The Numa group's expansion in Italy continues, as it adds 58 new boutique apartments in Florence and Rome. 

All the properties are centrally located

In the Tuscan capital, after the Vita and the Rodo comes Numa Fiore, located in the tourist district of San Giovanni, a few minutes' walk from Piazza della Signoria. In Rome deals have been made for another boutique apartment complex in the Termini station area. This is due to open in summer 2023, following the opening of the Numa Vici in Rome’s central Piazza Venezia last March.

Numa Vici Hotel

“We are looking for new apartments in Rome, Milan and Florence”

"With the opening of two more new properties in Italy we are pursuing our expansion strategy. Italy is home to the largest number of Unesco heritage sites in the world and is a tourist magnet in Europe,” says Gabriel Coen, Numa Italia's director of real estate expansion. “It is one of our most important markets and our model, with our elegant boutique apartments, is perfectly suited to the domestic market. We are therefore looking for further properties in strategic locations in Rome, Milan and Florence from next year.”

Villa Cordevigo Wine Relais is an oasis dedicated to the pleasures of the senses in Cavaion Veronese on Lake Garda, where beauty is the true protagonist. 

A 16th-century Venetian villa with farm-to-fork fine dining

Located in the Bardolino area, on the hills of the Veneto side of Lake Garda, the renovated 16th century Venetian villa is the ideal choice for a true immersion in the quiet of the countryside and beautiful natural surroundings.  Guests will delight in the Osleta Restaurant's cuisine, helmed by chef Marco Marras. One of his guiding principles is to use as many local raw materials as possible. In fact the vegetables and aromatic herbs used in Chef Marras' dishes come from the restaurant's garden and from small local producers.

Relax and be pampered in 5-star luxury

As autumn gives way to winter, why not indulge in some well-deserved relaxation by pampering yourself at the Essentia Spa in the 5-star Villa Cordevigo Relais & Chateaux. The Spa has whirlpools, an infrared Finnish sauna, a Turkish bath and emotional showers. Wine therapy treatments use Vinoable® grape extracts for treatments and guests can discover the delights of holistic wellbeing.

Dreaming of a long weekend? Treat yourself to four days of off-piste skiing and relaxation in an Alpine village on Monte Rosa.

Skiing on Europe’s second-highest mountain 

The 4-day package of off-piste skiing and adventures from OverAlp, a tour operator specialised in outdoor activities in the mountains, takes you to Alagna Valsesia, a gem in the Piedmont Alps and to Monte Rosa. This is the great massif that straddles Italy and Switzerland, and is Europe’s second highest mountain. The Alagna 4 days off-piste all-inclusive offer combines local flavours and cultures with the adrenalin rush of four days of white adventures. La Malfatta, La Balma and the Zube Pass Canyon are all well-known names for fans of the wild, energetic and adrenalin-pumping mountains that only off-piste skiing can offer.

Heli-skiing, freeriding, ice climbing and free downhill skiing

The Valsesia is known as a freerider's paradise, amid granite canyons covered for much of the year by snow that is always abundant at over 2,000 metres. From heli-skiing, to freeriding, to ice climbing, but also ski mountaineering or free downhill, ski in complete safety, along the kilometres of slopes that swoop down from Punta Indren to the ski lifts of the picturesque villages of the Valsesia.

On the mountains in the company of certified Alpine guides

The Alagna 4 days off-piste all-inclusive will introduce you to this paradise with the flexibility and experience of UIAGM-certified Alpine guides. Before setting off for each experience the participants' avalanche safety equipment (shovel, probe, ARTVA and ABS if applicable) will always be checked, while the collective safety equipment (rope, carabiners and harness) will be provided free of charge by OverAlp. For the rest, the only limit to your imagination is the fitness of your muscles!

Stay in the Locanda Margherita di Rassa B&B

At the end of the day, having taken off your skis and boots, you will be welcomed at the beautiful Locanda Margherita di Rassa, a B&B with typical Valsesian architecture in local stone and wood. The rooms are tastefully and simply furnished and have original larch wood floors with wood-panelling in some rooms and frescoes in others.   

Four days with ski passes for groups of from 4 to 7 people 

Groups are for from 4 to 7 people for each Alpine guide with 5 nights and 4 days + afterski.  The best time of year is from the middle of December to the middle of April. Prices: 4 people €1,000 per person, 5 people, €960 per person, 6 people €920 per person and 7 people €870 per person. Included are 4 days with a certified Alpine guide, safety equipment, taxes and guide costs, 5 nights in half board at the Locanda Margherita B&B with dinner in local restaurants at special prices, and 4 days of Monterosa Ski Skipass 

An average occupancy of +80% between July and October was posted by the Belstay Venezia Mestre. 

A 4-star with two restaurants

The Belstay Venezia Mestre is a 4-star hotel with 188 completely refurbished contemporary design rooms. It has a spacious lobby, a bar, two restaurants and a conference centre with a maximum capacity of 180 people. Guests can also make use of the gym and the shuttle service to Mestre station.

