Two new openings in Italy for the Radisson group in Rome and Sardinia. 

The Roma Antica is the Radisson Collections’ second Roman property 

In Rome, the Radisson Collection Roma Antica has just opened. The 5-star 84-room hotel created from the conversion of Palazzo Lares Permarini is in Via delle Botteghe Oscure, close to the central Piazza Venezia square. The hotel has a gym, a spa, a restaurant and a bar with panoramic views on the top floor. During the renovation the remains of the walls of the Porticus Minucia, with traces of the polychrome marbles, were found. The Roma Antica will be the second Radisson Collection hotel in Rome and the sixth in Italy.

Seven Radisson openings are planned in Italy for 2024 and 2025

At the end of last year the Fattore Italia hotel company signed a leasing contract for the Sardinian Parco Torre di Chia, previously operated by TH Resorts. The property is spread over 100,000 sqm and is currently undergoing renovations, with the aim of repositioning it from the midscale to the 5-star segment. Expected to reopen in June, the resort will be renamed Veridia Resort and will be part of the Radisson Collection. The hotel group headed by Jin Jiang International Holdings is making strides in Italy. According to the vice president of business development Italy, Mauro Vinci, there are seven Radisson openings planned in Italy between now and 2025, for a total of over 1,200 new rooms.

Venice's Bauer Hotel has been taken over by King Street Capital Management.

The Baur is one of the most prestigious hotels in Venice

Following Signa's disavowals that the property would be put on the market after the default of the Austrian group founded by René Benko, there were rumors of potential interest from MSC owner Gianluigi Aponte. Now the saga of one of the most prestigious hotels in Venice gets a new twist. According to the local newspapers Il Gazzettino and La Nuova Venezia, the hotel has been taken over by the US fund King Street Capital Management, which is one of the main financiers of Signa. 

Plans to rebrand the Bauer Hotel as a Rosewood 

However, the fate of Bauer has not yet been definitively decided. While King Street would seem intent on selling the asset, the project to redevelop the hotel with a view to rebranding it Rosewood remains on paper for the time being. Work has been at a standstill since last December, and the employees have not been paid since February. The original idea was to build around 90 suites by 2025, as well as a series of high-end shops, with the total value of the complex in the region of €600 million upon completion of the restyling. At the time of Elliott's 100% purchase of the property in 2019, the hotel had been valued at €400 million (Signa had acquired it in 2020. Ed).

A Four Seasons rebranding for the Danieli Hotel? 

This is King Street's second foray into Venetian hospitality. The US fund already participated, together with Starwood Capital Group, in the €330 million bond issue with which the Statuto group refinanced the Danieli Hotel, launching a €30 million restyling with a view to a rebranding as Four Seasons.

The guide The Itinerary of Beauty 2024, a journey through 25 Marche towns, has been presented in Rome.

This year’s edition of the guide has five new entries

The Itinerary of Beauty 2024, the guide devised by Confcommercio Marche Nord to promote the most evocative locations in the province, was presented in Rome’s Palazzo Giustiani.  Introducing this latest edition, the director of the Confcommercio Marche Nord business association, Amerigo Varotti, pointed out that this year there are five new entries in the guide, bringing to total number of towns to 25. These new entries are: Acqualagna (famous for its truffles),  Borgo Pace (home to the Romanesque abbey of San Michele Arcangelo), Macerata Feltria (one of the most beautiful small towns in Italy), Carpegna (a mountain town in Montefeltro) and Monte Grimano Terme (another beautiful town with a traditional urban spiral layout). 

“Ours is an example envied throughout Italy”

Commenting on the importance of this guide Senator De Poli said: "The Itinerary of Beauty is a virtuous example of collaboration between local authorities, such as municipalities, and economic categories such as Confcommercio. For Varotti the Itinerary of Beauty is “an example envied throughout Italy, since it is not clear how it is possible to effectively network so many municipalities. Ours is a model that can inspire others.  It is not just a way to promote our territory, but also to manage local museums and tourist offices as well as communicating."  

A cashback loyalty card and a new website

Among the novelties of 2024 is the introduction of Valore Bellezza, a loyalty card with a cashback system that will contribute to the revival of local commerce.  While from 1 May it will be possible to virtually visit the 25 municipalities now on the itinerary thanks to the new website itinerariodellabellezza.it.  The Itinerary of Beauty 2024 is a printed guide that is distributed at major international trade fairs and through regional tourist offices. 

Funds are available for small municipalities with a tourism vocation 

For Marco Bruschini, director of Atim, the Agency for Tourism and Internationalization of the Marche, promoting the region requires "pride, awareness and professionalism", while according to Ivana Jelic, managing director of ENIT S.p.A, the Italian national tourist board, the province of Pesaro Urbino sums up the characteristics of Italy "which differs from one kilometre to the next." Recalling the €34 million earmarked for small municipalities with a vocation for tourism, Gianluca Caramanna, advisor to the minister of tourism, stressed the need to "increase arrivals and overnights, but also turnover, in a logic of deseasonalization." 

