Fabilia takes over the Marina Hotel Arizona in Bellaria-Igea Marina on the Adriatic coast Following the announcement a few days ago of the group's first spa hotel in Montegrotto, this is another new entry for the group into the beach resort segment. Subsidiary company Fabilia Jesolo signed the rental contract for the 3-star Arizona in Bellaria-Igea Marina, and the agreement is valid for the 2022 summer season with a discretionary renewal possible for a further year.

Opening on 28 May with 125 rooms

The hotel, which will be named Fabilia Bellaria-Igea Marina, is located in a seafront position a few metres from the beach and near the Italia in Miniatura theme park. The hotel will open on 28 May and has 125 rooms, for a total of 265 beds, as well as a restaurant, swimming pool with water slide, sauna, a large terrace with solarium and indoor parking. It also has areas and equipment for entertaining children and families.

Views of the Republic of San Marino 

Bellaria-Igea Marina is in the centre of the Adriatic Emilia-Romagna Riviera, thirty-five kilometres south of Ravenna and fourteen kilometres north of Rimini. On clear days, Mount Titano on which the Republic of San Marino stands, is clearly visible at a distance of about 40 kilometers.

Blue Flag waters and pedestrian shopping  

Awarded the Blue Flag for environmental quality, this Adriatic seaside resort town is appreciated for its clean waters, well-known hospitality and the quality levels of its accommodation and services. City parks, sports facilities, entertainment and shopping in pedestrian areas, as well as cocktail bars, and restaurants all go to make this a very popular seaside destination. The shallow water and well-equipped beach with its modern services and facilities make it a favourite for families with children.

The National Archaeological Museum of Taranto (MarTa) is the main historical and cultural attraction of southern Italy’s Ionian region. 

Eva Degli InnocentiAttracting some 80,000 visitors a year (40% are international tourists) the Apulian museum has a priceless collection of exhibits and is investing in technology and establishing partnerships with Italian and international tourism players. "Our leadership position - explains director Eva Degli Innocenti - is not only in the guidebooks, but is also passed by digital word of mouth, thus confirming our position of absolute prominence." 

Growing numbers of international visitors 

From foreign markets the museum gets a consistent number of French, Germans, English and Dutch visitors, and there are also arrivals from the United States, Australia, China, Japan and North African countries. The number of visitors from Israel has also grown thanks to an increased awareness of the important Jewish presence in Apulia. "Basically, these arrivals reflect the trends of Apulian tourism - continues Eva Degli Innocenti – our guests are travellers with medium to high cultural levels, they are regular museum-goers and they tend to have high spending power."

Light waves create an innovative augmented reality experience

The MarTa’s 3D virtual tour, connected to a free donation platform, has helped increase visibility internationally, with accesses registered from Peru, Japan and Australia. It was the first museum in Italy to experiment with hi-fi technology, using light waves to create an innovative augmented reality experience. "In addition to improving the visual enjoyment of the works on display – explains Eva Degli Innocenti - this allows visitors to use a bilingual Italian and English geo-referenced app with multiple levels of detail that defines a light path through the 25 main sections of the museum. And we are developing new applications that can also be downloaded and enjoyed remotely."

Co-marketing with industry and arts organizations

In partnership with other local stakeholders, the museum is actively involved in co-marketing activities. Examples are the tourist cards developed with hospitality industry associations and the collaboration with theatres, orchestras and arts organizations like the Taranto Opera Festival and the Valle d'Itria Festival, both of which are in the international spotlight.  

A memorandum of understanding with the WWF

MarTa has also signed a memorandum of understanding with the WWF related to the Palude la Vela protected area in the Mar Piccolo di Taranto lagoon that, among other interesting features, has soft mobility paths for bikers, and facilities for canoeing enthusiasts.

Annual educational and press tours

The museum also has strong ties with organized tourism operators. "Every year we organize educational and press tours. The Martaitinera experiential tours, targeted by activity and spending capacity, can be freely promoted and marketed by travel specialists both in Italy and abroad. We also collaborate with the many tour operators who include our museum on their Matera, Taranto and Lecce itineraries, and we work with the main players in the cruise industry." 

What was previously the Club Med Cristallo will now be the Valtur Cervinia Ski Resort & Spa, with a soft opening planned for next summer. This is a significant step for the Valtur brand, which thus makes its foray into the mountain market with a truly prestigious acquisition.  

A €20-million restyling for the 230 rooms

The resort will be managed by the Nicolaus group brand for ten years, through an internal hotel management company coordinated by Hospitality Division Manager, Giuseppe Cavallo. Renovations, which are currently underway are estimated to cost around €20 million and, at the end of the restyling the complex will have 230 keys of various types.   

