With the demolition of the former Enel power plant in Porto Tolle, work gets underway for the new Porto Tolle Delta Farm eco-sustainable tourist village of the Florentine group, Human Company.

The official announcement was made at a press conference organized by the governors of Porto Tolle at which it emerged that the demolition and dismantling of the former plant will take about 24 months. Planning the development of the future Delta Farm Village is underway, and expected to be completed by 2022. A highly qualified group of environmentally friendly specialists is at work in parallel with the demolitions to speed up the process, which has been revised in light of the pandemic.

A centre promoting typical local products  

Obtaining the Notice of Commencement is a fundamental step in the process of converting the former plant into the Delta Farm project. It involves the creation of an open-air tourist village, an area for water sports, and a centre promoting typical local products, all aimed at enhancing the environment and the area’s natural beauty. As well as the related industries, the direct employment foreseen within the village is around 400.

There will be an impact on employment in the area

“This is a highly complex operation, both for the decommissioning phase and for the future development of tourism in the area, and it certainly constitutes a demanding and very motivating challenge,” underlines the technical director of Human Company, Mario Raniolo. 

The decommissioning of the Enel thermoelectric plant will respect the expectations of the local authorities, the regional administration and Enel, both in terms of the quality and sustainability of the operations, and the impact on employment in the area.

The new Cloud 7 Hotel Roma, the first European project of the Kerten Hospitality group, will open in 2023. The five-floor building, which belongs to the Santucci family, now in its third generation, will undergo a complete renovation.  

The new boutique hotel is in the heart of Rome between Via del Corso and Via di Pietra, a few steps from the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon, and the refurbishment will cost over €4 million.

Sustainable and lifestyle features 

Built in the early 1900s the building, which over the years has also housed the Banco di Roma and the Cameroon embassy, will take on a new life as  a boutique property with sustainable and lifestyle features, designed to interact with the local community, the neighbourhood, staff and guests.

Kerten is enjoying exponential growth in the Middle East

"After an exponential growth in the Middle East, we are very proud to be able to enter Europe through the gateway of the Eternal City with our innovative Cloud 7 concept. “Our goal is to integrate technology, services and innovation under the same roof, creating a place that can create feelings, connections and unforgettable memories for guests while generating long-term returns for investors."

Many of the 35 projects in hand will open in 2022 and 2023

Based in Dublin, Kerten Hospitality manages hotels, residences, restaurants and workspaces through its lifestyle brands Cloud 7, The House Hotel, Ouspace, as well as various F&B brands. The group is currently working on some 35 projects, many opening between 2022 and 2023, especially in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Georgia.

The concept of “tourist destination” is going through a phase of profound evolution and, in Rimini on 31 March, Destination Lab will throw the issue open for discussion.

Recent studies provide indications and guidelines on what tourists are looking for when choosing a destination, and what clearly emerges is the importance of the local experience. Which means not only knowing but experiencing the area. It is, therefore, necessary to redefine the concept of “destination” by making the most of all the emotional aspects linked to the usability of an area, and to direct contact with its unique aspects, such as its historical context, culture, landscape, food and wine.

A study Day on the future of tourist destinations

Destination Lab’s Study Day on the Future of Tourist Destinations, at the Palacongressi in Rimini on 31 March 2022 from 9am to 6pm, will be part of the Tourism Summit and see the participation of over 2000 participants and 36 guest speakers.

The event is organized by Rimini's Teamwork Hospitality which has been offering advice and training to professionals in the industry for over twenty years. Destination management experts will tell their success stories, with direct testimonials from operators. 

Many topics will be discussed

This study day will offer participants a valuable opportunity for discussion, reflection and study. Among the topics that will be discussed and proposed are sustainability; cutting-edge territorial marketing: illuminating examples from Europe; return to the earth: the start of the era of vertical tourism, and new innovations in tourism experience: augmented reality, gamification, avatars ...

Registration for the Tourism Summit event is free

There will be an area dedicated to meeting partner companies for a stimulating exchange of opinions and food for thought. Destination Lab is one of four events at the Tourism Summit together with the Tourism Data Conference, dedicated to the use and interpretation of data in the sector; Improve, an event reserved for hotel sales; and Tourism Talent Day, the first event in Italy dedicated to finding talented individuals in the tourism sector. Registration for all Tourism Summit events is free.

Florence’s old Grand Hotel Majestic will be transformed into the Tuscan city’s new W Florence. After its debut in Rome last December, with the W Rome-Marriott just off  central Via Veneto, Marriott’s luxury lifestyle brand Marriott is preparing for its arrival in Florence in 2023. Word has it that the U.S. group has entered into an ad hoc agreement with the property owner, Prato-based Progetto Majestic led by Roberto Puccini for the Florence property.

