From 3 December to New Year's Eve with more than 150 events in one month, Rimini’s New Year's Eve will be spread across ten locations in the historic center.

The Castle on Fire will enthral young and old

The end-of-year festivities will embrace the heart of Piazza Malatesta, where the extraordinary spectacle of the Castle on Fire will be staged amidst cascades of fire and color. This is the most anticipated moment of the world's longest New Year's Eve programme, illuminated by scenic effects designed to make the Renaissance Castle of Sigismondo Malatesta sparkle in all its splendour.

A colourful musical programme   

To accompany the fire show at the castle, the entire city will be united by a musical programme that will range between all genres and touch all city points. More than 1,000 coloured light effects and synchronised effects are also planned, all in time with the music.

The end-of-year festivities kick off on 3 December

After two years in a minor version due to the pandemic, the city of Rimini will once again throw itself into the end-of-year festivities, focusing on a varied programme of music, DJ sets, lights and culture, and featuring the best artists for a musical New Year's Eve. The World's Longest New Year's Eve lasts for more than a month and begins on Saturday 3 December when the Christmas lights are turned on. Traditional lights, warm white, gold, and red, and a ceiling of stars will illuminate Piazza Cavour, with a large Christmas tree in Piazza Tre Martiri as well as three-dimensional Angels at the Arch of Augustus.

Over 150 traditional and contemporary events

The month-long programme officially begins with the lighting of the Christmas lights and includes more than 150 traditional and contemporary events, with choirs, Christmas concerts, circus shows, dancing, and a city with 400 open hotels and with restaurants, and public establishments in full operation.

For more information www.riminiturismo.it.

Italy is the first country division of the B&B Hotels group to receive ISO 9001:2015 certification.

Certification from a long-standing multinational 

The certification aims at continuously and constantly improving the company's quality management systems in order to optimise the entire organisational structure. The award was given following an audit process conducted by Rina, a certification multinational active in more than 70 countries for over a hundred years.

Verifying all phases of the realization of a service or product

The ISO 9001:2015 certification is given to businesses that guarantee quality management systems such as meeting customer expectations, completing pre-established objectives on time and using appropriate methods, and ensuring the resources required for continuous process improvement. As a result, the end customer can have complete confidence that the services and products introduced to the market exactly correspond to certain specifications and that all phases of their realisation can be traced and verified.

“Italy is, in many ways, the pilot country for this important global project”

“Italy is, in many ways, the pilot country for this important global project,” explains Valerio Duchini, president and CEO of B&B Hotels Italy. “Obtaining, and maintaining this certificate in the future, is an important commitment for us towards our customers, partners, investors and collaborators. They can recognise in us those guarantees of safety, quality, standardisation and reliability that we have been committed to demonstrating every day for years. We are convinced that the quality of hospitality services strongly depends on internal resources, professionalism, training and process optimization. All this, combined with continuous investments in new services, innovation and sustainability.”

Confirming this trend is Civitatis, a Spanish company that recently brought a roadshow to Rome to meet travel agencies and promote b2b affiliations.

“We work with a single supplier, and avoid duplicating our offerings”

Italy is positioned as Civitatis’ second largest market and is the focus of investments for 2023, with the goal of expanding even further.

"We concentrate on the product in the local language, work with a single supplier, and avoid duplicating our offerings. We offer true-and-tried products like tours of the Vatican and art cities, but also unique experiences like hot air balloon rides, tours of small villages and luxury proposals, "explained Veronica De Iscar, Civitatis B2B Sales Director. “We have observed that the post-pandemic traveller has retained his desire for travel and experiences.”

 

A fast growing network with over 5,000 points of sale

The Civitatis agencies in Italy have grown by 27% since 2021, with over 5,000 points of sale through independent travel agencies, networks, and affiliates

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“This is allowing us to effectively expand our presence in Italy and B2B represents an important part of the turnover,” said account manager Angelica Benedetti.

Verbania is a nature paradise with a millenary culture, breathtaking views and trails that can be walked even in late autumn making it a perfect destination for lovers of open-air excursions.  On the western shores of Lake Maggiore, nestled in a romantic hilly landscape, tVerbania is an ideal choice for travellers who enjoy the outdoors, whether at a leisurely pace or taking on more challenging routes.

The Fondo Toce Nature Reserve

The Piedmont shore of Lake Maggiore in the municipality of Verbania is home to the Fondo Toce Special Nature Reserve, which was established in 1990. The exceptional biodiversity of the area is evidenced by the numerous species of amphibians, reptiles, mammals and insects that reside here. The ecosystem also hosts lake fish and birds as well as more than 240 species of flora, and the path through the reserve can be walked in about an hour.

