Mariott’s Edition brand is to open on Lake Como. The official confirmation has arrived following the  signing of the agreement with the property, represented by Bain Capital and Omnam Group, through a fund managed by the asset management company Ktyalos sgr. 

The hotel will have 145 rooms and two penthouses

The Lake Como Edition is expected to open in 2025, following the restyling and repositioning of the former 5-star Britannia Excelsior. The new property will have 145 keys, including two penthouse suites, a lobby bar, a floating swimming pool and several restaurants and bars overlooking Lake Como

A €175,000 investment per room

The Britannia Excelsior is the first transaction of the joint venture between the Omnam Group and Bain Capital which acquired the asset last October, for an estimated €50 million, or approximately €175,000 per room. The original property boasted a total of 285 keys, including flats located in a building adjacent to the main body of the hotel.

Editions also for Rome and Milan

Edition's pipeline in Italy also includes the opening of a 95-room hotel in Rome, as well as another 116-room property in Milan. On the other hand, the Omnam group is actively involved in several other 5-star developments, including the W Roma (recently opened), the Four Seasons Puglia (Costa Merlata) and Baccarat Firenze (Villa Camerata).

There’s a lot of euphoria in the air. At least for Italian luxury hospitality, as was the mood a few days ago at the Luxury Hospitality Conference in the Lh Collection Milano Citylife. The event, organized by Teamwork in collaboration with HotelMyPassion, was an opportunity to take stock of the situation.

And the enthusiasm was such that some, like Valentina De Santis, CEO of the Grand Hotel Tremezzo, went so far as to say that “in luxury, demand always equals, if not exceeds supply. Even in 2020 (the worst year of the pandemic crisis, Ed.) the demand was exceptional. When one door closes, another one opens.”

A question of luck? Perhaps. Certainly Lake Como where the Grand Hotel Tremezzo is located is privileged, not least for its proximity to important European markets. But the feeling, or rather the certainty, is that the luxury market has bounced back stronger than ever. “Let's enjoy the moment,” said Ezio Indiani, general manager of the Principe di Savoia in Milan.

And the moment is indeed special. Not just because “rates have risen across the board,” but because demand has proved completely insensitive to price, said R Collection Hotels’ brand director Ludovica Rocchi. Not even the soaring energy costs are frightening hoteliers "because there is still room to hike rates," said Lario Hotels’ CEO Luigi Passera. 

Fears that this is just a temporary rebound, a reaction after two years of Covid, do not seem to be dampening the spirits of the luxury players. Could we be rudely awakened from this lovely dream?  Perhaps. But it is also true that luxury has always shown great resilience. So after two terrible years we really need a little carefree optimism. And it’s contagious!

Massimiliano Sarti
Journalist

The Excelsior in Venice is now 100% owned by London & Regional Hotels, and Coima is to relaunch the Des Bains.

In fact asset management company Coima has sold the Excelsior on behalf of the Lido di Venezia II fund, to the English hotel company L + R. The transaction also concerns some ancillary assets, including beach concessions. It also guarantees, among other things, the repayment of 100% of the original loan from Intesa San Paolo and Unicredit for €92 million, with a reduction of approximately 70% of the total original debt of the Lido di Venezia II fund.

A restyling for the Des Bains 

As part of the transaction, London & Regional Hotels has made additional resources available for the restructuring of the original Des Bains loans, favouring the related enhancement plan. With the Des Bains debt restructuring Coima hopes the banks will be able to give the go-ahead to the recapitalization plan for a total of 150 million, which is aimed at restyling the Des Bains.

Two historical Venetian properties 

"The agreement - explains a note from Coima – is a significant milestone in the financial restructuring of the Lido di Venezia II fund. Having taken over the management of the fund on 30 January 2015 at the request of the shareholders and the banks, with the fiduciary assignment to restructure the critical financial situation generated by the previous management, we had to face a legacy of financial debt that to date amounts to approximately €137 million, of which 92 million for the Excelsior hotel and ancillary assets, and 45 million for the Des Bains complex.”

La Gemma is the name of the new 5-star hotel in the Monge group's building in Florence which was previously the Zara department store.

The property will be managed by a group of Italian entrepreneurs identified by the city brokerage agency Sviluppo 23, which oversaw the project's development together with the Milanese Postology.

A blend of hospitality and retail 

The hotel will take over the first through fifth floors, as well as the basement, and will have 45 rooms, a bistro, a restaurant run by a star chef, a sauna, hammam, treatment rooms, and a swimming pool. Two retail spaces for the Marciano Guess and Foot Locker brands will open on the ground floor.

Italy’s first Auberge Collection 

In addition to La Gamma another three 5-star hotels are set to open in Florence, with a total of 282 rooms. The W Florence (120 rooms) in the former Grand Hotel Majestic, and the Collegio alle Querce (82 rooms) are scheduled to open by 2023, making this Italy's first Auberge Collection property. Then the Baccarat Villa Camerata is planned for 2024 together with the development of an 80-room urban resort in collaboration with the Omnam Group. With the Baccarat opening the Sh Hotels & Resorts Group makes its debut in Italy.