“Venice is a crossroads in north-eastern Italy”

The occupancy levels were announced at the hotel's official launch ceremony, held recently with DJ sets, live music, and the culinary specialities of chef Andrea Ribaldone.

"The redevelopment, which we have completed is perfectly placed in the Venice area. In terms of leisure traffic and companies Venice is a crossroads in north-eastern Italy,” said Roberto Di Tullio, managing director of Belstay Hotels. 

 

Concentrating on business travel and MICE

“The hotel has always been a benchmark for high-profile business and political events, and we relaunched it after making significant investments and with a new management approach. We are now focused on making ourselves known to the MICE and business travel segments in the Venice area.” 

Modern aircraft are more efficient and fly faster than they did 20 years ago, right?  Well yes, but also no. Because to fly from London to New York now takes eight hours when it took only seven in 1997, and from Dublin to London takes 90 minutes against the 60 of 25 years ago.  

So what’s going on?  Well to start, airports are a lot larger and getting to the end of the runway can take up to fifteen minutes more than it once did. Then planes are flying more slowly at cruising speed to save on fuel costs, adding on yet more minutes. 

Airlines are also publishing longer flight times to avoid delays being registered. A practice known as “schedule padding,” as under EU law a delay of three hours or more entitles passengers to a compensation of anything from €250 to €600.

Then, and here we must give airlines their due, today’s skies are so crowded that planes are regularly forced into time-consuming holding patterns before landing, adding more precious minutes.

Pamela McCourt Francescone
Executive Editor

Having completed the acquisition of Castel Monastero, the Marcegaglia group is now working on major structural interventions and a new wellness concept for the Tuscan resort. 

Restyling the interiors, the pool and the spa 

The restyling planned for the Leading Hotels of the World property will include the suites, the rooms and some of the public areas. The outdoor pool will be completely redesigned, and will get a new snack bar with a panoramic terrace. The spa will also be renovated, focusing on a holistic approach to provide guests with personalised regenerative treatments. The catering, under executive chef Davide Canella, will be traditional with a creative slant, and based on  ancient recipes from the culinary heritage of Tuscany and beyond.

“We will make the resort one of the most exclusive in Italy”

The company has also confirmed Graziella Arba as general manager.

"I am honoured by the choice made by the owners, - she said - and I am certain that, together with Emma Marcegaglia, we will make the resort one of the most exclusive in Italy. The resort is an 11th-century medieval hamlet that pays homage to the elegance and harmony of ancient Tuscan residences and offers guests unique experiences in a place of rare beauty.”

If you love walking, what about a trek around the beautiful island of Elba for New Year's Eve?

Exploring evocative roadways and trails

Make 2023 a special year by starting it in the best possible way, with a gentle journey immersed in nature. Join the Grande Traversata Elbana from 27 December 2022 to 1 January 2023, a journey on foot that takes you along the most evocative roadways and trails on the beautiful Mediterranean island. A route for mountain enthusiasts and lovers of breathtaking views, the GTE is something not to be missed.

Discover Elba at the most peaceful time of year

The trek runs along what is described as the westernmost front of the Apennines, across mountains of iron and granite through pretty villages suspended between the sky and the sea. The Grande Traversata Elbana is a unique experience that allows the traveler to discover the island, its nature and its history at a walking pace. In winter Elba is a calm island, where you can take life slowly and relax. This is what you’ll find when you come to ring in the New Year in Elba Island. 

For information and bookings: www.viaggidelgenio.it

Until the beginning of January there are numerous Christmas markets in ancient villages scattered throughout the Garda Trentino area where, together with the whole family, you can breathe in the magic of the festive season, discover delicacies of all kinds as well as local handicrafts.

Markets in two of Italy’s most beautiful towns 

Unique of their kind are the markets of Canale di Tenno and Rango, which are among Italy’s most beautiful towns and worth visiting at any time of the year, but truly suggestive during the Christmas period.  In the picturesque setting of Canale di Tenno visitors are welcomed by an atmosphere suspended in time. This medieval village - perched on the slopes overlooking Lake Garda, at an altitude of 600 metres - hosts a market every weekend during Advent with stalls packed with tasty and genuine local products and handicrafts.  Then, on 26 December, there is the traditional living nativity scene with a re-enactment of ancient crafts in the town’s old houses.

APT Garda Dolomiti SPA - Riva del Garda

Local foodstuffs and ancient rituals

The market in Rango recounts the past in an authentic and exciting way, with agricultural tools, wooden toys and peasant specialties that delight young and old alike. Here, every weekend up to 30 December, craftsmen, farmers and local associations show off their products in local huts that once sheltered cows and goats. The portechs are covered passageways that offered shelter to wayfarers, the vòlt, cellars in which cured meats and other products were stored, and the salesà alleys are  rustic backdrops of irregular stones. 

