The news was leaked last June but now, according to confidential sources, it is official that the Lefay Resort & Spa Lago di Garda has been sold by Lefay to Cassa Depositi e Prestiti. The transaction is said to be a sale & lease-back operation, with the operator maintaining the management of the complex. The contract is thought to also include a repurchase option after seven years, while the value of the sale of the Lefay Resort & Spa Lago di Garda should be around €59 million, corresponding to some €634,000 per room

Backing for Lefay’s new Montalcino resort in Tuscany 

The transaction is part of Cdp's strategy to back the expansion of Italy's most solid hotel groups. The entry of the new capital will also allow Lefay to contribute to the financing of the restyling of the Lefay Resort & Spa Lago di Garda property, part of which was already carried out at the start of this year, while it is due to be completed in the first quarter of 2022. It’s also said that the new financial resources will go to backing the development of the group's resort in Montalcino, Tuscany which is also scheduled to open next year. Last summer Lefay signed its first management agreement for a complex in Crans-Montana in Switzerland.

The strategic partnership between Cpi Holding and the Mira group confirms its management of the Apulian Acaya Golf Resort & Spa for the next eight years. The company based in Affi, in the province of Verona, was already managing the Salento property under an agreement with previous owner Sc Lowy Fund. Now, following an ad hoc transaction, the resort is owned by Cpi Holding which is pursuing a complex hotel investment programme in Apulia.

“We see the golfing sector as a cornerstone of our growth”

Mira has plans to extend and restyle the property, renovating the resort’s 97 rooms,  restaurants and lobby, as well as the ancient Masseria San Pietro and the 18-hole golf course, creating a bioactive resort with an Apulian flavor. “Acaya was our starting point in the golfing world and we see this sector as one of the cornerstones of our future growth,” explained Mira Hotels & Resorts President, Alessandro Vadagnini.  The group’s CEO, Daniela Righi added “We are enthusiastic and proud of this agreement and confident that, with the support of Cpi Italy, we will bring this wonderful resort to the levels it deserves.”  

Pphe Hotel Group makes its debut in Italy with the acquisition of the Londra & Cargill Hotel in Rome for €34.5 million. The new Eternal City property has 101 rooms and suites as well as a restaurant, bar, meeting rooms and private parking. Pphe Hotel's goal is to reposition the property as a high-end lifestyle hotel, reopening in early 2023.

Developing Radisson Group brands

Pphe Group is an investment, development and management company listed on the London Stock Exchange, with a portfolio value of £1.7 billion. It also enjoys an exclusive, open-ended contract with the Radisson Hotel Group for the development and management of Park Plaza branded hotels in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa), and is also active with its own brands Arthotel, Arena Hotels & Apartments and Arena Campsites.

City Hotels Company (Chc) group has recently acquired the former Town House 70 in Turin, a recently renovated 4-star hotel with 50 rooms located a stone's throw from Piazza Castello and close to the city’s most important attractions. This boutique property was built for the 2006 Olympic Games and has Deluxe and Superior rooms and 25 Junior Suits with separate living and night areas. The terrace is an ideal choice for a coffee or a cocktail, the reception is open 24/7 and there is complimentary Wifi in the rooms. 

A grand portfolio

All the group's facilities, comprised of 11 structures, for a total of 1,166 rooms barring Chc Business Residence in Genoa, are also associated with brands such as Holiday Inn. With the new entrance, Chc strengthens its presence in Turin, where it already owns and manages the Holiday Inn Turin Corso Francia.

Just two months after the opening of the new Milan-Fiere, Hnh has announced the opening of the second Italian voco, IHG’s lifestyle brand. The voco Venice Mestre - The Quid, which has undergone renovations and has been managed by Hng for some time is close to the ring road between Mestre and Marco Polo Airport in Venice and not far from the railway station.  

With 128 rooms on eight floors (some with sports equipment) the design favours functionality with large spaces, comfortable beds and soft linens, fast free Wifi, room service 24/7 and large showers. The completely renovated restaurant focuses on quality raw materials and fresh ingredients, and there is a Ludico drinks, food & play bar connected to the gaming area.

The five modular meeting rooms of voco Venice Mestre - The Quid can take from 10 to 170 people, are completely soundproofed, and have natural light. Using ecological materials Hnh Hospitality has once again chosen to focus on sustainability. The hotel is part of the IHG Green Engage programme that aims to reduce waste and water and energy consumption as well as to minimize the use of plastic.

We are very happy with this new opening in Mestre and with the restyling of the old Quid hotel, which we have managed since it opened - said Luca Boccato, CEO  Hnh Hospitality – and we are proud to continue our collaboration with the IHG group and the voco brand. Our group now has 15 properties.

All In Italia Hotels & Resorts, a new, dynamic and fast-growing hotel management company, announces  a new non-exclusive agreement with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is the largest hotel company in the world with its approximately 9,000 hotels worldwide, and will develop 20 new hotels in Italy over the next 10 years. 

