Palazzo di Varignana‘s new Il Grifone fine dining restauranti is a journey in time and space. In an historical 18th-century Bologna mansion the experience of the senses awaiting at table has been created by Executive Chef Davide Rialti together with Chef de Cuisine Francesco Manograsso. 

A choice of three dining venues

Set between the rolling hills of the central Italian Emilian region and the sea of the neighbouring Romagna, the menus at Il Grifone are an ideal blend of these two elements, with creations based on meat and fish with sweet and flavoursome elements that enhance the perfume of the sea and have a surf-and-turf consistency.  A style of cuisine inspired by the location of Palazzo di Varignana, the fruits of its farmlands and its extra virgin olive oil, all of which can be found in Il Grifone, but also in the oil-specialized contemporary Aurevo Restaurant and in Le Marzoline which is specialized in traditional Emilian cuisine.

Seasonal creations

The vine-covered hills, the herbs from the gardens, forgotten fruits like goji berries and the resort’s home-grown saffron are given a new look, paired with the meat and fish dishes in Il Grifone.  Seasonal dishes like the Tartare con maionese di mais, tartufo nero dell’appennino tosco emiliano e giardiniera di verdure a tartare with mayonnaise made from the corn grown on the estate, blending with the intensity of the black truffles and the vegetables which vary from season to season.  

Four unique dishes

The Chef’s philosophy is best brought to the fore in four dishes:  Anguilla e Alici with eels from the nearby Comachio Valley that are roasted with anchovies that are dry-marinated in sugar and salt on a tomato cream and sweet potatoes; Risotto del Podere Rio Rosso, a risotto with green herb pesto, almond milk and lemon gel, Capocollo di Mora Romagnola, a local cured pork meat with mushrooms, carrots and horseradish and Come un Babà a light sponge imbued with a saffron and peach-flavoured liqueur. 

Discover Lignano Sabbiadoro's sea, art and food with Sea&Taste, a series of excursions and guided tours combining the art and excellence of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Wine and Flavours Trail.  

Walking and cycling tours and food and wine tastings

This is a secret Lignano Sabbiadoro, made of places, sculptures and colours, that deserve to be experienced. Such as the marvellous mosaics that are liberally scattered along the promenade. But Lignano has more to offer: from the guided tours of the Sea & Taste programme that combine walking and cycling tours accompanied by experts, to delicious tastings of the products on the Friuli Venezia Giulia Wine and Flavours Trail.

The villas, mosaics and sculptures of Lignano Pineta 

Guided walking tours on 12, 19, 26 July and 2, 9 and 30 August feature the art forms of the present and the recent past that have made the seaside resort of Lignano Pineta famous. Lignano Pineta’s visionary spiral-shaped plan was designed by architect Marcello D'Olivo and it has pine forests dotted with large villas like the circular-shaped Villa Mainardis, one of the most important 20th-century beachside buildings in the entire Mediterranean. Then there is the Parco del Mare, an open-air urban container of sculptures and installations by leading Italian and international artists.

The streets of history of Lignano  

Walking and cycling routes on 8, 15, 22 July and 5 and 26 August are a way to discover the history and origins of Lignano Sabbiadoro. Accompanied by a guide visit the first wooden bathing establishment, Art Nouveau buildings and various projects and insights that have made this one of the most popular seaside resorts on the Adriatic. Along the itinerary traces of the past are also to be found in the oldest sacred vestiges, such as the little church of Santa Maria del Mare. The tour ends with an aperitif-tasting at one of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Wine and Flavours Trail venues.

Discover the lagoon and Aquileia

These excursions are part of the Sea&Taste programme of activities, which can be viewed online, combining sea-related historical and cultural experiences with the products of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Wine and Flavours Trail. In addition to the new, purely city, excursions Lignano also offers, routes to discover its lagoon, treasures such as Aquileia or some of Trieste's wonders. Prices: €5 for children, €15 for adults. FVG Card holders: 50%.

For more information:  https://www.lignanoholiday.com/it/escursioni-e-natura 

Oriana Suites opens Homel serviced apartments in Turin, a property which has all the comfort of a home and the services of a hotel.

"The term Suites was too inflated, and I could not find a competitor that came close to the even more sophisticated concept of Oriana Suites," explains Domenico D'Oriano, one of the three partners (together with Marco Fogliamanzillo and Pasquale d'Esposito) of the company that manages designer apartments in prestigious historic buildings owned by Reale Immobili. 

Properties in Rome, Verona, Udine and Turin 

The two companies have been actively collaborating since 2015 and in the last seven years have created four prestigious facilities in Rome, Verona, Udine and now Turin.  In the Piedmont capital they have redeveloped a  building built by the aristocratic Costa Carrù family in 1769: an example of continuity between 18th-century classicism and Piedmont neoclassicism. 