Christmas in Rovereto Garda Trentino - Ph Credits: Michele Purin

Performances, classical music concerts, cribs and creative workshops

Until 8 January the rocky walls of Arco are also the backdrop to a splendid Christmas market with typical stalls and small wooden houses in the church and the two squares. Visitors will delight in the many traditional Garda Trentino foods and wines, from polenta with goulash to strauben accompanied by cranberry jam with a dusting of icing sugar. There are also street shows, classical music concerts, cribs and creative workshops.
APT Garda Dolomiti SPA - Riva del Garda

Santa Masseza’s three weekends of fun for all ages

Finally a visit to the village of Santa Massenza is a must, to discover the true spirit of Christmas. The Vite di Luce market features crafts, culture and genuine local gastronomic delights while all kinds of events are planned from games to entertainment, music and shows.

Ph credits: Tommaso Prugnola

The UNA Group’s first Personal Room Fitness Experience has opened in Milan, in partnership with YPT Academy. The experience in the Milanese flagship Milano Verticale Hotel Una Esperienze is open to external guests and offers special tailor-made training sessions directly in the room.

Personalized lessons in villas, luxury hotels and yachts

The YPT Yacht Personal Trainer Academy, founded by Mr. Universo Fitness Massimo Alparone, introduces a new concept of fitness based on personalized lessons in exclusive contexts such as yachts, villas, and luxury hotels. Thus benefitting from the comforts of elegant hotel rooms or other reserved areas in total privacy, as well as the service of highly qualified professionals.

An innovative fitness project

"We are proud to unveil this innovative fitness project in collaboration with a partner of the highest profile and in line with the vocation for excellence of our UNA Esperienze Collection," says Fabrizio Gaggio, general manager of the UNA Group.” 

The Milano Verticale Una Esperienze, located in the Porta Nuova - Garibaldi - Corso Como district is offering internal and external guests special Personal Room Fitness packages for training sessions with fully dedicated YPT Academy trainers in a tranquil, private, and comfortable environment. 

An elegant fitness & wellness area

The Personal Gym & Spa Experience allows guests to reserve the hotel's elegant Fitness & Wellness area exclusively for an hour of private gym with a dedicated training session and an hour of private spa. Or they can choose the Luxury Fitness Experience, which includes an hour of training with a dedicated personal trainer and a full day of relaxation in one of the hotel's Penthouse Suites, for an exclusive and luxurious fitness service with elegant rooms, one-of-a-kind services, and a panoramic rooftop Jacuzzi, showers, and completely private relaxation areas on the thirteenth floor.

Garda Trentino, embraced by the northern shores of Lake Garda and the Brenta Dolomite mountain range, is the ideal place to spend a special winter. Visitors will delight in its outdoor markets, events featuring typical flavours and the many happenings organised for the whole family. 

Climbing, trekking, biking, and relaxing spas

Thanks to its year-round Mediterranean climate, this area is a favourite with those who love outdoor sports, even during the cold season. There are many rockfaces and mountain climbs as well as kilometres of paths tobe enjoyed on two wheels or wearing trekking boots. While lovers of relaxation can regenerate the body and the mind at thermal baths, for example in the little spa town of Comano Terme, which is just 25 minutes by car from the regional capital Trento.  

Themed trekking trails of all levels

Trekking enthusiasts have numerous alternatives at their disposal. For those who want to delve into nature in a slow way there are themed trails in the Comano area, such as the Walnut Trail and the Potato Trail, or the walk along the Coste di Baone, where olive trees, agaves and prickly pears merge with the sparkling waters of Lake Garda. For the well-trained and daring, the Low Loop and Medium Loop of the Garda Trek are a must. These captivating trails in stages take you... one step closer to heaven and can be enjoyed all year! 

Biking trails and climbing…also for kids 

There is no shortage of options for those who wish to explore the area by bike. During the cold season, the itinerary at the foot of Monte Brione is particularly recommended. It is short and not steep, suitable for all types of wheels and perfect for a fun outing  There isno shortage of sunny crags in the area that lend themselves to being tackled during the cold season. Among them are Piazzole and Belvedere di Nago in the Garda Trentino, and Cosina in the Cavedine area. For those looking for a child-friendly crag, Famiglia San Martino, with easy and convenient access to the routes, is a firm favourite with young climbers. 

Sport, cuisine, history….and Christmas markets

The Garda Trentino Experience runs all winter with a varied programme that allow visitors to explore the area in all its facets, from sport to cuisine and from historical and cultural discoveries to wellness experiences. And Garda Trentino boasts two of the Most Beautiful Towns in Italy: Canale di Tenno and Rango, which have delightful Christmas markets throughout the festive period, while Riva del Garda organizes two Christmas events for the little ones: The House of Father Christmas and the Elf Academy.