Once upon a time there was Ciga. Founded in Venice in 1906, the Compagnia Italiana Grandi Alberghi was for almost nine decades the symbol of luxury Italian hôtellerie. Among the properties that became part of its collection there are true icons of world hospitality like the Danieli, the Des Bains, the Gritti and the Excelsior in Venice. Then the Principe di Savoia in Milan, the Cristallo in Cortina, and the three gems on the Costa Smeralda: Pitrizza, Romazzino and Cala di Volpe.
Ciga collapsed and in the 90s was sold to Sheraton. It then passed to Starwood which was taken over six years ago by Marriott, in what is still the deal of the century for the global hotel industry. Ciga’s prestige was such that Starwood quickly built a brand around it, based on the spirit of the Italian chain. Over time some properties took different paths, but until this year, much of Ciga's heart was still beating in the Luxury Collection.
Then came the series of announcements. The Danieli, owned by the Statuto Group, will become a Four Seasons in 2025. The Cristallo in Cortina, acquired last year by Attestor Capital, has been promised to Mandarin Oriental, again in 2025 just in time for the Winter Olympics. And then there is Sardinia, with rumours circulating about the future of the Pitrizza, Romazzino and Cala di Volpe, and the Smeralda Holding property rethinking its branding strategies. "A decision will probably be taken at the end of next winter," said the holding company's CEO, Mario Ferraro. Whatever the Sardinian outcome, the luxury hospitality of our forefathers is a thing of the past…
Massimiliano Sarti
Journalist