Giuseppe Pagliara
“The mountains are strongly requested by the market” 

“One of the key points of our Valtur project - says Giuseppe Pagliara, CEO of the Nicolaus Group - has always been the diversification of destinations. And the mountains were naturally among the desired horizons. They are in the brand's DNA and strongly requested by the market. Provided, of course, that we find a structure that can model itself around our vision. As soon as we heard that the Grand Hotel Cristallo in Cervinia was back on the market, we committed ourselves to protecting an iconic and prestigious destination, in line with our company philosophy: the solidity of the project and the financial sustainability of each operation."

There was strong competition 

The complex's inclusion on the Valtur list comes after a rigorous management and marketing selection process which the Lavezzari family, which owns the complex, launched and conducted with the help of Ernst & Young. Over 60 Italian and international groups competed in the tender, which placed strong emphasis not only on finances but also on the project's solidity and validity.  

Supermodel and entrepreneur Jessica Minh Anh has chosen the Costa Toscana cruise ship for her J Spring Fashion Show 2022. Against the cinematic backdrop of the Ligurian Riviera, the creator of the Fashion x Sustainability projects will appear on a real fashion catwalk in the middle of the sea at the event scheduled for 28 February, bringing with it a message of sustainability and style. 

A red carpet with the best of Italian art and luxury

Moored in front of Portofino prior to its inaugural cruise, the Costa Toscana will host a series of fashion brands, the identities of which are still to be revealed, premiering with a combination of haute couture, ready-to-wear and creative accessories collections from the five continents. Jessica's previous shows have featured Paul Costelloe, Montblanc, Yumi Katsura, Ziad Nakad, Shiatzy Chen and Tony Ward. The red carpet will feature the best of Italian art, architecture, culture, luxury and delicacies to accompany the exciting fashion show.

The Costa Toscana is powered by liquefied natural gas

"This particular period in history offers an opportunity for a sustainable restart of our society - explains Jessica Minh Anh - and the Costa Toscana fits perfectly with my goal of promoting sustainability in a way that is also aesthetically appealing. In fact, the ship is powered by liquefied natural gas which is one of the most advanced technologies available for an immediate reduction in emissions. It represents a breakthrough in the tourism industry. I am delighted to celebrate the rebirth of business and style aboard such a unique ship."

Jessica Minh Anh and Mario Zanetti

“We are working to promote valuable, sustainable and inclusive tourism”

"Jessica Minh Anh has innovated the world of fashion by combining it with sustainability, just as we are innovating the cruise industry with increasingly more sustainable ships," underlines Costa Cruises' General Manager, Mario Zanetti. "We were the first cruise company in the world to introduce Lng-powered ships and we are working to promote valuable, sustainable and inclusive tourism. In this phase of gradual recovery of the tourism industry, it is a great opportunity to have Jessica on board our new flagship the Costa Toscana to deliver such an important message in such a creative way. We are also delighted that this collaboration is taking place in Italy, and in particular in Liguria, our home base."

The Grand Hotel Victoria, Royal Victoria and Villa Cipressi are charming lakefront properties, R Collection’s Hotel Mentana, City Life Poliziano and King Hotel in Milan interpret the multifaceted spirit of metropolitan hospitality, and the Grand Hotel Bristol Resort & Spa expresses all the pleasure and the prestige of high-end hospitality on Liguria’s Riviera di Levante.

Romantic landscapes on Lake Como

R Collection Hotels’ three properties on Lake Como are located in one of northern Italy’s most idyllic areas with its ancient villages, splendid gardens and with mountains that frame the romantic, refined and highly elegant landscape. Grand Hotel Victoria di Menaggio, Royal Victoria and Villa Cipressi are three different declinations of the concept of hospitality. And they embody two characteristics at the heart of the R Collection philosophy which are a high-profile presence closely linked to their area, and the desire of the owners and staff to guarantee the absolute wellbeing of their clients.

A Milan business hotel and a Ligurian resort and spa  

The Group’s three hotels in Milan, the Hotel Mentana, City Life Poliziano, and King Hotel are designed with business guests in mind, and the Grand Hotel Bristol Resort & Spa in Rapallo, on Liguria’s Gulf of Tigullio coastline, is a property of great charm in an enchanting position on the sea.

In 2021 IHC, the Italian Hospitality Collection, engaged in major restyling projects and the international rebranding of many of its properties. Three new brands were launched including the Baia di Chia Resort Sardinia which last summer became part of the Curio Collection by Hilton.

The Laguna Hotel, in the same complex as the Chia Laguna Resort, was rebranded a Conrad Hotels & Resorts with the new name Conrad Chia Laguna Sardinia. And the Grotta Giusti Spa Resort, in the Tuscan countryside, became a 5-star and part of the Autograph Collection by Marriott International.

