Double debut in Italy for Minor’s Anantara Group in Rome and in Amalfi. 

Two new Italian hotels in quick succession

The Minor brand, which also includes the NH brand, has opened, in quick succession, the Anantara Palazzo Naiadi in Rome and the Convento di Amalfi Grand Hotel. The Rome property, featuring the Ineo fine dining restaurant and the Anantara Spa, also celebrated the opening of its new panoramic terrace with Ineo and the Seen rooftop bar. The property has 232 rooms and suites, and a gym

Anantara Palazzo Naiadi Rome Hotel

Two of Italy’s most iconic destinations

"The opening of the Anantara Palazzo Naiadi comes after extensive renovation which has preserved the architectural beauty of the building, whilst redefining its spaces, and the philosophy of 5-star hospitality services", explains Minor Group CEO Dilip Rajakarier. 

Anantara Convento di Amalfi

A new Anantara for the Amalfi Coast

In Campania the Anantara Convento di Amalfi Grand Hotel has opened its doors, the result of the rebranding operation of the former NH Collection hotel. Intense renovation led to the complete renewal of its 52 rooms and suites. Guests have access to the Anantara Spa, a swimming pool, and an outdoor gym.

Anantara Convento di Amalfi

Dining by Design is Anantara’s signature private dining

The Cappuccini restaurant is led by executive chef Claudio Lanuto and guests can also enjoy cooking classes, tours, and tastings. The Anantara signature private dining experience, Dining by Design, invites couples to enjoy a personalized menu, served by a private butler in a setting of their choice.

Comacchio, or the Little Venice as it is often called, is in the province of Ferrara in the Emilia Romagna region, an enchanting little lagoon town with a network of canals which is famous for its eel dishes. 

Bridges and handsome old palaces

Packed with history and less than an hour from the Adriatic seaboard Compacchio, known as the Little Venice, is considered the capital of the Po Delta Park. The town expresses the best of both water and land and from the Ponte degli Sbirri bridge you get the most spectacular view: on one side the Antico Ospedale degli Infermi, and on the other the 19th century Palazzo Bellini and the famous Trepponti bridge, the symbol of Comacchio. The ancient Manifattura dei Marinati, which is now a museum, tells the story of Comacchio’s centuries-old link to eels and you can visit the Sala dei Fuochi which has 12 fireplaces used for spit-roasting eels before marinating them.

A daily fish market and an October eel festival

Today the town’s seafaring traditions still live in the Antica Pescheria, a beautiful 17th-century building, which is now home to the daily fish market.  Archaeology lovers should not miss the Museo Delta Antico, in the imposing neoclassical 18th-century Ospedale degli Infermi (1771/1784), which has on display many archaeological artefacts brought to light in the area.  In the many local restaurants you find appetizers of scallops, shrimps and clams. First courses include seafood risottos and spaghetti with shellfish and then come grilled eel dishes accompanied by polenta, as well as sole, mullet, turbot, gilthead bream and stuffed cuttlefish. Foodies should note that the first two weekends in October are dedicated to the Eel Festival with food tastings and street performances.

Ferrara and Ravenna are near by

The Comacchio Valleys south of the town centre are a must and can be visited by bicycle or motorboat to admire the lavorieri traps for catching fish, the beautiful vegetation and the chance to spot pink flamingoes. The handsome UNESCO city of Ferrara is less than an hour away, and worth visiting for the magnificent Castello degli Estensi, to stroll through the picturesque medieval streets or cycle along the imposing Renaissance walls. And Ravenna, with its splendid Byzantine mosaics is even closer - just half an hour by car.  For information: https://emiliaromagnaturismo.it/it/localita/comacchio

Three Space Hotels Group hotels  are included in the ranking of Tripadvisor’s top 25 Best of the Best hotels  in Italy.

Tripadvisor’s accolades for three Space Hotels properties

The Travellers' Choice Best of the Best award from Tripadvisor goes to hotels with a high number of excellent reviews and opinions from the community over a 12-month period, and represents the highest level of excellence in the hospitality industry. Among the various award-winning hotels around the world, three members of the Space Hotels group are among the 25 best hotels in Italy. 