The Verbania Memorial and Peace Park

The Memorial and Peace Park is of great historical interest. Standing on the site where in 1944 the Nazis shot 43 partisans, it includes a monumental area with a tall cross and a long wall engraved with the names of 1,200 partisans. An olive tree symbolizing peace, planted in 2000 by the then Israeli Ambassador, stands near the monumental wall.

Home to the author of Heidi

For those who wish to venture out on hilly trails Verbano has paths leading to Monterosso, making it possible to combine walking with places of historical and environmental interest. One of the routes to the hamlet of Cavandone starts from Suna, a picturesque village on the lake shore with lively murals.  The famous Swiss writer Johanna Spyri, author of Heidi, who set two of her novels here, used to stay in Suna, and in these two novels she celebrated the beauty and uniqueness of Verbano’s landscapes.

Merano's 5-star Villa Eden’s Black Week special offers as the month of December approaches, and with it the Christmas holiday atmosphere and the desire to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

To make the most of the last days before Christmas and the start of a new year, Villa Eden Leading Park Retreat has a special offer for those who wish to relax and enjoy moments of pure wellbeing.

One free night for every three

Up to 12 December you can book a 4-night stay at the 5-star luxury hotel and pay for only 3 nights. Villa Eden is giving away one night to those who book by 12 December. The offer is also valid during the holidays and includes the Italian December national holiday long weekend from 8 to 11 December, thus making it possible to enjoy a short break immersed in a context of evocative natural beauty.

Complimentary €100 spa voucher

Furthermore, with a minimum stay of 4 nights, and departure on Monday 12 December, Villa Eden is offering an additional free gift consisting of a Spa Voucher worth €100. Villa Eden, with its luxurious Spa, is indeed the ideal place to pamper oneself with a range of beauty and medical Spa treatments.

Gourmet dining and precious chilling-out time

With only 29 suites and immersed in a centuries-old park located in the most exclusive residential area of Merano, Villa Eden - a true Leading Hotel of the World – where and for 39 years the Schmid family has been taking care of guests' well-being, is the ideal place to enjoy a stay of utmost tranquility. And the new gourmet restaurant where chef Marcello Corrado awaits you is certainly not to be missed. So from the beautiful panoramic terrace to the Cheminée Lounge Bar and from the wellness centre to the reception area to the gourmet dining rooms and the Mindful Restaurant, this is the perfect choice for anyone looking for a refined environment in which to delight in spa pampering, fine dining and chilling-out time.  

  

In anticipation of the much-anticipated holidays Starhotels is offering some timeless travel ideas for getting into the Christmas spirit in the heart of the most beautiful Italian cities.

The famous Christmas lights on Florence’s Via Tornabuoni

The Helvetia & Bristol Firenze - Starhotels Collezione in Florence, a stone's throw from the famous Via de' Tornabuoni, offers a dream stay in a recently renovated historic 19th-century residence where you can breathe the elegant atmosphere of the Grand Tour. To celebrate in style, the Cibrèo Restaurant & Cocktail Bar has devised two special menus for celebrations aimed at satisfying the most discriminating palates on Christmas Eve and on the last day of the year.

The Grand Hotel Continental Siena is the city’s only 5-star

In addition to experiencing the Roman Baths, the SPA Helvetia & Bristol offers an original menu to start the New Year with new energy. For an even more exclusive New Year's Eve the entire thermal area can be reserved for the most festive night of the year. And while in Tuscany, Siena is another magical place to visit. The Grand Hotel Continental Siena - Starhotels Collezione is the only 5-star hotel in the historic center, just a few steps from Piazza del Campo. For Christmas and New Year's Eve lunch, the Sapordivino restaurant has special bespoke menus accompanied by fine Tuscan wines from the wine cellar, which is in the hotel’s ancient mediaeval tower.

Exclusive views of Milan and its famous cathedral

There is no more central and fascinating location in Milan for those who choose to spend their holidays there than the Rosa Grand Milano - Starhotels Collezione, an iconic hotel in the shadow of the Duomo, in the heart of the fashion and design capital. Christmas lunch at the Sfizio Restaurant has a distinct flavor, and on New Year's Eve the atmosphere comes alive with a Chef's Show Cooking, followed by a DJ set. For an even more exclusive experience and a breathtaking view, stay in the Duomo Luxury Apartments, luxury residences that offer all the comforts of home as well as unique views of the Madonnina statue on top of the cathedral in the Penthouses. For more information, please visit: https://www.starhotels.com/it/egift.html 

A surprise with a strong Argentine flavour awaits passengers departing Rome’s Fiumicino Airport who have access to the Plaza Premium Lounge in the boarding area. 

