Parma Ham, Culatello di Zibello and Piacentini cured meats are some of the incomparable specialties of the central Emilia region.

On the Parma hills the Salumificio Conti in Langhirano produces cured hams and guides lovers of good taste through the various stages of the Parma ham production process. Every day at 11.00.

Salumificio La Rocca - credits Visit Emilia

The Piacenza area’s cured meats

To get to know the range of Piacentini cured meats you can visit the Salumificio La Rocca in Castell'Arquato. Here visitors tour the production departments of three famous and award-winning Piacentini PDOs: Coppa which is made from the shoulder meat, pancetta which is like bacon, and the ever-popular salami. Experiential tours with tastings are on Saturdays and Sundays from 8.00 to 12.00.

Learn to cook Emilian style

Emilia would not be the same without handmade pasta, with traditional dishes like Tortelli con la Coda, which is pasta stuffed with oxtail, and the local Raviolo di Piacentino as well as various types of fresh pasta. There are many cooking classes in the area with lessons taking place in the large kitchens of local chefs or in the enchanting gardens of villas outside the historic centre. And they are always accompanied by delicious food and wine tastings.

The extraordinary world of bees

At the Api Libere farm in Codemondo they organise educational workshops to learn all about the beekeeping experience, and visitors get to savour the products of the hive, and even to adopt a bee. In Val Tidone the Il Fucoré farm opens its hives from April to September for visits to the honey extraction laboratory and to sample different types of honey.

Emilia from a new perspective

For a truly unique experience in Emilia, why not take one of the many Parma, Piacenza and Reggio Emilia city tours, accompanied by local guides to places of art and culture, and enjoying culinary specialties in local restaurants and taverns.

Leonardo Hotels launches an ad-hoc investment fund for hotel development in Europe. The Israeli group Fattal, which controls the Berlin-based Leonardo Hotels Central Europe, has launched a fund of more than €315 million (increasable up to 400 million), to activate investments up to one billion, aimed at the expansion of the Leonardo Hotels, Leonardo Royal Hotels, Leonardo Boutique Hotels and Nyx Hotels by Leonardo Hotels brands in Europe.  

New acquisitions in Spain, Romania and Poland 

“The hotel industry both in Europe and globally is facing enormous changes and transformation processes," explains Yoram Biton, managing director of Leonardo Hotels Central Europe. "We continue to look to the future with great confidence and are strengthening our position in the business and meetings segments, as well as increasing our services in leisure and Fit. We have two new acquisitions in the Spanish market (Malaga and Mallorca, for a total of 260 rooms and an investment of €40 million. Ed.), as well as in Bucharest and Krakow.”

In parallel with the expansion, Fattal Hotel Group's European divisions are undergoing a complete rebranding to integrate all Leonardo hotels. Last March, the former Apollo Hotels in the Netherlands and Belgium started operating under the Leonardo brand. Next September, the Jurys Inn Hotels (distributed in Ireland and the UK) will be rebranded to become Leonardo. In the UK, the group has also entered new strategic destinations with several openings, including Leonardo Hotels Bristol & Chester and Manchester Piccadilly.

In Israel and 15 European countries  

The Group, owned by the Fattal family (62.33%), was founded by David Fattal in March 1998 and specializes, through its subsidiaries, in the ownership, management, leasing and management of hotels in Israel and Europe. The company currently counts more than 220 properties in over 100 different destinations, located in 15 European countries and in Israel.

LaSalle and Numa Group undertake a €500 million pan-European development strategy The Numa Group is an operator specializing in non-traditional accommodations with a focus on technology.

The partnership is part of LaSalle's growing value-add investments business and involves the acquisition, refurbishment and asset management of hotels, hostels, extended-stay serviced flats, vacant and soon-to-be vacant boutique hotels, as well as conversion projects for unbranded properties in major Western European cities. Under the same partnership, these properties will then be designed, managed and organized by the Numa Group.

