There was optimism at Milan’s Hospitality Forum 2022 with global real estate investments in the hotel industry set to more than double in 2021 compared to 2020, approaching €70 billion.

This is the global figure from the 2022 report on the hotel real estate market, presented at the Hospitality Forum organized by Castello Sgr and Scenari Immobiliari. In Europe the hotel property market closed 2021 with a turnover of €21.2 billion, and is expected to rise to €26.6 billion in 2022. This trend is also confirmed in Italy with a 2021 turnover of 2.5 billion euro, which is estimated to rise in 2022 to 3.1 billion.

“Flexibility and versatility will be the drivers for 2022”

"In 2021 we glimpsed a recovery, - said Francesca Zirnstein, general manager of Scenari Immobiliari. - Now flexibility and versatility will be the drivers for 2022 and the next two years. Increased overnight stays, the growth of the bleisure segment and of short holidays all lead to optimism. On the negative side there are possible new waves of contagion, rising inflation, energy costs and labour shortages. The dynamics are disturbed, but the economic segment and the real estate assets possess intrinsic characteristics to sustain the recovery.”

Expectations for the current year are positive

Giampiero Schiavo, CEO of Castello Sgr, said the tourism and hotel market in Europe and Italy shows great vitality.

“We operators have a duty to accompany the recovery, responding to the new needs of travellers, and offering them a more valuable experience. We have to work on deseasonalization and promoting all of Italy rather than just its major cities and most iconic sites.”

A significant growth in revenues of 25% is expected for 2022, in line with 2018, but only in 2024 will the market exceed 2019 results. Expectations for the current year are therefore positive, with Europe’s real estate turnover closing with an increase of just under 30%.

 

Garda Bubbles and Geo Cupole geodesic tents are the novelties for the 2022 season at the Rocca Camping Village on Lake Garda.

These exclusive accommodations combine the most popular features of camping life (essential situations, shared spaces, freedom) with larger sizes, higher standards of service and special settings.

Communicating transparent bubbles

The Garda Bubbles are shaped like three communicating and transparent bubbles, for a night under the stars without the inconvenience of sleeping outdoors. Immersed in nature, but without having to forego a double room with a four-poster bed, they are complemented by a living area and a designer bathroom. The outdoor terrace has a heated whirlpool bath, guaranteeing total privacy.

Cool in summer and warm in winter

Geodesic domes, on the other hand, are hemispherical,making the most of the potential of two geometric shapes: the triangle and the sphere. They are stable and durable, so much so that they are the housing solutions of choice for missions in extreme locations, such as Antarctica or the desert. The very shape of the tent guarantees a series of comforts. First of all it allows optimal air circulation, creating an ideal microclimate in every season, which means cool in summer and warm in winter. 

Falling asleep looking up at a starry summer sky

The space also appears multiplied thanks to the absence of pillars. The large window makes it possible to fall asleep looking up at a starry summer sky and to wake up with the lake at your fingertips. On the eastern shore of Lake Garda, the tent for two also features a heated whirlpool. Both the Bubbles and the Tents are without kitchens.

Villa Luisa in Fiuggi is ideal for tranquility and wellness, and for anyone seeking to take time to rediscover that quality of life to which the body and mind aspire.  

Villa Luisa is the new entry for Palazzo Fiuggi, formerly the Grand Hotel Palazzo della Fonte (now controlled by the same owners as the Forte Village. Ed), and can be reserved exclusively to enjoy the wellness and remise en forme programmes in complete privacy.

Historical charm

Built at the same time as the Palace in the early 20th century, in Art Nouveau style, recent renovations have enhanced the property, adding a spa and a gym where visitors can be monitored by the Palazzo's medical staff and participate in remise en forme programmes. And just a few steps away we find the 6,000 square metres of the Palace's spa. Villa Luisa is set in a private park of 1,800 square metres, and on its five floors has preserved its historical charm while introducing tasteful modern design.

Exquisite solid wood furnishings

The spa has a sauna, Turkish bath, and showers, as well as a treatment room with double beds and a relaxation area with a private garden. There is also a gym with a yoga room and training equipment. The dining room, which seats 20, and a sophisticated lounge, with fireplaces and exquisite solid wood furnishings, are both located on the first floor and the outdoor terrace has a pergola. 

Chic furniture in the Presidential Suite 

Two double bedrooms and one twin bedroom with bathrooms are on the second and third floors. The Presidential Suite is on the fourth floor, and has a master bedroom with a double bathroom, a walk-in closet with a secret vault, a second walk-in closet, a large living room with a chic mix of furniture, a fireplace, and a panoramic terrace with views of the green hills that surround the city of Fiuggi.

The Student Hotel in Rome is to host the Accademia Italiana design campus, in a new partnership between the hybrid hospitality brand The Student Hotel and Ad Education.

The Accademia will move its headquarters in 2023 into the first campus entirely dedicated to design in Italy, in the buildings of Rome’s former customs house.

