This has not been a summer to remember. At least not the way many expected after a sparkling start to the year. Inflation, the heat and the flooding in Romagna weighed particularly heavily on the final balance. That said, it wasn’t a total disaster, thanks chiefly to the substantial resurgence in international interest that packed the streets of our art cities. This is the initial evaluation of the high season from Assohotel Confersercenti on a survey by Florence’s Tourism Studies Centre and a sample of 1,449 hoteliers.

The negative part, over the same period in 2022, was that domestic demand posted a sharp drop of -5.7%, while foreign visitors increased by 3.6%. So all told, summer 2023 should close with a 1.4% decline in overnight stays. In absolute terms the number of tourists in Italy registered in Italian accommodation facilities were around 50.5 million, for a total of 207 million overnights, which is three million fewer than last year.

There was a sharp drop in the number of visitors to seaside resorts (-3.2%), as well as to rural and hillside areas (-3.1%), but good growth was reported in the art cities (+2.7%). Lake and mountain destinations remained the same, but there was also a decline in spa tourism. The markets that registered significant growth were France, Holland, the US and Poland. There was also a slight increase in arrivals of tourists in Italy from the Czech Republic, Belgium, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Hungary, Spain and the United Kingdom. Tourists from Brazil, Germany, Scandinavia, South Korea and Israel remained stable, while Indian, Austrian, Chinese and Japanese arrivals dwindled.

Massimiliano Sarti
Journalist

The Romeo Collection plans to expands on the Amalfi Coast after its Romeo Rome, scheduled for next October.

The new Romeo Collection, named after the founder of the Neapolitan company, has announced further development with the Romeo Napoli designed by Kenzo Tange, then the Romeo Roma by Zaha Hadid and finally the Romeo Massa Lubrense, designed by Kengo Kuma. Three architectural stars for three different interpretations: from the hi-tech modernism of Tange to the parametric architecture of Zaha Hadid, to the sensitivity of the artefact as a landscape-natural graft from Kuma.

Alfredo Romeo's company will unveil the details of the new Roman property this coming autumn. The hotel will be the result of the conversion of the 16th-century Palazzo Capponi on Via Ripetta. All 74 rooms and suites (some on the mezzanine floor are entirely frescoed) will be custom-made by craftsmen using precious traditional Italian materials.The rooms range in size from an average of 42 sqm to the 155 sqm of the Romeo suites on the top floors with private terraces overlooking the rooftops of Rome, as well as a Turkish bath, emotional shower, sauna, vitamin C shower and state-of-the-art facilities.

The Alain Ducasse Restaurant, with the world's most starred chef, will feature a show kitchen with sculptural works by Zaha Hadid. Il Napoletano, on the other hand, will allow an exploration of Neapolitan traditions and a rediscovery of authentic flavours with a twist of innovation. Another culinary option will be the pizzeria located in the Courtyard, with lava stone flooring, amidst sculptural works by Marc Kostabi and Christian Leperino. In the Terrazzino, an outdoor space on the first floor, a wall-mounted work by Ugo Nespolo reinterpreting Piazza del Popolo provides a backdrop for events, presentations and a lounge bar. Finally, the Sisley Paris Spa located on the ground floor adjoining the fitness centre, all by Technogym, will provide the opportunity to be pampered with special treatments, as well as offering a relaxation area with Sicilian rock salt walls and an indoor pool with a screen positioned in the back wall that will host video art. The spa will also feature a Finnish sauna, an emotional shower and a Turkish bath.

While hotel investments are slowing down, the post-Covid tourism recovery is proceeding at a pace exceeding all expectations: an apparent paradox that can be explained by the simultaneous rise in inflation, which pushes up interest rates, convincing investors to adopt a wait-and-see attitude. But a reversal seems to be looming.  

And it could be brought about by another apparent paradox: the global economic slowdown predicted by many analysts (-0.4% and -0.3% are the estimates for the fourth quarter in the US and the eurozone, according to an Anima sgr processing of Haver Analytics data. Ed.) 

"The big surprise of 2022 was the sustained growth of the economy, especially in Italy,- says Fabio Fois, head of investment research at Anima. – This was unexpected but certainly positive, though it clearly left the central banks alone to fight rising inflation. And so interest rates inevitably went up.” This means that a moderate slowdown could actually be good news for real estate investments, hotel transactions included, as it could stop inflation from getting out of hand and help bring credit costs down to acceptable levels for transactions that often require significant amounts of leverage.