A flood of new openings and rebrandings 

The many other  chain hotels with reopenings or rebrandings in the works are the Student Hotel Belfiore (652 rooms), the Radisson Blu Hotel Florence - Conference Florentia Hotel (4 stars with 329 rooms), Ao Florence (2 stars with 140 rooms), Indigo Florence, Firenze Anglo American Hotel Curio Collection (4 stars with 115 rooms), Ruby Hotel Florence (4 stars with 118 rooms), The Hoxton Florence (the second property for the brand in Italy), and the Wyndam Florence (4 stars with 94 rooms).

The highlights at Therasia Resort Sea & Spa on the Sicilian island of Vulcano include a new lobby and a new beach club on the Sabbie Nere beach.

Then there are the two new menus created by Chef Giuseppe Biuso at his Michelin-star restaurant il Cappero, and the exciting vegetarian experiments by Chef Davide Guidara at I Tenerumi.   

Walks along the shoreline

In addition to the infinity pool, which has views of the entire archipelago, and the two seawater pools for thalassotherapy with views of the islands of Panarea and Stromboli, the Beach Club on the Sabbie Nere black sand beach opened in June. With reserved cabanas and chaise lounges a few metres from the resort, it is connected by a private shuttle. The views include the nearby islands of Alicudi and Filicudi, and guests love to walk along the shoreline, and delight in the culinary delicacies in the hotel’s Grusoni restaurant.

A gastronomic journey

In the new lobby architectural vaults frame large windows, bringing the sea and its colours inside the resort, while the two new tasting menus in the Il Cappero restaurant take guests on a gastronomic journey through the  flavours and perfumes of Sicilian traditions. Created by   Chef Biuso these dishes with their contemporary style, reveal the thousand nuances of the island that has seen dozens of different cultures and peoples cross it down the centuries.

Nuances of the gustatory spectrum

The I Tenerumi is the destination's first vegetarian restaurant. With this addition more emphasis is placed on a journey that has been ongoing for several years, and has led to the new 13-course tasting menu. Here there is no doubt that a vegetable-based cuisine can run the gamut of the gustatory spectrum thanks to technique and constant research. 

100% green energy sources

The I Tenerumi's relationship with nature is two-fold and is based on a sustainable approach thanks to the protection of biodiversity and the use of raw materials grown in the organic garden, which has recently been expanded with new varieties, as well as to using 100% green energy sources.

Planning sustainable growth will be the leitmotif of the 4th edition of the Italian Hospitality Investment Conference (Ithic), with sustainability the key word at the event to be held in Rimini on 10 and 11 October.

Real estate and finance are big players

Experts and professionals from the real estate and financial sectors will meet with hospitality leaders from ten different countries from 10 to 11 October at the Grand Hotel and Palacongressi in Rimini. They will discuss how to choose and build a path for growth and sustainable development in hospitality from an environmental, social, and financial perspective. Organized by Teamwork Hospitality, under the technical-scientific direction of the consulting firm Thrends, Ithic is a unique B2B event aimed at hotel groups, investment funds, banks, real estate developers, consulting firms, law firms, and sector operators. 

Looking at the outlook for the market in the post-Covid era

The presence of a select group of 700 delegates will offer valuable opportunities for meeting and making new contacts, and at the same time will be a chance to renew relations with the professional world of operators. Major issues will be on the table such as hotel development over the next two years, financing for urban redevelopment projects, the search for margins in leisure and business, and the outlook for the market in the post-Covid era.

Many leading global CEOs will speak

Among the prominent names that have already confirmed their presence on the Ithic stage will be Sebastien Bazin, CEO of Accor, Ramon Aragones, CEO of Nh Hotel Group, Josh Littman, Vice President of Sh Hotels & Resorts, Timo Gruenert, CEO of Oetker Collection, Corrado Passera, founder & CEO of illimity Bank, as well as representatives from Blackstone, Azora, Bank of America, Boscalt, Cerberus, Kkr, Stoneweg and Goldman Sachs.

Government agencies will interact with international investors

The 2022 edition of Ithic will also be a showcase of investment proposals and opportunities specifically designed for public institutions. Government agencies and public institutions will in fact have the opportunity to promote their investments and present their asset enhancement projects to an audience of international investors.

The Palazzo Gatto Art Hotel & Spa in Trapani was recently renovated by its owner Salvatore Imbordino.

Following the skilled restoration, this 18th-century historic building aspires to be a place where art and tradition, contemporary hospitality and a warm welcome combine and delight guests.

