HOSPITALITY IS AN ART
From booking to check-out, the stay becomes a unique experience that is enriched with authentic details and inimitable atmospheres: it’s the Grand Tour by Rocco Forte Hotels
Six hotels in Italy and a seventh, on its way in Milan, which, together with the already prestigious addresses of Florence, Rome, Sicily and Apulia, will complete the itinerary of an ideal and modern Grand Tour. For Rocco Forte Hotels hospitality starts afresh from an indepth rediscovery of the local area with plenty of optimism and in total safety.
The Grand Tour starts from Rome and the rebirth of the magical and unique place that is the Hotel de Russie’s secret garden. This enchanted venue has undergone significant restoration works that have brought it back to its original beauty and authenticity. The venue has been restored as the architect Giuseppe Valadier had intended in the 1820s, for the benefit of its guests and of the city as a whole. The renovation is the result of the sensitivity of the Vaselli family who owns the property. This family has demonstrated great consideration and farsightedness in wanting to preserve an environmental asset which is much more than a simple green area. It is, for all intents and purposes, an outdoor architecture delimited by a botanical “curtain”. Its architectural design recalls precisely that of the monumental access to Colle Pinciano which opens onto the nearby Piazza del Popolo.
A journey through the senses where one allows oneself to be inebriated by the scents and colors of the lush vegetation that has replaced the invasive botanical species that had obscured this extraordinary monument for decades. A journey made of romantic moments to be enjoyed, a lunch,
a dinner en plein air or a theatrical performance. Luxury and enhancement of the territory also come together at the Verdura Resort in Sicily, which, as of next March, will boast the addition of eight new villas. Eight solutions to be experienced in total privacy and a number of exclusive services.
All the villas are fully independent and ensure utmost quietude and a breathtaking view of the sea. They are situated in a dedicated and strategic area of the Verdura Resort, on a hill that gently slopes towards the resort’s private beach. These private residences incorporate the characteristic features of the traditional “bagli” (fortified Sicilian farms) which have been an inspiration to Olga Polizzi, Director of Design at Rocco Forte Hotels. Flat roof, outdoor staircase, regular volumes and a smooth connection between indoors and outdoors; just as the use of the earth’s warm colors is a clear tribute to tuff, the main material used in the typical constructions of this region. A fulfilling experience in utmost safety with private transfers to and from the airports of Palermo and Trapani, check-in directly at the villa, and the exclusive use of three pedal-assist electric bicycles and two golf carts to move about freely within the property. Other amenities include unpacking and packing service upon arrival and departure, alcohol-free minibar, a selection of Sicilian wines and delicatessen in the room, access to the resort’s golf courses and Verdura SPA and advice service from “U ‘Canuscituri”, the island’s dedicated and specialized concierge service. The idea of creating an independent solution characterized by total privacy, yet incorporated within a resort that can offer the advantages of exclusive services, was also carried out in Apulia, at the Masseria Torre Maizza. Here, the Alberobello Private Wing was purposely created. It consists of the union of five or nine suites surrounded by nature and situated in a very privileged position overlooking the lush Apulian countryside. Each suite is decorated with the utmost attention to detail, according to an authentic style, revisited in a contemporary key. It is a style that makes use of natural materials which evoke the white stone constructions with typical cone-shaped roofs from which this private wing takes its name. The outdoors consist of private gardens, terraces and swimming pools, all overlooking the ancient olive trees. And last, but certainly not least, The Carlton Milano, a brand new hotel scheduled to open in early 2023. The building is currently being fully renovated in order to offer approximately seventy rooms and suites, a restaurant, lounge bar, wellness center complete with gym and SPA, a rooftop bar with an enviable view of Milan and a selection of Made in Italy brands available in the shops situated on the ground floor.
Hotels that thus become ancient and modern reference points of the urban and rural environments that surround them, and which fully respect and interpret the essence and characteristics of such unique destinations.