Eight residential units and an internal courtyard

The restructuring has transformed what were once old stables and granaries into eight residential units: one, two and three-room apartments with every comfort, bedrooms, living areas with a kitchenette and two bathrooms. The old cellars in the basement are now used as public areas and the internal courtyard was reconstructed using sustainable and eco-friendly materials.

“Oriana is a new concept that involves young people”

"The ribbon cutting of Palazzo Costa Carrù represents a key moment in my entrepreneurial career and in that of my partners - adds d’Esposito. – When we opened the doors of this magnificent building to guests from all over the world, we presented our new concept of hospitality. We have many projects planned for the next few years. Oriana is a new concept, made up of young people who have solid experience in the world of hôtellerie."

Coming in September a new 94-room Unahotels in Trastevere, which is Rome’s bohemian district just across the Tiber river.

Located on the corner of Via Morosini and Via Roma Libera, the new 4-star Unahotels Trastevere Roma will have the character of a large Roman house, and will include six suites.

A rooftop terrace for drinks and dining

The property, which aims at becoming a lively and new addition to the area, will have bright public spaces open also to non-residents, an intimate and cool inner courtyard, and a terrace on the seventh floor where guests can enjoy an aperitif, dine with a view or relax with after-dinner drinks. 

The Po Delta Park is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, a distinctive intertwining of lands and seas, islands, and canals.

It is on a sizable region of some140,000 hectares stretching to Ravenna, and home to pine forests of exceptional beauty as well as salt flats, fresh and brackish water valleys, dunes, and pine forests.

The Po Delta Park is one of the most significant ornithological regions in Europe, providing an environment for over 300 different bird species.

Delta itineraries

The Sacca di Scardovari the largest lagoon in the delta, features a remarkably diverse fauna, and is a popular fishing spot. It is accessible by boat, but the best way to experience the Sacca as a whole is to cycle along the picturesque embankment road that circles the entire island. Bicyclists can rent bicycles right in the hamlet and get directions to any of the numerous pathways that meander through banks and dunes. These comprise the 70- km ring road around Donzella Island, touching on the Sacca di Scardovari and starting at Porto Tolle-Cà Tiepolo.

A new indoor riding facility

Exploring the Po Park by horseback is an exhilarating experience. Horse lovers will find the Villaggio Barricata to be the ideal vacation spot. They can even bring their own horses to the Ranch del Mare, and when the weather is less than ideal they can use the brand-new indoor riding school.

The blue of the sea, the purple of lavender

With the deep blue sea and the lavender fields' vibrant purple hues, a trip to the Sacca di Scardovari lagoon is the ideal spot for breathtaking photographs as well as leisurely walks. The 12-hectare Barricata Holiday Village is between two stunning beaches: the one-kilometer Spiaggia delle Conchiglie private beach, and the 12-kilometer Spiaggia Barricata. The village's two beaches have each been awarded the coveted blue flag. The minimum stay is two nights with a four-person minimum, and rates start at €135 for a lodge tent and €205 for a luxury tent.

A wide range of services

All village amenities are included in the offers, including access to the Water Park with kid-friendly pools, a whirlpool, daytime and evening entertainment, a mini and junior club, a gym, soccer fields, tennis, archery, beach volleyball, group sports courses, free WI-FI in public areas, and 24-hour security. www.villaggiobarricata.com

The new Passalacqua Hotel is a super-luxury property on the shores of Lake Como. Designed by Paolo, Antonella and Valentina De Santis, former owners of the Grand Hotel Tremezzo, it opened its doors at the beginning of June after a lengthy restoration. 

The former home of Vincenzo Bellini 

Built in Moltrasio on Lake Como, on land originally owned by Pope Innocent XI, Villa Passalacqua was designed at the end of the 18th century, and became a meeting place for VIPs of the day, including Napoleon Bonaparte and Winston Churchill. In 1829 Vincenzo Bellini made it his home, and it is here that he composed two of his most famous operas: Norma and La Sonnambula.

Suites with frescoes, exposed beams and damask walls

Today the Passalacqua has reopened with 24 suites in three different buildings. The main residence, the Villa, has 12 suites that celebrate the opulence of Italian history with original frescoes, stuccowork and decorations. The eight suites in the Palazz are homely and refined, with centuries-old exposed beams and hand-painted damask walls.

Barbara Sturm treatments in the Spa

Just a few steps from the water, the Casa al Lago is ideal for exclusive use and has four suites, each with a private garden and lake views. The Palazz also houses the spa, which has a range of exclusive Barbara Sturm treatments, two massage rooms, an oriental-inspired relaxation area, and a wet area in the underground tunnel.

A swimming pool and solarium 

A 20-metre swimming pool was built during the renovations on the historic gardens. The solarium surrounding it and the lounge area created within the ancient Winter Garden were designed in collaboration with Jj Martin and are a meditative area and the perfect setting for morning yoga sessions.