Inspired by age-old Sicilian traditions

The 19 rooms are divided into superior, deluxe, family suite, exclusive, and royal categories, and the decorative and aesthetic elements are inspired by age-old Sicilian traditions. There is also a cellar with a sommelier, and a roof lounge with bar service, a relaxation area with hydromassage, and an exclusive space for private events. The spa has a sauna, steam bath, and emotional shower, as well as a hydromassage and salt room.

Respectful of its origins

“We hired the Simone Micheli architectural studio for the restyling and they gave us a contemporary style that  respects the property’s origins,- says owner Imbordino. - Our hotel stands out in a destination that is enjoying a booming tourist season.”

A new Vinum Spa has opened in the Castello di Spessa Golf Wine Resort & Spa in Capriva del Friuli. Housed in the property's ancient stables, the new wellness area includes two swimming pools, a jacuzzi and a whirlpool.

A spa based on grapes and wine

Everything in the spa leads back to grapes and wine: the frescoes on the walls, the large vats for wine therapy, the massages with hot stones, the names of the treatments, the essences with aromas of grapes. Even the beneficial herbal teas made from vine leaves and the purifying grape juice, and the treatments use natural cosmetics with grape and vine extracts created specifically for Castello di Spessa. 

Vats for wine baths

On the ground floor the wellness journey begins with a large Finnish sauna with a tiled stove, a Turkish bath, chromotherapy showers, a Kneipp path with Soča stones, an ice waterfall, and a cuite privé with vats for wine baths. Here there is also a swimming pool with a whirlpool, and a relaxation area with a herbal tearoom with large windows overlooking the hills. 

VinumTherapia treatments 

On the first floor there are areas for massages and the VinumTherapia area which is the beating heart of the spa. Here the wine therapy is declined in all its facets, starting from the panoramic I Tini Suite with chromotherapy hydro-massages in large vats, and continuing to the room for VinumTherapia where, after a bath in wine, you receive treatments on beds made from grapes, with cosmetics produced from the processing of grapes from the castle. Finally, you can relax, sipping a glass of wine, in the Le Botti room with furnishings made from repurposed barrels.

“In wine there is joy, health and beauty”

In the outdoor area there is another Finnish sauna, a swimming pool, canopy beds, a circular whirlpool with a view, and the pool bar. "This multisensory experience allows you to discover the most authentic and profound spirit of our area and the extraordinary Collio Hills - says Loretto Pali, owner of the resort - in wine there is joy, health and beauty. "

Consultants Thrends say hotel chains are expanding in Italy, with the focus on Rome, and that Italy had 31 chain entries and exits in the first half of this year. 

This was revealed by the quarterly Chains Monitor Italy report, produced by the Rimini-based consulting firm. There were 102 hotels branded in the January-June period of this year, and of these 67% were upscale. However some 71 hotels ceased their affiliation with a chain during the same semester, mostly from the upscale segment (76%), as well as from domestic brands (66%).

158 new properties are coming on line in the next three years

From 2022 to 2025 the development and affiliation of 158 hotels is planned, and of these 73.4% will belong to international groups. Among the new openings in the pipeline, five hotels will belong to the budget segment, 13 to midscale, 72 to upscale and 63 to luxury. Some 26.6% of the new products are hotels that will become part of a domestic chain, while the remaining 73.4% will be linked to international brands: 26.6% American, 12.7% French. and 6.3% British.

Rome will get the lion’s share

The regions that will see the greatest number of new openings are Lazio (22.8%), Lombardy (20.3%), Veneto (15.2%) and Tuscany (10.1%). The top five destinations, by volume of hotels in the pipeline, are Rome (21.5%), Milan (12.7%), Venice (9.5%), Florence (5.1%) and Naples (3.2%). With regard to the type of destination, 39% of the hotels will be located in Italy’s art cities, 20% in business destinations, 11% in beach areas and 8% in leisure venues.

Gianrico Esposito is the new general manager of the Luxury Collection’s Excelsior Gallia in Milan. Born in Naples, Esposito has more than 40 years experience in luxury hospitality, having started in Sardinia in 1977, then moving on o Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ legendary Danieli in Venice as front office manager and more recently as general manager there (his last post before returning to the Gallia. Ed).  

Esposito opened the Westin in Doha

Esposito also worked extensively with Marriott International, from the Westin Palace in Milan and The Westin Europa & Regina in Venice to the Sheraton Milan Malpensa Airport Hotel & Conference Centre (which he opened in 2010) to the Excelsior Gallia where he is now general manager. In 2014 he moved to Qatar for the opening of the Westin Doha Hotel & Spa making this property one of the most sought-after properties on the market.

“My team and I always put the customer first” 

 “I am happy and honoured to be back in Milan and to have the opportunity to return to confront a reality like the Excelsior Gallia, which is a benchmark for international luxury hospitality – says Esposito -. My team and I always put the customer first, be it in the gourmet Terrazza Gallia restaurant, or the wellness spa.  The one thing that will not change is the timeless beauty of a place that is like a home away from home while enchanting guests with its unique charm.”