Incorporating sustainability standards

The LaSalle and Numa Group development will focus in particular on properties in prime city centre locations. Fifteen locations have already been identified in cities in the UK, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands, with a total value of more than €450 million. Renovations are expected to take between six and 18 months, creating rooms for short, medium and long stays, with maximum flexibility of use to optimize occupancy levels. La Salle and Numa will also look to incorporate various sustainability standards into the projects, including hybrid ventilation and water recycling systems, with the aim of ensuring excellent Breeam (sustainable building certificate) ratings and zero carbon emissions across the portfolio by 2050.

“A partner with strong real estate experience”

"The partnership with LaSalle underscores our ability to offer fully integrated hospitality solutions," explains Numa Group's director real estate, Philipp Rohweder. "We anticipate that the hospitality sector will continue to benefit from ongoing mega-trends, changes in consumption and overall post-pandemic recovery. With LaSalle, we have found a partner with strong real estate experience and a network throughout Europe, with whom we will continue our growth story in the European hospitality sector."

Hospitality operator Numa Group marches ahead with a $45 million capital increase

The 15 Autentico hotels are eco-friendly and await guests with the warmest of welcomes. Each property is different from the next, but what units them is the same spirit of responsibility and the resolve for eco-friendliness, meeting the ever-increasing demands of guests who seek relaxing holidays and breaks immersed in splendid natural surroundings. Unique experiences that take you back in time and reply to today’s demand for more ecological and sustainable modes of travel, like those to be experienced in these three Autentico Hotels properties in the northern Italian regions of Veneto, Lombardy and Liguria.

Faloria Mountain Spa Resort, Cortina D'Ampezzo in Veneto 

For a holiday in the Dolomites the Faloria Mountain Spa Resort in Cortina d'Ampezzo is the ideal place for a break dedicated to wellbeing and for enjoying outdoor activities. Discover the area’s many eco-tourism routes on foot or by bicycle and then relax in the large and very beautiful spa. For lunches and snacks the place to go is the hotel’s malga mountain hut where you can enjoy delectable farm to fork specialties. 

Château Monfort, Milan in Lombardy 

Slow tourism, a rediscovery of the territory and sustainability are the key features of the warmer months at Château Monfort which is a Relais & Châteaux Association, member. These eco values are expressed through the cuisine and the genuine and warm hospitality. They are skillfully modulated and transmitted to guests starting from the gastronomic delights from Executive Chef Domenico Mozzillo, whose menus feature regional traditions with organic raw materials and preserves. 

Golfo dei Poeti Relais & Spa, Montemarcello 5 Terre in Liguria 

Golfo Dei Poeti Relais & Spa has reopened its doors with a new infinity pool, which blends into the surrounding nature. Guests' wellbeing is increasingly linked to sustainable tourism, which is why Golfo dei Poeti is consciously protecting the environment by reducing the use of plastics to a minimum. Disposable water bottles and glasses have been replaced by glass or recyclable materials and the mission for the future is to provide every opportunity for exceptional holidays, while respecting the environment. 

Autentico Hotels
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Romantik Hotel Villa Margherita, a stunning Palladian Villa in Mira (VE), is a unique UNESCO World Heritage Site and architectural treasure, and organizes unusual itineraries for visitors who want to get to know the area.

The aim is to discover Venice from new perspectives, such as taking motorboat rides on the Grand Canal or on romantic gondolas, as well as personalized tours.

Explore Venice’s most romantic corners

You can board a historic boat and explore the wonders of the Brenta Riviera, stopping to see Villa Malcontenta, Villa Foscarini Rossi, and Villa Pisani, all designed by Andrea Palladio. And Venice is an unmissable stop, with its suggestions, labyrinthine alleys overlooking romantic canals, and palaces that tell of days long past.

The best of Venetian cuisine 

When guests return to the Romantik Hotel Villa Margherita they are greeted with an aperitif in the quiet of the park before heading to dinner to enjoy signature dishes and traditional Venetian specialties based on fresh fish, rice, and polenta. All paired with the cellar's excellent selection of Venetian wines. The Romantik Hotel Villa Margherita also has a Tesla charging station. Prices start at €202 per room/person per night.

