Compagnia dei Cammini has opened its trips to disabled people thanks to a collaboration with NoisyVision, a non-profit organization that supports people with visual and/or hearing impairments. These immersive walking tours will allow those who are partially sighted, blind or hearing impaired to walk together with walkers without sensory difficulties.

The exchange of experiences and sensations is very enriching 

“Walking with someone who can not see means savouring the wonder of the journey even more,” says Luca Gianotti, coordinator of Compagnia dei Cammini,  “Accompanying people with sensory impairments does not mean having to constantly be at their disposal,” explains Dario Sorgato, founder of NoisyVision. “Although there are some basic precautions, accompanying the visually impaired is much simpler and more natural than you would imagine. And the exchange of experiences and sensations is very enriching for the group."  

credits: Milena Garda

The first walk is in the southern Salento region

Compagnia dei Cammini’s first trip open to all will be in Salento from 23 to 30 March, a week of walking between olive groves, terraces, Mediterranean scrub and dry stone walls, with very modest gradients, partly near the sea and overlooking the magnificent cliffs from which you can see Greece and Albania.

The Brigands’ Walk between Lazio and Abruzzo

The second trip open to all will be the Brigands’ Walk between Lazio and Abruzzo from 26 May to 2 June, on the ancient border between the Papal State and the Kingdom of Two Sicilies, passing through little towns, nature reserves and Apennine landscapes to discover an intense and authentic land.

For more information: www.cammini.eu

An experiential vacation in a tropical atmosphere, at 600 meters asl. April will see the opening of the 5-star Quellenhof See Lodge in San Martino, in Passiria in the Val Pusteria valley about 50 kilometres from Bolzano. This  new project  comes from the Dorfer family, owners of the Quellenhof Luxury Resorts (Passeier and Lazise). 

Luxury villas in an artificial lake

The new complex will be dedicated to couples, groups of friends and families with children over 14. With a range of different solutions, one programme is BalanceLiving which promises quality living comfort in a unique design context. There are four extra luxury villas in the middle of the artificial lake each with a terrace, private pool with Jacuzzi, Finnish sauna, relaxation beds and a hammock suspended over the water. 

An underwater restaurant and a spa

Five of the twenty-six suites have direct access to the lake, and there are two restaurants, one of which, the Underwater Restaurant, is in the water, and there is also a Bistro. To complete the offer there are 800 square metres of spa and 4,500 square metres of swimming lake reserved for guests only.

A tropical island in the Alps

"We wanted to create a place that could inspire people looking for a vacation with character, people who love the mountains, but are also curious to try new adventures,” says Heinrich Dorfer.  So we got the idea of creating a tropical island in an Alpine context with a comfortable and pleasant microclimate. 

Beauty, luxury and exclusivity 

“The added value of the project is to have recreated a unique environment, with palm trees and lush vegetation. It is a true mountain vacation with a seaside air. The architectural choice is a personal plus, because over the years I have traveled a lot ,and I have collected all the curiosities I came across, creating something that belongs to me and that I can share with those who love beauty and luxury, as well as exclusivity.”

Cristoforo Trapani is the new executive chef at the Caruso in Ravello, a Belmond hotel on the Amalfi coast. The reopening for the 2022 season is scheduled for April 1st.

Originally from the Sorrento peninsula, Trapani has worked in some of the most important starred restaurants in the world. Among others, he has worked with Heinz Beck, Mauro Colagreco, Yannick Alléno, Antonino Cannavacciuolo, Moreno Cedroni and Davide Scabin. Eclectic, and in tune with his surroundings, Trapani has already received recognition from the Michelin guide.

His cuisine blends local produce with simplicity 

Trapani’s signature style of cuisine is a blend of local produce and simplicity,  resulting in mouth-watering dishes such as the Violet Artichoke of Schito, Glazed Rock octopus, Gragnano Spaghetti with Yellow Tomatoes, and Red Praws Rigatoni, as well as, Vesuvius Annurche Apple Pie with Salted Caramel Ice Cream. 

Inspired by the beauty of the coastline

“I’m happy to return home and to be able to start this new journey in the land where I was born and where my great passion for cooking blossomed,” declares the new executive chef.  “At the Caruso my creativity will find new forms of inspiration; the beauty suspended between sky, sea and nature will be translated into flavours and an expression of soulful emotions.”

Ravello is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Ravello is one of the prettiest towns on the Amalfi Coast. Perched high up on the cliffs overlooking the Bay of Salerno it has truly breathtaking views, and its air of laid-back glamour and sophistication makes is a popular tourist destination. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

  

Fiocco di Neve Relais and Spa in Limone in Piedmont joins the Autentico Hotels group and sister properties Castel Fragsburg in Merano, Faloria Mountain Spa Resort in Cortina and Mont Blanc Relais & Spa a few steps from Courmayeur.

This is the first 5-star luxury hotel in Limone, Piedmont and the only 5-star in the entire province of Cuneo. A Piedmontese family with roots in this valley took the hotel over in 2017, and a recent restyling has involved the expansion of the Relais, adding two new suites and  bringing the total number of rooms to 14, all furnished in a romantic style.