A menu of Argentine delicacies and fine wines

Until Sunday 11 December passengers will find a selection of traditional Argentinian dishes – from meats to desserts – on the lounge menu, while the Doc Italy Maestri del Gusto Chefs will pay homage to the South American country with some of its most iconic desserts.

A tango performance delighted guests and departing passengers

Present at the inauguration of the Argentinian Gastronomic Week in the Premium Plaza Lounge were the Argentinean Ambassador Roberto Cales together with Alejandro Luppino and Vanesa Di Martino Creide. Together with Ivano Bassato, Aeroporti di Roma’s Chief Aviation Officer they welcomed guests to the event, and a performance of tango by Maestros Leonardo and Cristina Elias from the International CulturTango tango academy in Rome delighted both the guests and departing passengers.  

The ambassador Roberto Cales

"We are proud to welcome guests to this important Argentinian tourist, food and wine promotional event,” said the ambassador Roberto Cales, while Plaza Premium Lounge General Manager Analia Marinoff said that Fiumicino has been their home for the last five years. “We have hosted over 350,000 travellers from all over the world, offering them the utmost comfort and quality food.”

A commitment that was recently awarded the World's Best Independent Lounge at the prestigious Skytrax World Airline Awards 2022. Both Aerolineas Argentinas and ITA Airways operate direct flights from Fiumicino to Buenos Aires’ international Ezeiza Airport.

Luca Pergolizzi is the new director of sales & events at the Grand Hotel Poltu Qualtu. Born in Milazzo in 1982, Pergolizzi joined the Sardinian property’s sales team in 2015, after the San Domenico Palace in Taormina.  Poltu Quatu has just finished its long season. Having opened in April and closed at the beginning of November, it is already preparing for 2023.

"The 2022 season has decreed the success of our destination on the international tourism scene," says Rafael Torres, CEO of Girama Hospitality, which manages the resort. "In these two years we have set up a 360-degree strategy that highlights the possibility of looking beyond the classic tourism dynamics and has allowed us to develop and make this wonderful destination in Sardinia known to guests from all over the world. We are already working for 2023″.

Marcello Cicalò is the new CEO of the Bluserena group. Cicalò brings to the company over twenty years of experience in luxury hospitality - starting his career at Delphina Hotels and Forte Village, and then moving  to the Rome Cavalieri  - and specific expertise in Italy, Europe, countries of the former Soviet Union, the United States and the Gulf States. 

“We share an orientation towards quality, innovation, training and motivation”

"I accepted this new position with enthusiasm and determination. I will bring to it all the skills I have acquired in each of my hotel experiences, together with a great passion for the world of hospitality and teamwork," Cicalò said. "Bluserena represents an innovative and stimulating reality in which I will have the opportunity to develop the vision of Azora European Hotel & Leisure, working in synergy with the entire team, with whom I share a strong orientation towards quality, innovation, training and motivation.

Summer 2021 closed with a 20% rise in turnover

For the immediate future, Cicalò will supervise the renovation projects of the 4-star villages and design the new services included in the investment programme of more than €30 million, allocated in 2021 following the acquisition by Azora European Hotel & Leisure. The expansion and renovation plan focuses on the further development of the company after a successful summer season, which saw pre-pandemic figures exceeded with a total of 1.2 million presences and a 20% increase in turnover. With 2,500 employees and a total accommodation capacity of 4,400 rooms spread across its 13 4- and 5-star villages and resorts, the ongoing investment programme will show its first results at the start of the 2023 season.

Work is underway at the Hilton Rome Eur La Lama, in preparation for its debut in the heart of Rome's EUR business district, the nerve centre for large companies, with bookings currently opening from January 2023.

The hotel will have 439 guestrooms and seven meeting rooms

The futuristic building, an example of architectural mastery is next to the Rome La Nuvola Convention Center. Standing 60 metres tall and spread over 16 floors, it has 439 rooms, 2 restaurants, 2 bars, a gym and 7 meeting rooms.

The Hilton Rome Eur La Lama is easily reached from Fiumicino Airport

This new hotel is aimed at an international public but also at locals, not only as a travel destination for business or pleasure. It will also be ideal for events and meetings thanks to its strategic position which is easily reachable from Fiumicino’s international airport.

This is the third Hilton Icarus property

Hilton Rome Eur La Lama will employ over 200 staff and represents the next chapter in the partnership between Icarus and Hilton, after the Hilton Rome Airport, which opened more than 20 years ago as the first airport hotel in Italy, to which the Hilton Garden Inn Rome Airport was then added in 2016.

The new hotel is owned by ICARUS

The new Hilton Rome Eur La Lama is owned by ICARUS S.p.A. with the engineering studio Reconsult S.r.l in charge of construction management, support for the interior design from Lorenzo Bellini Atelier, and Stile Spa on construction.