen of an active holiday in Livigno. Enduro, cross-country, flow-country, downhill, e-bike and road-bike: there is no discipline on two wheels that cannot be practiced here, and those approaching it for the first time will find qualified instructors and guides at the Bike Skill Center. 

Cycling with champions 

There are many ideal starting and finishing points for unforgettable trips over the Alpine passes that have made cycling history - Stelvio, Gavia, Mortirolo, Bernina, Foscagno and Maloja -  and the Wednesday Pedala con il Campione  pedaling with the champion events allow bikers to pedal in the company of the many professionals who choose Livigno for their mountain training. Add in quality accommodation services and facilities, hiking and trekking, excursions and climbing with Alpine Guides, but also running, horse riding, paragliding, golf, tennis and fishing, and Livinio has just the right activity for every age and taste.  

Plogging. Personal well-being and helping nature

To give even more value and meaning to an experience of total immersion in nature, this summer Plogging will return to Livigno. Imported from Sweden, plogging combines the search for one's inner wellbeing with the physical and mental benefits that come from taking care of one's surroundings. Before setting off on an excursion, those wishing to plog can collect a waste collection kit consisting of a rucksack, gloves and pliers from the Active Hotels and tourist information centres. Making a meaningful contribution to the protection of Livigno's natural alpine eco-system will be their reward on their return.

Shopping, nightlife and gourmet food

Experiencing a holiday surrounded by nature does not mean excluding the comforts and amusements typical of the city, and when it comes to lifestyle, shopping and nightlife, Livigno is a destination that knows how to please even the most demanding visitors. Summer 2022 will also see the return of big events with the Sentiero Gourmet (15 July), the tried and tested food format curated by the Livigno Association of Chefs and Pastry Chefs that offers visitors a chance to discover the tastes of the territory through gourmet finger food and traditional dishes prepared by five-starred chefs. 

For further information: www.livigno.eu

The Moon over the Colosseum, Rome’s new stunning moonlight guided tour starts tomorrow 20 May in collaboration with Electa and Coopculture.

The new route that has been developed for this 2022 edition features the monument’s history, with the Amphitheatre in ancient Rome told through the floor of the arena and the underground, and then moving on to the Christian Colosseum. The latter begins with the 17th century wall painting depicting an ideal view of the city of Jerusalem, and this is the great novelty of this year's tour. 

The Moon over the Colosseum is for a maximum 25 people

The tour, reserved for no more than 25 people, includes the extensive underground route and is available every Friday and Saturday from May to December, and on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays between June and October. The itinerary passes through the tunnels and passages where the preparations for the performances took place, where stage materials were stored and where caged animals were loaded onto lifts to reach the arena floor for the famous hunting scenes and gladiator fights. Crossing a footbridge, the bowels of the monument will no longer hold any secrets and, as night falls the atmosphere that envelopes these ancient areas brings them to life again. 

A 7-minute historical video

For the first time the tour includes a multimedia reading of the painting depicting an ideal view - a bird's eye view - of the city of Jerusalem, on the bottom arch of the western archway, the so-called Triumphal Gate: the same gate through which gladiators and beasts once entered the arena. Lasting seven minutes the video, curated by the Colosseum Archaeological Park, is projected on the two lunettes of the western archway: on one side a selection of 22 scenes depicted in the painting and, on the other, the engraving with the same 1601 iconography by Antonio Tempesta.

The Colosseum used to hold 60,000 spectators

The narration and the atmospheric evening light bring the Old and New Testament narratives in the painting to life, and the painting reminds us that the Colosseum continued to live on after the end of the Roman Empire. In fact in 1750, at the behest of Pope Benedict XIV, it became the site of the now traditional Via Crucis, reinforcing the sense of the historical mission of the papacy. The itinerary ends with an extraordinary view of the complex structure of the underground and the vastness of the cavea terraces that once held and over 60,000 spectators. Guided tour times in Italian and English: 8 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. Tickets € 25.00 full price; € 22.00 concessions (groups/whole-slot fixed price/adults under 25); € 20.00 young people under 25.  Info and presale: Tel 06-3996-7700 Monday-Sunday 9 am-5 pm www.coopculture.it 

New Romagna Riviera rail services connecting Piedmont to the popular seaside Romagna Riviera area at weekends are planned for the upcoming summer season.