A recent survey by Telegraph Travel revealed the greatest city on Earth. “Starting with a shortlist of 50 cities, we then collated data across a range of different categories which reward cities for their practicality, cultural prowess and history, but also for breathing space, luxury and safety.”  And having crunched the data, one city emerged which the Telegraph crowned “officially the greatest city on Earth.” 

The winner was Barcelona. With two far-flung cities, Sydney and Cape Town, taking second and third place.  Of course we were heartbroken not to see an Italian city on the winner’s podium. But hold on…Italy is the ONLY country with two cities in the top ten: Venice at 5th place and Florence at 10th!  

And who can really say what greatest means. As Vladimir Horowitz once replied when asked if he was the greatest pianist of all times: “What is the greatest? Can I say Beethoven is the greatest? Or Mozart? Although - he added with a twinkle - my mother does think I am the greatest pianist.”   

Pamela McCourt Francescone
Executive Editor

Itabus adds 30 new buses to its fleet, as well as many new destinations. The new MAN Neoplan Skyliners will increase the fleet to 100 vehicles (300 when fully operational). Currently Italbus has 110 daily services connecting more than 140 locations for a total of over 800 routes per day. To celebrate Italbus’s 100th vehicle, the bus will have a special livery with the company logo and name in gold on the red chassis.  With the fleet expansion, services on the main routes grow, and new regions are being added to the network, including Sicily, Trentino-Alto Adige, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

Many new connections and services

Sicily, which will be linked to Bari, Naples, and Rome via ten daily services distributed across four lines, will have numerous stops to ensure territorial coverage with Palermo, Termini Imerese, Cefalù, Milazzo, Messina, Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Enna, Catania, Taormina-Giardini Naxos, Syracuse, and Augusta all being served by Itabus. In the Trentino region Bolzano, Trento, and Rovereto will be served with four daily services to Rome and Naples. Then there's Friuli, which includes Trieste (8 services per day), Udine (2 daily services), and Gorizia (2 daily connections), all of which will be linked to various destinations such as Venice, Milan, Rome, and Naples. Calabria, which is already served by the Itabus network, will also benefit from two daily Rome-Catanzaro connections, as well as the extension of some Crotone services to Milan.

Intermodal hubs including airports 

Itabus services are expanding to include intermodal hubs such as airports: in addition to Rome Ciampino and Milan Bergamo, stops will be added at Naples and Venice airports and new destinations for the summer include Otranto, Gallipoli, Ostuni, Rimini, Riccione, Cattolica, Senigallia and San Benedetto del Tronto among others.  

The thermal baths at Terme Merano reopen on 14 May 2022. With its 25 swimming pools the spa complex is an unparalleled wellness experience where visitors can also enjoy Relaxation Lounges and the Roof Whirlpool on the panoramic terrace.

Relaxation Lounges for couples

Large and well-kept, the park on over five hectares has swimming pools of various sizes and types as well as relaxing shaded corners and sun loungers.  There are also eight Relaxation Lounges. Each of these wellness corners is on nine square metres and has a couple's relaxation bed for two. The lounges can be booked for half a day or a full day for a total relaxing experience immersed in South Tyrol’s nature. There is also a space dedicated to younger guests with a colorful swimming pool, slides and water games, where children can have fun in total safety.

A roof whirlpool on the Sun Deck

The complex has a fitness pool and  invigorating whirlpools, an area for counter-current swimming and saline water as well as a Kneipp thermal path. In total there are 25 swimming pools and guests can also enjoy the exclusive Roof Whirlpool, a large pool with pleasantly warm water on the panoramic Sun Deck Terrace.  