Students to be involved in the project

The historic building in the capital’s San Lorenzo neighbourhood was built in the 1930s and will see the old customs offices transformed into classrooms and campus spaces, which will also be open to associations, committees, and other artistic and cultural groups. The collaboration will develop by directly involving students studying photography, interior, product and fashion design and jewellery.

“The campus will have 396 rooms”

“I am very happy with this new partnership - says chief real estate officer & executive board member of TSH, Rienk Oosterhof -. The students of the Accademia's photography, interior and product design, fashion design and jewellery design courses will collaborate in the creation of the first campus in Italy in this field. It will have 396 rooms." 

The project should be completed by 2024

After two hotels in Florence (one is under construction) and one in Bologna, TSH is aiming to complete this latest project by 2024. In addition to the rooms, the hybrid structure will include common areas open to the community, spaces for sports and co-working, meetings and events rooms and a public park

Life Resorts' Unico brand has added the Sicilian Marina Holiday, with forty-two rooms and suites built in elegant Sicilian style, in the architectural style of the historic village about half an hour from Palermo, all a few steps from the sea.

The property has a panoramic terrace, two restaurants and bars, a swimming pool, a spa and a Jacuzzi suite. 

“We will soon be adding new destinations”

"We have added a new quality resort to our Italian collection, to which will soon be adding new destinations - explains the CEO and founder of the Life Resorts Group, Enzo Carella. - The gourmet restaurants which overlook panoramic terraces will offer fine dining experiences to guests from all over the world.” 

The resort is aimed at young adults

Life Resorts, in collaboration with the property, has made an ambitious multi-year investment aimed at developing further themed areas to boost the resort's appeal to a young adults target. The Unico Marina Holiday Resort & Spa is an affiliation management project. "We started this partnership with the idea of offering a product that can compete on international markets and in the events segment," adds Salvatore Palazzolo, owner of the Sicilian property.

B&B Hotels with 60 properties in Italy by the end of 2022 is focusing on premium rooms which are on upper floors, thus providing the best views, while many of them also feature panoramic terraces.

BB Hotels Florence Hotel Pitti Palace al Ponte Vecchio

Opulent and spacious rooms

Let’s take the B&B Hotel Firenze Pitti Palace at Florence’s Ponte Vecchio, which is situated just 100 metres from Palazzo Pitti, and has 360-degree views over the city. The Firenze Laurus al Duomo, also in the heart of the Tuscan city, has opulent and spacious rooms with parquet flooring and light hues. 

Quality meeting spaces

Other top choices are the Affi Lago di Garda, which won first place in the Italian Mission Awards 2022 category for Best Meeting Space, and the Cherasco Langhe, which has 84 modern, opulent, and superior rooms in a property that is a benchmark for Piedmont’s congress tourism. 

BB Hotel Sottomarina Chiocchia

Chioggia is a mini Venice 

The Chioggia Airone, a sun and beach hotel situated in the Veneto city of Chioggia which is a miniature version of Venice, and which the New York Times named one of the top three Italian cities to visit in 2022, is another example of the group's new hospitality philosophy. While in Palermo the Quattro Canti ,and in Cortina the Passo Tre Croci Cortina, both have the most intriguing wine and cuisine menus and are not to be missed.

Biancane Natural Park is a journey to the centre of the Earth in Tuscany. The park, which is near Monterotondo Marittimo in Tuscany, is an unusual and extraordinary area with numerous geothermal phenomena.

To explore this enchanted place there are guided tours organized by HMO Viaggi, and The Sense Experience Resort, which has placed the power of nature at the centre of its philosophy, is nearby the park. 

Craters and old wash houses

You can take a 30-minute tour to explore the park, starting from the centre of Monterotondo Marittimo. After about a hundred metres, you will find yourself in front of the Lagone Cerchiaio, a crater fed by thermal waters which are between 100 ° C and 150 ° C. You can see the old wash houses they built using characteristic octagonal bricks made in the furnaces of Vecchienne and dating back to the 1930s.

A longer tour lasting three hours

Crossing the path, you can admire limestone crystallizations and a terrace where water from the Chiorba spring flows. The walk then continues between walls that puff smoke and you will feel the overwhelming strength and energy of nature on your skin. There is also a longer tour from Biancane or Sasso Pisano which is 7.5 kilometres long and takes on average about three hours. Not to be missed is the well with boiling water, a magical and evocative place that, depending on the day, looks like a mouth from which a large amount of steam and water emerges at boiling temperatures. For these visits contact the HMO Viaggi agency.

Themed suites and two restaurants

The Sense Experience Resort has beautiful rooms and suites and is an ideal place to stay for holidays dedicated to well-being, peace and relaxation. The resort consists of five buildings with 112 comfort, deluxe and superior rooms and themed suites, as well as two-bedroom suites with sea views and outdoor Jacuzzis. The two restaurants are helmed by Executive Chef Franco Manfredi who uses local products to create traditional Tuscan dishes. 

The new-look Terme di Frasassi Hotel, which has been under the management of Hotel Terme for about 12 months, has had a positive year says manager Alberto Genovese.