A total renovation will bring the old building to 5-star level

The hotel, an old 4-star that has been abandoned for more than ten years, has four floors above ground plus three underground levels, and covers a total area of 10,700 square meters including the rooftop. The project will completely renovate the building (work is about to get underway), repositioning it in the 5-star segment with a total of 120 rooms including 20 suites.  

Two more luxury properties for Florence in 2023 and 2024

In the next few years, Florence should also see the debut of two more international luxury hospitality brands: the Collegio alle Querce of the Auberge Collection is scheduled to open in 2023, while the Baccarat Villa Camerata of Sh Hotels & Resorts is expected to make its debut in 2024.

A few years ago a hotelier pointed out to me that many properties advertise themselves for how they make you feel at home. “But I travel for the joy of discovering new places and escaping from everyday life, so hotels need to have something extraordinary," he said. A provocation of course, yet it contained more than a grain of truth. Because if travellers, especially holidaymakers look for that famous Wow factor, they also want something familiar. The secret, as the old saying goes, lies in finding just the right balance. 

Which is why many Italian hotels are changing tack. Like the Enterprise Hotel, a Planetaria Group 4-star business property in Milan that has opened eight Nesting Rooms in collaboration with the furniture company Moroso. Spaces designed to combine the comfort of a small apartment (the home away from home) with elements of contemporary design for that desirable exotic touch.   

In Sardinia two old rural homesteads have been given new life as the Gallicantu Retreat. The five rooms and two suites embody the warmth of tradition, yet their fairy-tale atmosphere is something quite extraordinary. No less impressive is the 5-star South Tyrolean Quellenhof See Lodge, opening in April. This Alpine wellness retreat has four extra-luxury villas, 26 suites, two restaurants and a spa, but with its palm trees and lush vegetation you could mistake it for a tropical island resort. It even has an F&B outlet under the swimming lake. Now that is something quite extra…ordinary.

Massimiliano Sarti
Journalist

The Enterprise Hotel in Milan has launched its new Nesting Rooms in collaboration with the Moroso furniture company.

The Planetaria Group’s eight new suites are inside two railing houses, overlooking a classic Milanese courtyard. 

"It was a sharing of common interests and sensibilities - says CEO of Planetaria Hotels, Sofia Gioia Vedani -  and this is not the first time our company highlights design. Planetaria is one of the most successful groups in this sense, but this is the first time that we are associated with a specific brand."

Refurbished apartments styled like Milanese railing houses

The refurbishment of the suites adjacent to the hotel is aimed at travelers who do not easily fit into traditional market classifications, but also at locals interested in enjoying comfortable and intimate spaces in the heart of the city.

The work aimed at maintaining the cheerful and colourful atmosphere of  Milan’s courtyards, preserving typical elements such as arched vaults and niches with a contemporary touch. Colour is the absolute protagonist of the project, with the traditional terracotta pink and yellow combining with blues, while the materials chosen for the Moroso Contract furnishings complete the look.

Damir Eskerica - Moroso's CEO

“Design can create emotions”

"Up to some ten years ago the hotel sector often had difficulty understanding the importance of design," says Moroso’s CEO, Damir Eskerica. "Design is useful not only to create emotions (think making guests want to return) but also to rethink spaces. The home sector is now worth about 50% of our total turnover and the contract sector accounts for the remaining half, with 25% going to companies and the remaining 25% to hotels".

Smeralda Holding is planning a new 35-room hotel for the end of 2022 and gradually completing various renovations, having invested over €100 million, as announced in 2018, for refurbishments on the Cala di Volpe, Pitrizza, Romazzino and Cervo properties. CEO of Smeralda Holding, Mario Ferraro, recently announced that work will start on a fifth property at the end of 2022. Costing about €15 million, this will be a 35-key hotel with an outdoor area and a swimming pool, and some rooms will have private pools.

A new restaurant for the Cala di Volpe

The construction of the new hotel will go hand in hand with the last renovation phase of the Cala di Volpe, with the restyling of the remaining 23 rooms. Also noteworthy is the opening of a restaurant in collaboration with the Zuma group, which will be in the area of the old local tennis club. Next year renovations are planned for the Romazzino and the Pitrizza, at a cost of approximately €65 million.

The Cala di Volpe and Cervo to open on 17 March

Rumours continue to circulate about a possible change of the brands that manage the four hotels; these rumours have been circulating for years and have never been confirmed or fully denied by the owners. However, there are concrete figures for 2021, a year that went beyond expectations, with revenues of €88.7 million (+108.2% compared to the previous year and +17.8% on 2019). Smeralda Holding has decided to open the season early, with the Cala di Volpe and the Cervo being operational as early as 17 March, while the Romazzino and the Pitrizza will start welcoming guests from 25 May 2022.