Horseback excursions in Tuscany’s Maremma but also in Sicily and Sardinia with Elesta Travelling Passion.

Riding through breathtaking landscapes 

Discovering rugged panoramas and breathtaking landscapes, travelling across plains and hills, past vineyards and coastlines, in a context rich in history, natural wonders, gastronomic specialities and traditions. From Tuscany’s Maremma, land of the butteri horsemen, to Sicily and Sardinia, Elesta Travelling Passion presents its new horseback tours, in collaboration with Horse Touring.

From Florence to Siena and on to Chianti 

The first tour proposed by Elesta departs from Florence for Siena, the city of the Palio, where this ancient tradition is kept alive all year round with great passion and participation by the city’s contrade districts. It then heads towards the south of Tuscany, to the border between Valdarno and Chianti, for a three-day full immersion in the ancient traditions of the Maremma butteri.

A visit to Rome’s former papal stables

This is a different formula to the more usual excursions on horseback. Here the objective is to allow participants to experience a true immersion by carrying out first-hand the daily activities of herd management on a real farm. This is possible thanks to Ernesto Benini, founder of the Dimensione Maremma association, who not only prepares the horses, but also supports the riders, guaranteeing unique emotions. After the Maremma experience the trip concludes with a stop in Rome, where a visit to the Scuderie del Quirinale, the papal stables, will provide insight into the presence and role that horses played in history and in art.

Lhm, according to the Italia daily Il Sole 24 Ore has acquired a new hotel in Rome.

The property will get a makeover

In the downtown Rome area of the Italian parliament, the new entry will join Palazzo Velabro, a mixed-use hotel under the Design Hotels brand that opened in March last year. The new property will have 25 rooms, a fitness area, common areas to encourage people to meet and a retail outlet on the ground floor. The asset belongs to a Roman family and will undergo a makeover, work on which should start soon and be completed possibly by the end of 2025.

Ltm has plans to expand 

The Lhm group, which is now looking for further opportunities in Bologna, Naples and Venice, aims to valorize a real estate assets that are often not in the sights of institutional investors, explained the company's founder and CEO, Cristina Paini. The company, which currently manages a total of three hotels in Rome and Milan, is therefore looking mainly at medium-small 33 to 35-room properties, centrally located and possibly adaptable to a mixed-use solution of rooms and apartments. This formula would currently guarantee the company gross operating margins net of rents (ebidtar) of over 35%, with the aim of hitting 40% in the future.

Phi Hotels, the brand of the Xenia Hôtellerie Solution group, has added the Ambra Palace in Pescara to its portfolio. 

A possible future purchase

The company has acquired the hotel's business unit under an 18-year lease agreement for €1.9 million, with an exclusive option for three years on the possible future purchase of the asset for €1.6 million. The transaction had the support of PwC Italy. Previously Xenia had taken an independent portion of the property to extend the hotel.

Close to the sea and the railway station

The hotel, currently a 3-star will be repositioned and renamed Phi Hotel Ambra. It will have 60 rooms and is right in the city centre, just a few minutes from the sea and the Pescara Centrale railway station. The current management posted revenues in the last financial year of around €750,000, "a figure that, however, is not to be considered indicative for the planning of future financial years under the Phi Hotels brand.”

“Hotel Ambra…a benchmark property for the city”

"Hotel Ambra has great potential,- says Ercolino Ranieri managing director of Xenia. - It can be a benchmark property for the city, in terms of size and location and potentially can appeal to several business segments. We will be intervene with an overhaul to bring it into line with the standards of our hotel chain.”  

After 15 years Bwh Hotels Italia & Malta has become a benefit company under Italian law.

“Generating a positive impact on people, the environment and communities”

Under Italian law a company that integrates profit with "one or more objectives of common benefit" is the definition of a benefit company, and Bwh Hotels Italia & Malta recently embraced this designation, marking the culmination of a 15-year journey.  “This transformation comes after 15 years of conscious and attentive commitment towards the environment, people, and communities in all areas where our company operates. Being a benefit corporation underlines the civic sense behind our actions, and unites our members around a common commitment which, beyond the boundaries of the company, generates a positive impact on the environment and communities,” said CEO Sara Digiesi.

Enhancing the capacity and quality of accommodation

Bwh has amended its corporate statute, incorporating six purposes of common benefit: promoting responsible hospitality, raising awareness in the network of the highest environmental and social standards, and providing services that can support members to constantly improve the impact of their properties. The company aims to continually enhance the capacity and quality of accommodation in the areas in which members operate, making competitive skills and services available to spread the culture of effective and efficient management in the hotel sector. 

Supporting local economies and training programmes

Additionally, Bwh seeks to enhance the social role of the network by supporting local economies, promoting the territories in which members operate, making tourism accessible to all and propagating the attitude and culture of partnerships and aggregations as a driving force for sustainable growth. Further objectives include protecting the well-being of the employees of Bwh Hotels Italia & Malta, respecting their uniqueness, and enhancing the talents and skills of each individual. The company also commits to promoting the growth of hospitality professionals through training programmes for operational resources in hotels.