The latest digital initiative from Aeroporti di Roma is the "Shop&Fly" e-commrce platform. 

Pre-booking products from 600 brands

Shop&Fly enables passengers at Fiumicino to pre-book products available on the ADR website, purchase them and collect them directly at the airport. Travellers can peruse a diverse array of products from major to trendy brands including perfumes, cosmetics, gourmet foods and wines, as well as toys. In total there are over 9,000 items from approximately 600 brands available for sale in the Aelia Duty Free stores operated by Lagardère Travel Retail. This enticing e-commerce opportunity is further enhanced by an exclusive 10% discount on the in-store prices on online orders.

The service is also available to arriving passengers 

With the Shop&Fly service passengers departing from Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Airport for any destination or arriving in the airport from an Italian or Schengen destination can conveniently shop online. They can select products from the catalogue, complete the payment, and collect their purchases on the day of departure or of arrival at dedicated cash registers in the Aelia Duty Free stores. Through a partnership with ITA Airways, passengers flying with the airline, including those arriving from non-Schengen destinations, can retrieve their ordered products at designated Aelia Duty Free Pick Up points upon arrival.

“We are committed to meeting customer needs”

Marilena Blasi, the chief commercial officer of Aeroporti di Roma, emphasised the company's commitment to meeting customer needs. Blasi pointed out the importance of providing a seamless digital experience, particularly pre-flight. “For us it is essential to guarantee a fluid and uninterrupted digital experience, especially during the pre-flight stage when passengers interact with services such as shopping and dining. With the launch of our 'Shop&Fly' e-commerce we enable the online booking of products on sale in our duty-free stores and payment in store.” 

Avventura, the latest addition to the Volare product lineup, marks its official debut as ITA Airways’ loyalty programme tailored for young travellers and their families. 

Families are the core of the new loyalty programme

Children aged two to sixteen can now enrol in Volare and automatically join Avventura. Similar to the programme for adults, Avventura initially grants access to the Smart Club and allows members to progress, accumulating points, and advancing into superior clubs such as Plus, Premium, and Executive. Volare has also introduced the "Create a Family" feature, enabling members to transfer non-qualifying Volare points, up to a maximum of 100,000 per year, among members of a designated group. A family can be formed by linking the Volare profiles of at least one adult and one minor, up to a maximum of two adults and six minors.

“A customised and personalised product for all members”

“Avventura is the third subprogram within Volare, following those tailored for the corporate and SME sectors,- says Emiliana Limosani, CCO ITA Airways & CEO Volare. -Our ongoing effort is to provide a customised and personalised product for all members. We have already reached over 1.8 million members in just two years, now including children and young people who, alongside their families, choose our company for their travel.”

Avventura members will benefit from services by Volare partners

Just like the Volare programme members, with Avventura younger travellers will accrue Volare points through the purchase of flights sold and operated by ITA Airways, as well as by utilising products and services offered by Volare programme partners. They can also redeem accumulated Volare points for tickets to destinations served by ITA Airways through Cash&Points or avail themselves of services from the programme's partners. Qualifying Volare points will ultimately facilitate access to higher clubs, providing associated benefits. Volare plans to expand its offerings for younger flyers by collaborating with selected partners to provide a broader range of exclusive services and benefits dedicated to Avventura programme members. 

In 2024 the Marche’s focus remains on bolstering key markets such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, while reaching out to the US and Saudi Arabia.  

International arrivals are growing 

“Currently, 80% of tourism in the Marche originates from within Italy, with only 20% coming from abroad,-  said Marco Bruschini director of ATIM, Agency for Tourism and Internationalization of the Marche, at the recent ITB fair in Berlin. -Therefore, we have intensified our efforts to promote the Marche extensively across international markets, and the initial data for 2023 validates our strategy. We've observed a notable 10% rise in arrivals and a 12% increase in overnights.” 

The Marche will attend the May Arabian Travel Market

“Our efforts in France have been promising- continues Bruschini, - especially with the success of our fully-booked direct flight from Ancona to Paris. We also operate flights to London and Munich. To further stimulate arrivals we have planned promotional campaigns in these countries and we will be attending the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai from 5 to 7 May.” 

Reaching out to the US and Saudi Arabia 

The Marche will also be present at the most significant Italian trade fairs and will initiate co-marketing initiatives with foreign operators. A significant digital promotion project due to commence is in collaboration with the Conero consortium and various tourist attractions such as the Frasassi Caves.