Starting on 11 June and running up to 11 September the new Trenitalia-Tper services - with the support of the Emilia-Romagna and Piedmont Regions - will link Turin, Asti, Alessandria and Voghera to the Romagna coast.

Speedy travel with no intermediate stops

In total there will be four departures - two on Saturdays and two on Sundays –taking tourists from Piedmont to Rimini, Riccione, Misano Adriatico and Cattolica. The departure will be from Turin at 6.20, and there will be no intermediate stops between Piacenza and Bologna or between Bologna and Rimini, with the trains arriving in Romagna before lunch time. Returns are scheduled after 4 pm and will arrive in Turin around 9 pm.

For weekend breaks or a day at the beach

"With this new service we are aiming to attract young people from Piedmont’s big cities throughout the summer season. They will be able to travel to the beaches of the Costa Romagnola quickly, comfortably and sustainably, taking advantage of a weekend break or a day at the beach” says Andrea Corsini, Emilia-Romagna’s regional transport councillor.

Parma Ham, Culatello di Zibello and Piacentini cured meats are some of the incomparable specialties of the central Emilia region.

On the Parma hills the Salumificio Conti in Langhirano produces cured hams and guides lovers of good taste through the various stages of the Parma ham production process. Every day at 11.00.

Salumificio La Rocca - credits Visit Emilia

The Piacenza area’s cured meats

To get to know the range of Piacentini cured meats you can visit the Salumificio La Rocca in Castell'Arquato. Here visitors tour the production departments of three famous and award-winning Piacentini PDOs: Coppa which is made from the shoulder meat, pancetta which is like bacon, and the ever-popular salami. Experiential tours with tastings are on Saturdays and Sundays from 8.00 to 12.00.

Learn to cook Emilian style

Emilia would not be the same without handmade pasta, with traditional dishes like Tortelli con la Coda, which is pasta stuffed with oxtail, and the local Raviolo di Piacentino as well as various types of fresh pasta. There are many cooking classes in the area with lessons taking place in the large kitchens of local chefs or in the enchanting gardens of villas outside the historic centre. And they are always accompanied by delicious food and wine tastings.

The extraordinary world of bees

At the Api Libere farm in Codemondo they organise educational workshops to learn all about the beekeeping experience, and visitors get to savour the products of the hive, and even to adopt a bee. In Val Tidone the Il Fucoré farm opens its hives from April to September for visits to the honey extraction laboratory and to sample different types of honey.

Emilia from a new perspective

For a truly unique experience in Emilia, why not take one of the many Parma, Piacenza and Reggio Emilia city tours, accompanied by local guides to places of art and culture, and enjoying culinary specialties in local restaurants and taverns.

Leonardo Hotels launches an ad-hoc investment fund for hotel development in Europe. The Israeli group Fattal, which controls the Berlin-based Leonardo Hotels Central Europe, has launched a fund of more than €315 million (increasable up to 400 million), to activate investments up to one billion, aimed at the expansion of the Leonardo Hotels, Leonardo Royal Hotels, Leonardo Boutique Hotels and Nyx Hotels by Leonardo Hotels brands in Europe.  

New acquisitions in Spain, Romania and Poland 

“The hotel industry both in Europe and globally is facing enormous changes and transformation processes," explains Yoram Biton, managing director of Leonardo Hotels Central Europe. "We continue to look to the future with great confidence and are strengthening our position in the business and meetings segments, as well as increasing our services in leisure and Fit. We have two new acquisitions in the Spanish market (Malaga and Mallorca, for a total of 260 rooms and an investment of €40 million. Ed.), as well as in Bucharest and Krakow.”