The Turin Palace, with 127 rooms, has been recently renovated

For 49 years, the Space Hotels Group has been at the service of travellers: a portfolio of 50 hotels throughout Italy  distinguished by outstanding service. The three award winners are in Turin, Florence and Rome. The Turin Palace Hotel, a 4-star strategically located in front of the Porta Nuova station, is first and foremost a historic hotel dating back to 1872, and has been recently renovated. The 127 rooms are inspired by the 1920s and 1930s, and the Bistrot Les Petites Madeleines and the Spa with its terrace and panoramic views complete the facilties.

Spadai Firenze Space Hotels

Florence’s Hotel Spadai and the Hotel Artemide in Rome are historic properties

In Florence the Hotel Spadai, which opened in 2015, is a new 4-star boutique hotel in the centre of the Tuscan city, the result of the complete restoration of an imposing Renaissance palace just 100 metres from the cathedral. The rooms and suites are luxurious and inspired  by 15th-century materials blended with sophisticated contemporary furnishings. The Hotel Artemide in downtown Rome is in a splendid late-1800s Art Nouveau building, and has comfortable, elegantly furnished and soundproofed rooms. The Restaurant & Bar on the terrace has a refined menu, and the area dedicated to the Spa is a cosy refuge in which to regenerate and relax. 

Pantelleria, one of Italy’s best-kept secrets, is a volcanic island, known as The Black Pearl of the Mediterranean.

The Castle of Pantelleris hosts events in summer

Just 37 miles from Cape Mustafà in Tunisia, and about 47 miles from the Sicilian coast, with its 83 sq kms, Pantelleria is the largest of the Sicilian islands, and the fifth largest island in Italy. To get to Pantelleria there are both flights into the little airport and ferries that leave from Trapani in Sicily. Arriving by sea, the first striking view is of the imposing Castle of Pantelleria. Built in medieval days and made of lava stone it had a defensive function and was used as a prison up to 1975. Today it is a museum and in the summer months it hosts numerous events.

Pantelleria

Don’t expect long sandy beaches

The island’s highest point is the Montagna Grande peak at 836 metres asl. In the south-east we find the crater of Monte Gibele which is visited by flamingos and in which a small green lake forms during Pantelleria’s wet winters. This island is not for anyone looking for a traditional beach holiday, as it is distinctly lacking in the typical Adriatic kind of sandy beaches. Instead the impressive coastline is dotted with marine grottos and rocky bluffs that lead down to hidden coves and caves, so it is much loved by divers. 

A beach in the caldera of a volcano

Pantelleria’s most famous beach is the Specchio di Venere (Mirror of Venus) which is the only sandy beach on the island. It is not on the sea but is a lake in the caldera of an ancient volcano, and the reflections on its surface do indeed make it resemble a mirror. The Bue Marino beach is the most famous of the sea beaches. With its shallow waters it is protected from the winds so it is very popular with families and children.

Pantelleria

Boats tours of the island

You cannot leave Pantelleria without having taken a tour of the island by boat. This is the other Pantelleria with a high coastline dropping into the sea, vertiginous cliffs guarding quiet coves of incredible colours and mysterious sea caves alternating with gently sloping rocky esplanades. And if you’re lucky you may come across sea turtles, small tuna and playful dolphins.

Mouthwatering local delicacies, from wine to capers and cheeses

The Zibibbo grape arrived on the island from distant Mesopotamia or perhaps from Egypt, and is used to produce the delicious passito sweet dessert wine, considered the nectar of the gods. The island can also boast the large juicy Pantelleria caper which is used with meats and fish and in salads, also together with fragrant oregano and tumma, a fresh local cheese. The local pesto has an intense aroma. Made from raw tomatoes, garlic, basil and chilli pepper it is used to season pasta or served with roasted fish. Couscous, which came to Pantelleria from Africa is also popular, as is the tasty caponata of local vegetables, known as sciakisciuka. 

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The MSC Euribia, a ship designed for the sustainability of the future, has been delivered in Saint-Nazaire.

A ship built wìth the future in mind

MSC Euribia, the twenty-second vessel in the cruise company's fleet, is the latest evolution of the Meraviglia class and the second MSC vessel to be powered by LNG, after the World Europa. With numerous cutting-edge environmental technologies on board, including advanced waste-water treatment and waste management systems, it has also been designed with the future in mind, so that it can easily incorporate innovations such as zero-emission synthetic fuels and other alternative propellants.  The Euribia outperforms the latest Imo Energy efficiency design index requirements: when in service, it emits up to 19% less greenhouse gases (Ghg) per passenger per day than ships using conventional marine fuels. 