“In both the US and Europe,- warns Fois,  - asset price growth indices have already retraced to pre-Covid levels, though there is still pressure on service prices despite falling energy costs.”

An eventual economic slowdown, he added, would wipe out the empathy factor that is preventing inflation from falling at the desired pace.

The Bwh Group is back to 2019 levels and is focusing on developing resorts and leisure destinations, International visitors were 45% of the total 4.2 million overnights.

The Group posted €320 million in revenue, generated by more than 4.2 million overnights (approximately 2.9 million room nights) with international guests accounting for 45% of the total. Figures further improved in the first two months of 2023, when hotel revenues were 29% higher than in 2019, thanks to the rise in rates. Florence and central Italy, Naples, Rome and seaside destinations performed particularly well at over +40%.

“On average international guests have higher budgets and are prone to longer stays”

The group's 2023 strategic plan starts with increasing the international demand - “on average international guests have higher budgets and are prone to longer stays” - and at growing the company's Italian leisure and resort destinations,” said new CEO Sara Digiesi. 129 of the 170 Italian hotels are in primary or secondary city locations, and the aim is to provide tailor-made services that are different from urban hotels in order to compete with markets such as Spain and the Adriatic countries. 

Sustainability will play a crucial role

“We need to reposition the product and boost the quality of the services.” The new Bwh strategy will also address customer journeys, with ad hoc proposals before, during, and after the stay. Sustainability will also play a crucial role, adopting an international index for measuring harmful emissions.

The Kleos Hotel Group has launched its first property in Milan. 

Introducing the club deal to Italy

Uturn Investments has acquired 48.5%, foundation of this new hotel project. The independent family office, founded in Verona by Gianpiero Peron, Luca Mongodi, and Alberto Nicoli, will act as the lead investor in a club deal aimed at creating something new for the Italian hospitality sector. Club deals are essentially groups of private investors who come together to invest in a company, coordinated by a financial operator.

The hotel is in a central area with access to Linate Airport

The Group’s debut hotel is situated in the Piazzale Susa area, close to the Blue subway line, which connects the property to Linate Airport and, once completed, to the city center. It has 55 recently renovated rooms with a focus on business travelers while also catering to the leisure market, with particular attention given to families. The hotel also has a gym with Technogym equipment, a business area accessible to all guests, and a lounge.

“We aim to establish a new benchmark for high-quality Italian tourism”

The club deal was launched by prominent Venetian families (Giuriati, Camuffo, Pittarello, Lazzarini, and Sabattini) and coordinated by Filippo Fornasiero of the Baracco Fornasiero Studio. The Kleos Hotel Group aims to open new properties in other leisure cities such as Venice, Cortina, and Verona.  “We are pleased to enter the hotel industry through this operation, a strategic sector for the Italian economy with great development potential,- says Peron. -. With Kleos Hotel Group, we aim to establish a new benchmark for high-quality Italian tourism, fostering growth to solidify the group's position in Italy.”

“We prioritize the well-being of our guests”

Andrea Andreani, chief operating officer of Kleos and former operating director of Salute Hospitality Group (Shg), explains, “Our mission goes beyond providing mere accommodation.  We prioritise the well-being of our guests, a passion for hospitality, gourmet cuisine, and an emphasis on wellness.” 

The Ortea Palace in Syracuse has joined the Autograph Collection and thus becomes the first Sicilian property of the Marriott soft brand.

Russotti Gestioni is the largest Marriott franchisee in Italy

This comes just a few weeks before the debut of the refurbished Mangia's Brucoli. The property is operated by Russotti Gestioni, the largest Marriott franchisee in Italy.

A Mediterranean restaurant and an indoor pool

Located in the historic centre of Siracusa, on the island of Ortigia, the Ortea Palace, Autograph Collection was converted the city's former post office and has 75 rooms and suites. The Courtyard Restaurant serves Mediterranean cuisine, while traditional Italian recipes can be enjoyed on the rooftop lounge. The hotel also has a fitness centre and a spa with an indoor pool and five events spaces.