Shuttles to the lifts and chairlifts

"The renovation project began about five years ago – explains hotel manager, Luigi Aprea - and particular attention was paid to the spa. This recreates authentic mountain scenery with natural colours and materials, and our services include the shuttle to the lifts and chairlifts, and gourmet cuisine with breakfasts prepared with quality local ingredients. Among the most recent additions is the White Lounge Bar adjacent to the hotel, now a glam location included in the Michelin guide, that hosts themed evenings and live music.”

“We have a passion for the true essence of luxury”

“We are pleased to welcome Fiocco di Neve Relais & Spa to our exclusive club - adds Beatriz Gimeno, Sales Development and Co-founder of Autentico Hospitality - it fully embraces our passion for family-run properties and our attitude towards the art of hospitality: the true essence of luxury.” 

Limone is a glamorous winter resort town in the Maritime Alps in Italy’s Piedmont region, and is just an hour and a half from the city of Turin, and easily reachable from the Ligurian Riviera, the Principality of Monaco and the French Côte d’Azur.

The Deutsche Hospitality group is making its debut in Rome. The German company, formerly known as Steigenberger and now owned by the Chinese Huazhu, will open a hotel, branded as an IntercityHotel, at Rome’s Tiburtina station. The property will have 310 keys, a restaurant, a bar and six conference rooms.

Developed on an area purchased from the Fs Italiane Group

This operation is possible thanks to an agreement signed last week by Fs Sistemi Urbani (Fs Italiane Group), on behalf of Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, Roma Capitale, and Progetto Tiburtina, of the Mtk group. The latter had purchased the plot for development, called C1 in July 2020, from Fs Sistemi Urbani for about €13 million. The Austrian Mtk Group already has properties in Italy having developed four accommodation facilities in via Ca' Marcello in Mestre, close to Venice.

Rome’s Tiburtina Station is linked to the underground and to Fiumicino Airport 

The Tiburtina railway station is the second most important in Rome, and many Trenitalia high-speed and Intercity trains use it, as does Italy’s second rail operator Italo. The station is not as central as the main Termini Station, but it is on the metropolitan Line B, and also on the line for the urban trains that go to Fiumicino International Airport.  

Oscar Wilde famously said “Let me be surrounded by luxury, I can do without the necessities.” But what kind of luxury will high-net-worth individual travellers be looking for post-Covid?  And which, if any, necessities will they be willing to do without?

With the industry champing at the bit, and luxury travel predicted to be a frontrunner in 2022, one US agent says ultraluxe holiday weeks are running into the $100,000s. “Ultraluxe is most easily defined as exclusive use. Think private jets and private islands, and a lot of navel-gazing.”

A recent Marriott survey revealed that 75% of upmarket travellers say that "luxury has a different meaning today than it did to my parents' generation.” Which means they want to spend for experiences that let them learn something new, implying a shift from “what I can buy or do" to "who I can be.”

So high-end travellers are looking beyond mere comfort and pampering for holidays that allow them to “be themselves”. And with many of them changing their bucket lists into do-now lists, the luxury hospitality brands need to rethink their mindsets. Those that do so fast, offering guests opportunities to live up to their aspirations of self-actualization and mindful travel, will find themselves with a whopping competitive advantage in the fast-changing world of luxury and ultraluxe travel.

Pamela McCourt Francescone
Executive Editor

Lefay Resorts & Residences group is one of the 131 Top Employers Italia certified companies for 2022. This certification is issued following a process of analysis and evaluation of HR policies and strategies based on objective data and documentation.

HR policies and strategies are examined and analyzed in six areas covering twenty topics, and over 400 best practices, and only after an internal validation and an external audit, can companies that meet the required standards and quality levels obtain the Top Employers certification. 

“People are the real key to success”

“It is a great honor to be recognized as one of the best Italian companies for the management of human resources by the Top Employers Institute - comments Lefay’s CEO, Liliana Leali - we strongly believe that people are the real key to success, and that is why their satisfaction and well-being have always been among our main objectives.”

The Lefay Resort & Spa Lago di Garda has won 70 awards

The Lefay Resorts & Residences Group was founded in 2006 by entrepreneurs Domenico Alcide and Liliana Leali with the aim of becoming the number one Italian brand in the international luxury wellness holiday market for Italian lifestyle eco-resorts. The first jewel of the collection, Lefay Resort & Spa Lago di Garda, in Gargnano opened in 2008, and has won over 70 awards internationally, positioning itself among the best spa destinations in the world. 

The group is also developing its overseas portfolio

The Lefay Resort & Spa Dolomiti opened in Pinzolo in 2019, and has already  received 15 international awards. Consistent with the values ​​of well-being and sustainability, both are totally carbon neutral. In 2018 the company entered a new sector with the Lefay Wellness Residences at Lefay Resort & Spa Dolomiti and a third property will be located in Tuscany, which is one of the most evocative and sought-after areas of Italy. The Lefay Resorts & Residences Group is also developing its overseas portfolio.