“The first year went beyond our expectations, we worked hard on online channels, especially on social media, and we were careful with rate management. But perhaps the most important contribution came from the staff, who gave their all and embraced the project.”

 

Aiming to open 10-months a year

For the future, the goal is to try to extend the opening period up to ten months a year. Among the projects in the pipeline there is the relaunching of the thermal pool as well as "offering a higher level of service and making sure our guests get to sample our local specialties”, adds Genovese.

“Meeting the demands of travel agencies”

The clientele is both Italian and European. "We diversify groups in the low season and individuals from June to September. Of course, we also allocate some rooms to spa tourism. Many agencies book directly with us, and we promote trade offers and packages in our newsletters. I believe that our ability to meet the demands and needs of travel agencies serves us well."

Farmstays are a thriving industry in Italy according to recent figures showing that since 2010 the number of operational agritourism farms has increased by almost 5,000 (+25%), rising from 19,973 to a total of 25,060 in 2020. 

Farm holidays increased during the pandemic 

This very promising trend seems to have survived and indeed thrived during the pandemic with data suggesting a 2% increase in the two-year period 2019/2020, thanks to the desire for tourism geared to outdoor living and social isolation. According to the current report on Italian food and wine tourism edited by Roberta Garibaldi, the growth in turnover (-48.9 percent, for a total of €802 million) was disrupted by the forced closures and the contraction of international travel.

Longer stays on farms 

People choosing a farm holiday will spend more time there. Between 2010 and 2020, the average stay was over four days, which is significantly longer than in hotels which post an average three days. So the length of stay in farmhouses grew from 3.7 nights in 2019 to 4.2 nights in 2020, compared to 3.2 nights in hotels during the epidemic year. It will be interesting to see if this trend persists in coming years, or if it was a one-time occurrence due to the uncertain circumstances.

The boom of educational farms

Educational farms have grown more than other types in the last decade. From 752 in 2010, there are now 1,911 (+154%) educational farms with the majority in Piedmont, Lombardy, and Veneto. A true surge, indicating a growing interest in recreational and educational stays in contact with nature, animals and agricultural techniques. The pandemic has not slowed this trend, as growth was 11% in the two-year period 2019/2020.

The focus is on experiences

The popularity of farmstays is largely due to the growing number of experiences they provide. Those offering food and wine tastings grew at above-average rates, driven by an increasing desire to discover and experience unique products. 

An alternative to mass tourism

Agritourism has risen in popularity both among Italians and foreign visitors. Between 2010 and 2019 arrivals and overnight stays climbed by 78% and 48%, respectively: notably higher than other types of lodging including hotels. This expansion demonstrates travellers' desire to discover small villages and minor towns in the Italian countryside as an alternative to better-known and congested tourist spots.

Sleeping in castles from Umbria to the Po river was once a privilege reserved for the nobility but today anyone can haughtily toss off "I'm going to retire to my rooms," knowing that behind the door is a room fit for a king.

Tabiano Castle

Tabiano Castle in the province of Parma

A superb renovation has transformed the little village on the slopes of Tabiano Castle, in the hills in the province of Parma, into a charming Relais de Charme with the utmost respect for history and environmental sustainability. The ancient rooms once used by peasants and artisans have been transformed into guest rooms and apartments with all modern conveniences. Gardens with roses, lemons, and pomegranates, two swimming pools, a wellness centre in a natural cave as well as a popular restaurant in the former dairy complete the amenities for visitors. https://www.castelloditabiano.com

Relais Borgo Campello - Credit Francesca Bocchia

Relais Borgo Campello

Campello Alto is a small mediaeval village on a hill near Spoleto in Umbria. Visitors can stay in the rooms that belonged to aristocratic families and in monks' cells, which have been given a touch of minimalist design. Those seeking well-being will find an intimate refuge in the private spa which is the perfect place to regenerate and relax. And it is possible to have massages outdoors overlooking the valley. https://www.borgocampello.com/it/

Castel Maurn credits Francesca Bocchia

Castel Maurn, a mix of old and contemporary

Castel Maurn in San Lorenzo di Sebato, between the Val Pusteria and Val Badia valleys in the province of Bolzano in northern Italy has managed to retain its roots, in an intriguing mix of retro details and contemporary grafts. The suites combine an enchanted atmosphere with modern spaces and attention to detail, and have authentic frescoes and paintings. Breakfast is served in the suites, and a personal chef can be hired for exclusive dining. https://www.maurn.it

Antica Corte Pallavicina Foto Infraordinario

Gastro-fluvial cuisine near Parma

The Antica Corte Pallavicina di Polesine Parmense (PR), on the site of a 14th-century castle built on the Po's floodplain is the brainchild of Luciano and Massimo Spigaroli. The courtyard of the property has eleven charming rooms that harmoniously combine antique furnishings with design features and rustic elements, with original terracotta floors, ceilings with exposed beams, and bedroom bathtubs. The restaurant, which is above the world's oldest ageing cellars, is helmed by starred chef Massimo Spigaroli, the creator of gastro-fluvial cuisine. http://www.anticacortepallavicinarelais.it/