Due open in 2025, the third 5-star property of the LarioHotels' brand, the Vista Ostuni, will open in 2025

The hotel will have 30 rooms, a pool, spa and beauty centre

The LarioHotels Group is owned by the Passera family. Just a few kilometers from the beaches of the Itria Valley, the property spans over 6,000 sqm and will have some 30 spacious rooms and a range of dining options. The outdoor area, with over 16,000 sqm of Mediterranean gardens will have a magnificent swimming pool with breathtaking views of the city and the sea. There will be an indoor spa as well as a private spa for exclusive use, a beauty center and a state-of-the-art fitness center.

The old property has along and glorious history

The hotel will be in Ostuni’s former Manifattura Tabacchi tobacco factory. From 1300 to 1595 this was a Dominican convent and was subsequently repurposed as a hospital. From 1916 to 1918, it was used as a prison until Giuseppe Cortese acquired it in the early 1920s to expand his tobacco manufacturing business, which permanently closed in 1968. 

“With Vista Ostuni, Vista officially becomes a major player in luxury hospitality on a national scale, - says Luigi Passera, CEO of LarioHotels.  -With the addition of Ostuni, our company's turnover will exceed €30 million, and we have a staff of 200. As we have seen in Como and Verona, the Vista model is successful in introducing luxury to areas where it is yet to be established, with boutique hotels that transcend seasonal limitations, offering rates comparable to more renowned cities.”

In all likelihood a Hyatt Group brand will soon be featured on the façade of the former Radisson Blu Es Hotel Rome. 

The 5-star Radisson Es is in Rome’s Termini station area

Located in the Termini Station area, this 232-room five-star hotel was acquired in 2021 by the asset management company InvestiRe sgr, acting on behalf of a fund fully subscribed by London-based investor Blantyre Capital.

Will Hyatt’s Thompson brand debut in central Rome?

According to rumours the consultancy firm Garnet Hospitality Partners, which oversaw the rebranding operation, has identified the Hyatt Group as the next brand with which the structure will be associated. The news comes almost at the same time as that of the Italian debut of Hyatt's new brand, Thompson, which will take over the hotel due to emerge from the conversion of the former Italian communist party headquarters in Rome’s Via delle Botteghe Oscure.

The latest additions to VRetreats' portfolio include five new properties, collectively offering a total of 570 rooms.

Five new VRetreats properties

They are the Roma Hotel in Ortigia, Siracusa; Palazzo Sant'Anna in the heart of Lecce; Cala Cuncheddi in Olbia; the Cervino in the Alps; and the Tornabuoni in Florence. The Roma Hotel, situated in Ortigia, is a historic building dating back to the late 1900s with 40 rooms and suites, a restaurant and a bar. Currently there are plans to renovate the public areas and rooms.

18th-century and contemporary charm

Moving to Southern Italy, Palazzo Sant'Anna in Lecce is a charming hotel with courtyards, gardens, and panoramic terraces. The property, which consists of three original units (two 18th century and one 14th century) has undergone an extensive makeover and now has 16 rooms and suites. In the northeast of Sardinia we find Cala Cuncheddi, a contemporary-style resort with 85 rooms and suites. A seaside retreat  located just a stone's throw away from the beach and with an infinity pool.

VRetreats’ first mountain property

The VRetreats Cervino marks a significant expansion for the brand, which previously focused on city hotels and luxury beach resorts. Situated on the Italian-Swiss border in the Alps, this 5-star opened in October 2021. Boasting 70 rooms and suites, a restaurant serving authentic Aosta Valley cuisine, a versatile event space capable of accommodating up to 300 people, it also has a Wellness by Adara spa.

The Tornabuoni in Florence also joins VRetreats 

The most recent of the five VRetreats to join the collection is the Tornabuoni in Florence. With 62 rooms and suites it has hosted such famous figures as Henry James, the Agnelli family, John Steinbeck, Fredric March, Lord Spencer, and Barbara Bush, among others. Guests can enjoy the terrace with its breath-taking city views, and the property is conveniently close to popular attractions like the Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, Piazza della Repubblica, and the Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral. The Tornabuoni also has two restaurants—one serving eclectic Italian cuisine and the other international favourites, and there is also a café and a wine cellar.