Experienced service

All In Italia consists of a team with international experience and a competent service that interprets every need. It manages both leisure and urban facilities and stands out for its high level of reliability and professionalism in the management of independent or branded hotels.

Encouraging words from the CEO

“All In Italia represents an alternative for those who wish to entrust the management of their properties to a company with in-depth knowledge of improving hotel profitability - said Alberto Reggidori, CEO, All In Italia - the collaboration with Wyndham will also help position All In Italia as the perfect solution for independent owners who want to join a globally recognized brand to emerge stronger from the challenges of the pandemic. We believe in a new vision of the values that travelers consider important and that must be reflected in the values proposed by the properties. Quality is not only luxury, but also care and attention to detail in all our different hotels.”

A perfect fit

Christian Michel, Vice President Development for Europe at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, added: "All In Italia's market expertise fits perfectly with our multi-brand development goals in this region, and we are very excited to offer even more solutions in this incredible country.”

A strong partnership

The debut of this partnership will be the opening of the first Wyndham Garden hotel in Italy. A renovated 94-room new construction in Florence, due to open in 2022. The Wyndham Garden Florence Novoli is owned by the Bulgarella Group and managed by All In Italia pursuant to a non-exclusive agreement with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. “We are delighted to be the first Wyndham Garden to be selected," said Ray Lo Faso, General Manager, Bulgarella Group's Hotels Sector. "With a renowned international brand and an Italian company on the rise and looking to expand, we are sure that this relationship will soon generate new partnerships.”

Eurizon Capital sgr, the asset management company of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group, has signed an agreement to acquire 33.3% of Adria Ferries through the two alternative investment funds Eurizon Iteᴙ and Eurizon Iteᴙ Eltif2. Equinox Holding, which will keep the remaining 66.7%, has been sold. For the two funds there is also the option of a further acquisition of 10% of the capital, exercisable by 31 December 2023.

Freight and passenger services between Italy and Albania

Eurizon Iteᴙ and Eurizon Iteᴙ Eltif2 are managed, by virtue of the authority conferred, by Iter Capital Partners, a company founded by Vito Gamberale (former CEO Autostrade per l'Italia and F2i sgr), together with three other managers specialized in infrastructure investments (Mauro Maia, Matteo Ambroggio and Luigi Radice). Operating freight and passenger services between Italy and Albania, Adria Ferries closed 2020 with revenues of €36 million, gross operating margins (ebitda) of €9 million and a net financial position of €21.4 million.

Il Pelagone Hotel & Golf Resort in Gavorann, in the province of Grosseto, plans a  €7 million investment in renovations of its 122-hectare property. Purchased in 2018 by a German group, the resort is suitable for all seasons and welcomes some 40,000 visitors annually (the figure refers to stays before the pandemic. Ed). Currently the property has 123 apartments, two restaurants, two tennis courts, a private beach and of course an 18-hole par 71 golf course.

“We are adding a spa beauty farm, a new club house and a new restaurant”

"The pandemic has inevitably led to a decrease in bookings, especially from abroad, of over 50% - said General Manager Andrea Ruggeri – and from June 2021 we  registered an average 40% compared to past years.  We believe that this is the right time to invest in renovating the existing apartments and adding some new luxury accommodations as well as a spa beauty farm, a new club house and a new restaurant.”

Benefits for the environment and for the local economy

Plans to adopt alternative forms of energy will benefit the surrounding environment and the local economy, as will innovative solutions for a more efficient irrigation of the fields and the green areas and a reduction in energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. With works commencing at the end of 2021, and construction starting in the first months of 2022, the renovations will take 12 to 18 months. "In the medium term once the work is finished, in order to boost the quality of our services we plan to hire 30% more staff on seasonal contracts.”   

Located inside a historic Murano glass factory, known as the De Majo furnace, the new 4-star superior Nh Collection Venezia Murano Villa is ready to welcome guests. With 104 rooms it is on a total of 4,800 square meters, starting in the main lobby on the Fondamenta Navagero (opposite the Glass Museum and the Cathedral of San Donato) and running to the opposite side overlooking the Venetian lagoon. The property’s beating heart is the central courtyard from which guests can access the suites and the hotel’s restaurant. There are also two bars, a gym and a spa, as well as a traditional Venetian private pier, and five modular meeting rooms that can host up to 130 people.

Junior Suite

The authentic atmosphere of an old glass factory 

"Our group has always been committed to protecting the historical and artistic heritage of the cities in which its hotels are located, enhancing the original style of the buildings,” said Marco Gilardi, Operations Director Nh Hotel Group Italia and Usa. “In the case of Nh Collection Venezia Murano Villa we wanted to make our guests feel the authentic atmosphere of the old glass factory from the moment they step inside.”  

Restaurant

One of Murano’s first glass-blowing factories

The redesign, curated by the Venetian architectural firm H&A Associati, highlights the origins of one of Murano’s first glass-blowing factories bringing this ancient art closer to the world of design. The complex consists of 12 pre-existing buildings and many traces of their previous use can be found in the different rooms and public areas.