Rebranding to Leonard Hotels 

In parallel with the expansion, Fattal Hotel Group's European divisions are undergoing a complete rebranding to integrate all Leonardo hotels. Last March, the former Apollo Hotels in the Netherlands and Belgium started operating under the Leonardo brand. Next September, the Jurys Inn Hotels (distributed in Ireland and the UK) will be rebranded to become Leonardo. In the UK, the group has also entered new strategic destinations with several openings, including Leonardo Hotels Bristol & Chester and Manchester Piccadilly.

In Israel and 15 European countries  

The Group, owned by the Fattal family (62.33%), was founded by David Fattal in March 1998 and specializes, through its subsidiaries, in the ownership, management, leasing and management of hotels in Israel and Europe. The company currently counts more than 220 properties in over 100 different destinations, located in 15 European countries and in Israel.

LaSalle and Numa Group undertake a €500 million pan-European development strategy The Numa Group is an operator specializing in non-traditional accommodations with a focus on technology.

The partnership is part of LaSalle's growing value-add investments business and involves the acquisition, refurbishment and asset management of hotels, hostels, extended-stay serviced flats, vacant and soon-to-be vacant boutique hotels, as well as conversion projects for unbranded properties in major Western European cities. Under the same partnership, these properties will then be designed, managed and organized by the Numa Group.

Incorporating sustainability standards

The LaSalle and Numa Group development will focus in particular on properties in prime city centre locations. Fifteen locations have already been identified in cities in the UK, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands, with a total value of more than €450 million. Renovations are expected to take between six and 18 months, creating rooms for short, medium and long stays, with maximum flexibility of use to optimize occupancy levels. La Salle and Numa will also look to incorporate various sustainability standards into the projects, including hybrid ventilation and water recycling systems, with the aim of ensuring excellent Breeam (sustainable building certificate) ratings and zero carbon emissions across the portfolio by 2050.

“A partner with strong real estate experience”

"The partnership with LaSalle underscores our ability to offer fully integrated hospitality solutions," explains Numa Group's director real estate, Philipp Rohweder. "We anticipate that the hospitality sector will continue to benefit from ongoing mega-trends, changes in consumption and overall post-pandemic recovery. With LaSalle, we have found a partner with strong real estate experience and a network throughout Europe, with whom we will continue our growth story in the European hospitality sector."

Hospitality operator Numa Group marches ahead with a $45 million capital increase

The 15 Autentico hotels are eco-friendly and await guests with the warmest of welcomes. Each property is different from the next, but what units them is the same spirit of responsibility and the resolve for eco-friendliness, meeting the ever-increasing demands of guests who seek relaxing holidays and breaks immersed in splendid natural surroundings. Unique experiences that take you back in time and reply to today’s demand for more ecological and sustainable modes of travel, like those to be experienced in these three Autentico Hotels properties in the northern Italian regions of Veneto, Lombardy and Liguria.

Faloria Mountain Spa Resort, Cortina D'Ampezzo in Veneto 

For a holiday in the Dolomites the Faloria Mountain Spa Resort in Cortina d'Ampezzo is the ideal place for a break dedicated to wellbeing and for enjoying outdoor activities. Discover the area’s many eco-tourism routes on foot or by bicycle and then relax in the large and very beautiful spa. For lunches and snacks the place to go is the hotel’s malga mountain hut where you can enjoy delectable farm to fork specialties. 

Château Monfort, Milan in Lombardy 

Slow tourism, a rediscovery of the territory and sustainability are the key features of the warmer months at Château Monfort which is a Relais & Châteaux Association, member. These eco values are expressed through the cuisine and the genuine and warm hospitality. They are skillfully modulated and transmitted to guests starting from the gastronomic delights from Executive Chef Domenico Mozzillo, whose menus feature regional traditions with organic raw materials and preserves. 

Golfo dei Poeti Relais & Spa, Montemarcello 5 Terre in Liguria 

Golfo Dei Poeti Relais & Spa has reopened its doors with a new infinity pool, which blends into the surrounding nature. Guests' wellbeing is increasingly linked to sustainable tourism, which is why Golfo dei Poeti is consciously protecting the environment by reducing the use of plastics to a minimum. Disposable water bottles and glasses have been replaced by glass or recyclable materials and the mission for the future is to provide every opportunity for exceptional holidays, while respecting the environment.