Commitment to the environmental, social, and governance issues

Looking ahead to 2024, Bwh Hotels Italia & Malta is committed to presenting an annual sustainability report on the objectives of common benefit and the results achieved, measured and incorporated into the mission and business plans. This new approach further raises attention and commitment to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues through the establishment of an internal committee responsible for pursuing common benefit goals, along with increased efforts by institutional bodies, hotel members, and staff.

The I love Francigena-for all walk is a free event to be held on 25 May, and open to the public.

The full-day walk starts in Ivrea and ends in Viverona  

Organized by the Piedmont Region in collaboration with the European Association of Vie Francigene, and open to the public, the programme starts at 8.00 am in Viverone in the small square in front of the Il Porticciolo Bar on the lakefront. There will be a 9.30 am transfer by bus to Ivrea’s town hall square for the start of the walk. At 1.00 pm there will be a packed lunch at the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Bollengo with the departure set for 2.30pm and the final arrival in the town hall square of Viverone. The total distance is approximately 20 kilometres, the walk is for a maximum of a hundred participants and is accompanied by four hiking guides.

For wayfarers, pilgrims and enthusiasts

I love Francigena-for all is the dress rehearsal for the subsequent public Via Francigena for all events which, like that on 25 May will be an opportunity to promote the new openings of the Churches with Open Doors project, such as at the Church Saints Peter and Paul in Bollengo. These walks aim a making known the accessibility on the Ivrea-Viverone Canavese trail and they offer a unique opportunity to get to know sections of the route through its cultural and natural heritage and local gastronomic products. Bringing together wayfarers, pilgrims, enthusiasts, local associations and tour operators, the overall objective is to promote the Via Francigena through environmental education, sustainable and slow tourism with the involvement of local communities and stakeholders.

Play is resuming flights from Iceland to Venice and Bologna until October.

The flights will operate until 27 October

Starting from 16 May the airline will fly between Venice's Marco Polo and Reykjavík's Keflavík airport, extending the period of operation from the Veneto airport from 2023. The flights, operated on Thursdays and Sundays, will continue throughout the summer season, until 27 October.

“Icelandic tourists can discover Venice”

"After last year's launch, we are anticipating the resumption of flights by more than a month, a sign of the liveliness of the Veneto airport,- said Einar Örn Ólafsson, CEO of Play. -Iceland is a very popular destination among Italians, and summer is the time to fully experience the charm of the Far North. Vice versa, thanks to our direct connection Icelandic tourists will be able to take advantage of the flight to discover Venice, its territory and the entire Veneto region, from the mountains to the sea'.

Direct flights to Bologna resume on 8 June

Direct connections from Reykjavík to Bologna's Guglielmo Marconi will resume from 8 June with flights, operated on Tuesdays and Saturdays, continuing throughout the summer up to 5 October. Passengers departing from Europe can purchase non-stop flights to the United States or Canada, also with optional stop-overs on the outward or return leg of their journey, to stop for a few days in Iceland and thus combine the discovery of two transatlantic destinations.

The Blu Hotels Group closed 2023 with a record €80 million turnover,  €10 million increase over the previous year.

Higher revpar and occupancy levels 

The company's gross operating margins (EBITDA) also performed well closing at €11 million. This success can be attributed to the average revenues per available room (total revpar), which stood at €136.8 This corresponds to an average rate of €194 and an occupancy level of 70.7%, up from 66.8% in the 2022 financial year.

Beach properties were the driving force

The group’s beach properties continued to be the driving force, with the Salento emerging as the most popular destination. Positive results were also seen in Sardinia, Tuscany, Lake Garda, and the mountains. The mountains, in particular, gained strategic importance for the group due to their newfound ability to offer double seasonality. Winter forecasts for 2023/2024 indicate a growth of +20% over last year.  

“A diversified portfolio, both in terms of destinations and types of property”

 “The results demonstrate the validity of our business model, with a diversified portfolio, both in terms of destinations and types of property. Unlike the general Italian trend, we attracted many Italians to both beach and mountain destinations. Our significant customer loyalty efforts over the past 30 years have undoubtedly played a crucial role,” said Nicola Risatti, president of Blu Hotels.

New salary policies and incentives

To celebrate the year's success, Blu Hotels offered its employees a Christmas welfare bonus of €1,000 that can be used for shopping, fuel and e-commerce vouchers, bill reimbursements, travel, well-being, and leisure. Aligning with the group's new salary policies and incentives, it includes the option for one smart working day per week at the administrative headquarters. Seasonal employees will also receive a welfare bonus at the end of their contracts. “The satisfaction and well-being of our collaborators are fundamental. Therefore, creating a work environment where employees feel valued is essential.” 

B&B Hotels group has added a new hotel in Lazio, Pomezia Cortese, the second hotel in the town overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea.

“Two new openings in 2024”

Located about thirty minutes by car from Rome’s Fiumicino Airport, B&B Hotel Pomezia Cortese is pet-friendly, has 42 rooms, and a B&B Shop. “With the opening of B&B Hotel Pomezia Cortese we bring the number of openings to two in 2024,” says Liliana Comitini, president and CEO, Italy, Slovenia, and Hungary. 

Ninth B&B Hotels property in Lazio 

In Lazio the B&B Hotel group is present with nine properties, offering guests diversified accommodation options. “This second hotel in Pomezia reconfirms our desire to create value in the destination, and to boost our presence.”