Traditional cuisine from Chef Mauro Verza

There is also a gym in the olive grove, a clay tennis court with panoramic lake views and an outdoor cinema. Guests can also set sail from the pier on two of the family’s boats. The culinary offer, inspired by the simplest Italian traditions and based on fresh ingredients from the garden, is from Executive Chef Mauro Verza who has 25 years of experience helming kitchens for some of the most prestigious families in Milan.

In the annual Pambianco rankings Voihotels stays on top, but many changes have been wrought by the pandemic. In addition to having a significant impact on accounts it totally upset the balance of the Italian hotel industry. 

A changing picture year on year 

The ranking of Italian hotel groups was so deeply influenced by the crisis, that what emerged was a completely different and changing picture year on year. It happened in 2020 and it happened again in 2021. According to the Pambianco analysis, the top ten Italian hotel groups closed last year with an overall turnover that was 38% lower than in 2019: certainly not a positive picture, albeit a clear improvement compared to the -65% of 2020.

Alpitour’s Voihotels comes out top

In terms of ranking the only certainty seems to be Voihotels, the hotel brand of the Alpitour group, which maintained its top position with a total of €81 million (-25% compared to 2019). In second place is Starhotels with €75 million. In third place, Sardegna Resorts the hotel company of Smeralda Holding, which manages the most important properties on Sardinia’s fabled Costa Smeralda, which posted €73 million (-17% on 2019).

Losses for all groups

In fourth place is Bluserena (based in Italy, the company is now controlled by the Spanish fund Azora, ed), with €69 million (-13%), followed by the Una Group (€67 million; -48%), by Hotelturist (The Resorts: €62 million; -35%) and Aeroviaggi (Mangia's: €59 million; -32%). In eighth place is Delphina (€50 million; -31%), in ninth Blu Hotels (€45 million; -31%) and finally in tenth place is Villa d’Este (€35 million; -36%).

 

The new Wellness Sanctuary spa in the 5-star Fontanelle Estate Country Resort, thanks to a major renovation completed last March, is on the Bolfo family's country resort in the heart of the Chianti Classico region.

 

The complex also includes the Villa il Mandorlo and the Vallepicciola Winery.

The new spa is a true holistic centre, inspired by Asian wellbeing rituals while enhancing the officinal tradition and healing elements typical of Tuscany and Chianti, which include programmes with clays and Volterra’s salt.

Customized wellness pacakges

The new wellness centre complements the 5-star resort as an effective tool for physical and mental regeneration, with the wellness experience aiming to be innovative and contemporary. Guests can enjoy the customized packages that include sessions on meditation paths, in the swimming pools, yoga lessons and forest immersions in the surrounding natural environs. 

A range of healing techniques

The Club House also has a range of healing techniques from energy balancing to reiki, to craniosacral therapy. All under the guidance of wellness manager, Maria Kalogeraki, and wellness curator, Isabella Matrundola.

Ca' del Moro Wine Retreat, for luxury rural wine-themed holidays, is in an ancient hamlet and part of the La Collina dei Ciliegi winery on the sloping hills of the Valpantena valley, half an hour from Verona. 

The old stables and barn have been turned into six contemporary suites, named for the fine wines produced on the estate. Styled in white and grey tones, the suites have old wooden-beamed ceilings, linen fabrics and well-appointed heated stone bathrooms.

Wine parings and local delicacies

The restaurant – on the large outdoor terrace throughout the summer but not only, as this part of Italy can get wonderfully sunny and surprisingly mild days at any time of year – has seasonal menus of local specialties including cured meats, pork, beef, pigeon, and local cheeses. And the Chef’s expertly and imaginatively created wine pairings feature some of the Veneto region’s greatest wines. 

Wine weekends and guided bike and walking tours

Wine lovers will not want to miss an Amarone Weekend dedicated to one of Italy’s supreme wines, with two nights in a suite, a Collezione Classica tasting menu and time to discover the valley on horseback. The property also organizes guided excursions on e-bike and on walking trails through woodlands, meadows and vineyards, reaching the valley’s higher slopes towards the Lessini preAlps, where the prized red marble of Verona is quarried. 

Glamping, but also shopping and music

For guests who prefer to sleep in close symbiosis with nature there is a luxury glamping tent (more are on the way) with a double bed, a bathroom and views over the vineyards and the valley. This is a glamorous way for nature lovers to blend eco-friendly holidays with sophisticated comfort, and for those who need a top-up of culture and retail adrenalin Verona is just down the road.  This handsome old town has lively shopping streets and the ancient Roman Arena amphitheatre with one of the world’s gretest summer opera festivals. It also packs in the crowds - it can hold 22,000 spectators – for mega concerts with big bands and celebrity performers.