“We have also planned two missions in the USA, in Texas in the first half of the year and in the second half we will extend our outreach to Saudi Arabia, leveraging our testimonial Roberto Mancini's appointment as the coach of the Saudi Arabia national team to facilitate our entry into this market.”

The Hilton Garden Inn Milan Malpensa is reopening after a complex restyling operation and under the new Della Frera Group management.  

A restaurant, meeting rooms, fitness centre and parking

The hotel closed for almost a year to allow for its renovation and now offers a total of 143 rooms, to which are added public areas specially designed to create a flexible and sustainable open space. The business area has four meeting rooms and there is a bar and restaurant as well as a shop open 24/7, a fitness centre, laundry service and indoor and outdoor parking.

“It is a crucial transit point for many travellers and professionals”

"We are delighted to announce the opening of such an important and prestigious property as the Hilton Garden Inn Milan Malpensa, in a crucial transit point for travellers and professionals, - says Guido Della Frera, founder and president of the group. -This new property joins the Double Tree in Solbiate, thus guaranteeing around 400 rooms in the area. The Malpensa hotel, which has entailed not only the remodelling of the rooms, but also a complete renovation of all the facilities as well as the interiors and exteriors. It is a further step in our expansion and is fundamental to meet the needs of our guests and provide them with maximum levels of comfort."

The ancient harbour-city of Ostia Antica is Rome's answer to Pompeii and is a must-see archaeological site.

The ancient site is just 30 kilometres from Rome

Ostia Antica is quite easy to reach from the capital. Being just some 30 kilometres away, it is close to Rome’s international Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino airport. The ancient site is just half an hour from the city on the trains that depart every 20 minutes from Rome’s Piramide train station, which connects with the Metro Line B. This ancient harbour-city, which once had over 100,000 inhabitants, was an important naval and trading base, built by the emperor Claudius on the coast in 42 A.D., and today is the Ostia Antica Archaeological Park. 

An example of what an ancient Roman city looked like

Not to be confused with the little borgo (town) of Ostia Antica which is a five-minute walk away and developed around the medieval Castle of Pope Julius II, it is worth spending two or three hours walking around the ancient Roman town and port. The site is open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10.30 o 16.30, and audio guides in various languages are available at the entrance. While it is less majestic than Pompeii, what makes it quite unique is that it is one of the best examples of what an ancient Roman town looked like. Visitors can see the layout of the different city neighbourhoods such as the business district, residential apartment buildings and aristocratic villas exactly where they were originally built. 

 

The ancient theatre is the symbol of Ostia Antica

Many of the buildings have been preserved up to the second floor, adding to the sense of what the city really looked like, and there are remains of mosaic floors and columns throughout the site.The Decumanus maximum which was the ancient main street has religious buildings shops and warehouses, and the forum or main square has the remains of a large temple. Ostia Antica’s most symbolic building is the theatre and it is still used for concerts and theatrical performances during the summer months. 

Ostia Lido is a popular seaside resort

The modern town of Ostia, also called Ostia Lido, a few kilometres west of the park is on the sea. It has modern apartment blocks, commercial streets and many rental homes and apartments, and for its golden sands and lido beaches it is a popular day-tripper destination from Rome. For information: www.ostiaantica.beniculturali.it

On 1 April American Airlines is to introduce Flagship® First on flights between New York JFK and Rome Fiumicino.

The only US airline to offer first class between Italy and the US

American Airlines is the only US airline to offer first class on routes between Italy and the United States. "Considering the strong market demand for the upcoming summer season, it is only right that Rome Fiumicino should receive this prestigious service," said José Freig, vice president international operations. The pluses included in the first-class ticket guarantee exclusive access to personalized services on international flights, speeding up procedures at security controls and offering access to exclusive services such as high speed wi-fi and amenity kits fromShinola and D.S. & Durga.

Four classes on board American Airlines’ Boeing 777-300s

Flagship® First will be available throughout the 2024 summer season on the New York-Rome route, operated by Boeing 777-300 aircraft, and offering passengers a choice of four travel experiences: Flagship® First, Flagship® Business, Premium Economy and Main Cabin. From 6 June, connections between Fiumicino and JFK will double thanks to the introduction of the second daily flight between the two cities, and this summer American will operate up to seven flights a day from Rome Fiumicino to the United States of America. 

Rome is preferred by premium travellers 

"The decision of American Airlines to choose Rome as the first destination in Continental Europe to welcome First Class service is a source of great pride, - said Ivan Bassato, chief aviation officer of Aeroporti di Roma.  -This confirms a trend that is firmly positioning Rome in the preferences of the premium segments of demand. This reflects the path of qualitative excellence undertaken by our airport and is a further demonstration of the central role that Rome plays for American travellers, and which has been constantly growing over recent years."