The first to have the Skill Bike

The Terme Merano’s gym is the first in South Tyrol to offer the unique experience of the Skill Bike. This realistic training simulation mimics a real mountain bike race, with slopes and gradients as riders compet with other cyclists visible on a screen. The Skill Bike adjusts according to the rider's weight, pedaling style and other performance parameters.  Park & ​​Move is an e-bike and mobility scooter rental system and is the prefect way to enjoy the area and nature without effort and without stress, but above all without pollution. There is also an inductive charging station and e-bikes available for rent as well as automatic charging and rental stations for mobility scooters in the car park.

A combined ticket for the Terme and Trauttmansdorff Castle

The Giardini & Terme combined ticket includes a 3-hour entry to the gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle and to Terme Merano, with a 10% discount on MySpa treatments. Also included in the ticket is a gastronomic voucher worth €10 for the Bistro at Terme Merano or for the Schlossgarten restaurant in Trauttmansdorff. For a holiday in Merano you can choose one of the partner structures like the City Hotel Merano which, up to 2 June 2022, has a Merano Spring package that includes three nights with breakfast, one bottle of prosecco in the room and one Giardini & Terme combined ticket. All starting from €365 per person

Terme Merano
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Accor will manage a Notovel and an Adagio property in Milan Sesto. The reconversion plan of the Milano Sesto industrial area, by the US giant Hines in collaboration with Prelios, is taking shape and provides for the new property.

The new building will open in 2026 

The new building, scheduled to open in 2026, will be close to the new Sesto San Giovanni station, and the City of Health and Research. This health complex for clinical research and training funded by the state and the Lombardy Region will include the new National Cancer Centre and the Carlo Besta Neurological Institute which will welcome around 4,000 daily visitors.

The 301-room building will include apartments

The hotel will have 301 rooms and consist of two Accor brands: the Novotel with 204 rooms, and the Adagio with 97 apartments intended for medium to long-term use. The building will be on 19 floors, spread over approximately 16,000 square metres. 

Two iconic brands for an important redevelopment

“We are very proud that two of our iconic brands are part of this very important urban redevelopment project - comments Jerome Lassara, vice president of development in Southern Europe, Accor – and thanks to our partner Amapa we will develop the two properties which join the nine we already operate with them in Italy."

Offices and student accommodation 

"We are committed to showcasing this long-neglected area and make it a driving force for the local communities, as well as attracting new residents to the offices, the student accommodation and the unique new health facility,” added Mario Abbadessa, senior managing director & country head of Hines Italy.

The Parco Cavour water park in the Veneto region reopens on 2 June with fun, relaxation and nature to spare just a few minutes from Peschiera del Garda.

This oasis of relaxation and excitement for young and old can best be described in three words:  quality, uniqueness and sustainability. Opened 45 years ago, since 2017 it has topped Tripadvisor’s platform, as well as winning the Tiqets award as the best Italian tourist facility of 2021. It has also received numerous awards as the greenest water park in Italy thanks to its extensive green areas and its attention to and respect for the environment.

Sustainable development and environmental awareness

Always oriented towards a policy of sustainable development, in recent years the park has adopted numerous technological solutions to reduce its impact on the environment: from water saving to the installation of solar panels, and from the use of ozone to a separate collection system that allows 90% of the waste produced to be recycled.

A 100% cement-free lagoon

The company's efforts and philosophy have been the same for 45 years: to provide fun, wellbeing and relaxation in a smart and totally eco-friendly environment. Parco Cavour offers visitors numerous attractions and services, like the new and exclusive CocoBay Beach, a large area with slides set in rocks and adventurous paths for guaranteed fun. Then there is Palm Beach, a lagoon of fine white sand and tropical palms. The recent, strictly natural building techniques were 100% cement-free cement, making it identical to an exotic beach.  

A mega 45th anniversary party on 26th June

Every weekend Parco Cavour has an extensive programme of spectacular events, shows and entertainment for holidaymakers of all ages. Inside the park there are several refreshment areas serving only the best and freshest menus.   For the 2022 season, and to celebrate the 45th anniversary of its opening, Parco Cavour has prepared a series of great events and there will be an mega party on 26th June with special guests, music and entertainment.