The Grotta Giusti

Restyling by international design studios

The various restyling projects were carried out by international design studios. The Baia di Chia Resort Sardinia and the Conrad Chia Laguna Sardinia were subjected to an impressive renovation with the rooms, the outlets and all the public areas signed off by the Marco Piva Studio in Milan. The Grotta Giusti, with its historic 19th-century villa in a centuries-old park, has been restored to its former glory and now has a new high-end spa due to open in April.  Last year also saw inauguration of the renovated San Casciano dei Bagni Spa Resort in Fonteverde, after the restyling by the Milanese firm Garibaldi Architects.

New head concierge service 

In terms of performance IHC registered record numbers especially in its Tuscan spa resorts with results higher than 2019 levels: Fonteverde and Bagni di Pisa, in particular, exceeded the annual budget by more than 20%.   Le Massif in Courmayeur, reopened its the Lm38 restaurant curated by Michelin star chef Alfredo Russo, in December and was sold out into the first month of 2022. The 2021 summer season also went very well, thanks to the introduction of the head concierge service offering a wide range of personalized winter and summer activities.

Additional security measures were introduced

Group Director of Operations, Marcello Cicalò explained: "It’s been a busy year full of challenges and we can be satisfied with the results. I thank the whole IHC team for the great commitment they have shown, given the difficulties we faced. In the final part of the year we found ourselves managing a new wave of infections, and we implemented additional security measures in all our hotels. My wish is that 2022 can be the year of rebirth for tourism in Italy and around the world.”

It's curious how the world of communication can appropriate apocryphal expressions, or even invent them from scratch. Such as Far East which is often an inexhaustible source of aphorisms to suit any occasion. Because it is quite untrue that the Chinese character for "crisis" contains the word "opportunity." Just as there is no expression to identify interesting times with difficulty ones. That being said, in some respects we are indeed living in interesting times.

The pandemic, it goes without saying, has hit hard even here in Italy, and since the beginning of the year we have had a slew of hotel closures. Three so far in Rome, including the Majestic in Via Veneto, a true icon in the heart of the Dolce Vita; and the Admiral in Milan, famous for its collection of James Bond memorabilia. And these are probably just the tip of the iceberg...

At the same time hospitality here has never been so ebullient. Investors - real investors - are clamouring at our door, a growing number of global brands are moving into Italy, those already here are gearing up, and Italian groups are busy consolidating. 

In the last few weeks the big news was Blackstone’s entry into the Mangia brand, with €85 million to redevelop and boost the Aeroviaggi Group which is big in beach resorts. Up in the mountains the British private equity fund Icon Infastructure is on it’s way to Sestriere to create a new Aspen, just like the one in Colorado, in the Vialattea ski area.  

The German 5-star group Oetker Collection will make its Italian debut on Capri, while the Th Group, Gruppo Una, Hnh Hospitality and Starhotels are all flying the Italian flag high. Then there is the new Dolce Vita Train. After a deal with Accor the Arsenale project is now an Orient Express, with vintage wagons ready to roll along exclusive itineraries across Italy. We do indeed live in interesting times!

Massimiliano Sarti
Journalist

The Chia Laguna Resort in Sardinia and the Hilton Rome Eur La Lama in Rome’s modern business district, are both on the Hilton 2022 openings hotlist.

Chia Laguna is due to reopen next spring with 107 rooms, all with private gardens or balconies, while the La Terrazza restaurant will have outdoor tables overlooking the Sardinian landscape. 

A library bar and a Conrad Spa

The Sardinian hotel's signature restaurant, Sa Mesa, (meaning the table in Sardinian dialect), will serve specialties linked to the area and a wide selection of Sardinian wines from small local producers, in an informal and casual atmosphere. The contemporary Bar Bollicine will be the ideal choice for sipping a cocktail and enjoying a wide selection of wines and spirits, and the Conrad Spa will be an oasis of wellness with six treatment cabins, a dedicated bar, a yoga studio and a gym.

Close to shopping and airports

The Hilton Rome Eur La Lama is located in the district of the same name, with direct access to the La Nuvola Rome Convention Centre which has 30 meeting rooms, and a plenary room that can hold 5,000 and is an exclusive venue for large-scale events. The metro station is located a few minutes away on foot and the Euroma2 shopping mall can be reached in ten minutes by car. The centre of Rome and both Fiumicino and Ciampino airports are less than half an hour from the hotel which will feature a rooftop restaurant, a terrace, activities for children and a library bar. The grand opening is scheduled for autumn 2022.