“Our goal is zero net greenhouse gas emissions”

"With the delivery of the Euribia, we have taken another huge step towards our goal of zero net greenhouse gas emissions," says Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of the MSC Group's cruise division. "In addition to environmental innovations it also features an energy-efficient design that will greatly reduce emissions over its lifetime. With its entry into service we celebrate a further step towards our goal of achieving zero-GHG marine operations by 2050. We also want to ensure rapid retrofitting to new technologies that will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions until they are completely eliminated."

"Beauty, with a capital B, is the driving force behind the economic and social development of the Marche Nord region". 

The golden bronzes from Cartoceto di Pergola

A guide featuring 21 Pesaro and Urbino municipalities

“The Marche Nord’s Itinerary of Beauty guide is unique in that it is a communications project conceived by a trade association," said Amerigo Varotti, director of Confcommercio Marche Nord presenting the sixth edition of the itinerary promoting the province of Pesaro and Urbino. “It uses all the tools of tourism marketing to enhance the artistic, environmental, and gastronomic heritage of the network of member municipalities." 

“We made the municipalities understand the need to work together”

The 160-page guide, complete with photos and texts from the 21 municipalities that have so far joined the initiative, is distributed at major Italian and foreign trade fairs, and in local tourism offices. 
"The real result of our six years of work," continued Varotti, "is having made large and small municipalities understand the need to present themselves on the tourism market with an integrated proposal.”

Pesaro will be Italy’s Capital of Culture 2024

Matteo Ricci, mayor of Pesaro (Marche)

Matteo Ricci, mayor of Pesaro, who also spoke at the presentation, recalled that next year the city of Pesaro will be Italy’s Capital of Culture 2024.
“We will also be promoting our other cities and towns, one a week together with Pesaro. For example, during the week dedicated to Pesaro and Pergola, our administration will finance and organize transport to connect Pesaro to the little town which famous for its golden bronze statues.”

After a recent renovation the Hotel d’Inghilterra Rome - Starhotels Collezione, has a new look in its rooms and suites.

Renovations both outside and inside

As part of Starhotels' continuous commitment to improve guest experiences the Hotel d’Inghilterra Rome has recently undergone major renovations which involved restoring its historical exterior and giving new splendour to its rooms and suites. 

Hotel d’Inghilterra Rome Balcony Suite

A penthouse with views and elegant Balcony Suites

The spearhead of the new suites is the elegant Penthouse Suite, consisting of a large and bright living room with a yellow Siena marble 19th-century fireplace, a dining room, a study and a master bedroom. On the top floor of the hotel, it has a magnificent terrace with panoramic views The new 5th-floor Balcony Suites are in refined style in keeping with the classic soul of the hotel, with sober black and white geometric patterns and plays on harmonious and balanced contrasts.

Hotel d’Inghilterra Rome Balcony Suite

A spa and rooftop will also be added

The recent renovation will be followed, at the end of 2023, by the renovation of the remaining rooms and public areas, to which an intimate spa and a rooftop bar will be added. For information: www.starhotels.com www.starhotelscollezione.com

Where can you find the world’s best local food?  Not an easy question, but  www.tasteatlas, the site that has catalogued over 10,000 local foods, has come up with an answer. By combining the average of the ratings of the best local and regional dishes with the average Google rating of the best traditional restaurants in cities around the world, it lists the ones with the world’s best local food.  

And Italy comes out with flying colours. With three cities in the top four. Top of the list for the world’s best local eating is Florence with “its simplicity and focus on high-quality local ingredients. And for its delightful fusion of old-world charm and modern culinary innovation, with a unique emphasis on farm-to-table dining and an array of intimate family-run trattorias.”  

Hot on Florence’s heel is Rome for its “hearty, flavorful dishes made from simple, fresh ingredients”. After Lima in third place, we’re back in Italy again, and heading south to Naples, “the birthplace of pizza, and of the Piazza Margherita, topped with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, symbolizing the colors of the Italian flag”. 

And when you want more, Milan and Venice, two more cities with vibrant food traditions and great eateries are in 10th and 11th position.  We’d find it extremely challenging to pick just one. So next time you’re in Italy, try them all!

Pamela McCourt Francescone
Executive Editor