Donnafugata Golf Resort & Spa just opened

We are always excited when we hear about beautiful new properties in Sicily. Donnafugata Golf Resort & Spa just opened. This a five-star hotel is located in the vast Donnafugata fiefdom, which is also a nature reserve one hour drive from the International Airport of Catania and a flew minutes away from Ragusa.

Situated amongst pristine beaches such as Marina di Ragusa, Punta Secca and Camarina, and other areas of outstanding historical interest, the Resort is a fantastic point of departure to discover tourist attractions and cultural sites in the area. Several nearby towns, Ragusa, Modica, Ibla, Noto and Scicli, form part of a UNESCO World Heritage site that preserves many remains of the Sicilian Baroque style in a unique atmosphere.

Donnafugata Golf Resort & Spa
Contrada Piombo
97100 Ragusa
Tel. : +39 0932 911 368
Fax: +39 0932 911 368
Web site: www.donnafugatagolfresort.com

Hotel Donna Carmela

We are pleased to introduce the charming Hotel DonnaCarmela, nestled between Mount Etna and the Ionian Sea nearby Catania and Taormina.

DonnaCarmela is a boutique hotel arisen in a 19th century Sicilian House. It has been furnished with great attention to detail and the carefully chosen modern design touches exalt the traditional elements that hint at the building’s history. In the heart of Piante Faro, the biggest European company specialized in producing Mediterranean plants, surrounded by age-old olive groves, DonnaCarmela’s born to offer Sicilian hospitality at its best. Donna Carmela has 18 rooms, including three suites, nine junior suites, four double rooms and an apartment.

Exposed stone and brickwork and block colored walls are the perfect setting for luxurious contemporary armchairs and soft sofas. The mosaic-tiled swimming pool is splendidly positioned, enveloped in the vivid colors and fragrances of the surrounding Mediterranean greenery and offering timeless views of Mount Etna, Taormina and the Ionian Sea.

Donna Carmela is a good base to reach Taormina, great place to visit with its breathtaking Greek-Roman theater and wonderful views over the Ionian Sea, Catania, with its Baroque architecture, much of it made from the characteristic black volcanic rock spewed from Etna herself and Mount Etna. It’s possible to easily reach these places by A18 Motorway and SS 114 high street. The Pietradolce – Archineri Etna Doc wine produced for Donna Carmela is from vineyards on Mount Etna in Castiglione di Sicilia, which are owned by Donna Carmela, and it is a delight to sample the wine, just minutes from where it was made and grown. Visits and Tasting sessions can be organized for those wanting to sample local produce.

Hotel Donna Carmela
Contrada Grotte, 5
Carruba di Riposto (CT)
Phone: (+39) 095-809-383
Web site: www.donnacarmela.com

Grand Hotel Timeo: Sicily travel raised to 5-star standards

It’s an iconic summer experience, a chic Italian vacation at one of Orient-Express’s(OEH) portfolio of waterfront hotels, which include Hotel Splendido and Splendido Mare in Portofino.

In recent years, the company has changed its seaside presence with the Hotel Caruso Belvedere in Ravello along the Amalfi Coast. But in one of the biggest game-changing debuts to date, Orient-Express migrates to Sicily’s Taormina starting May 27 for a one-two hotel punch that may alter the dynamics of this majestic town and traditionally affordable island escape forever.

There’s no easy way to get there. The most accessible is through Catania and a speedy highway trip up the southeastern shore of Sicily that gets progressively more picturesque before a hilltop fortress appears on a distant hilltop in the backdrop of a sometime-smoking Mount Etna that is the historic town of Taormina. Its name is virtually unknown to most Americans, who prefer Positano or Capri. But to overlook Taormina is to miss one of Italy’s most beautiful wonders, a mountaintop topography with majestic Roman-Greco ruins and a lazy cable car that links it to a seaside paradise of secret swimming coves and offshore natural reserves untouched by mass tourism.

If arriving with your own set of wheels, getting to the Grand Hotel Timeo won’t be the easiest of journeys even once you’ve arrived in Taormina. Confusing signs, if any at all, and roads shared with pedestrians take you to the edge of town near the entrance of Taormina‘s historic Teatro Greco ruins. There, you’ll find the atrium-entrance of the larger and more opulent of Orient-Express’s two newest hotels acquired this year. They were closed for a complete overhaul and brought up to 5-star standards.

Grand Hotel Timeo was hardly a wreck to begin with. But it was a laggard behind San Domenico Palace as the city’s top hotel. Grand Hotel Timeo was built in 1873 and expanded over the years along a dramatic hilltop promontory with three private villas that maximize the head-on views of Mount Etna and the bay of Naxos. Poised to become Sicily’s top hotel property, the location next to one of Italy’s great historical ruins makes it a top draw during the annual Taormina Film Festival, held June 10-18.

Source: Street.com

Boutique Hotels in Sicily

Set just off the tip of Italy’s boot in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily offers visitors a mountainous landscape filled with an Old World feeling. Peppered throughout the island you can find boutique hotels that incorporate Sicily’s long-standing traditions with the modern facilities of a contemporary hotel to create an intimate and one-of-a-kind environment.

Hotel Villa Ducale

The Hotel Villa Ducale resides in a traditional aristocratic villa on the hillside overlooking Taormina Bay in northeastern Sicily. This small boutique hotel was completely refurbished in 2007 and contains only 17 rooms and suites, each with its own private balcony facing the sea. Rooms feature a traditional decor, tiled terracotta floors, raw stone walls, private bathrooms and locally crafted handmade antiques. Amenities include air conditioning, wireless Internet access, satellite television and coffee makers. The hotel serves a complimentary Sicilian breakfast on the outdoor terrace and offers complimentary cocktails in the evening. Guests can enjoy the on-site garden with Jacuzzi or take advantage of the free shuttle service to Taormina’s city center.

Hotel Villa Ducale
Via Leonardo da Vinci 60
Taormina
Phone: (+39) 0942-28-153
Web site: www.villaducale.com

Hotel Villa Carlotta

Guests of the Hotel Villa Carlotta stay in a former aristocratic manor within walking distance to historic city center of Taormina. This luxury boutique hotel contains 23 individually designed guest rooms, which mixes its historic clad stone construction with modern styles to create a contemporary feel. Rooms have large bay windows looking out at the sea, private bathrooms, bathrobes, slippers, complimentary wireless Internet, plasma televisions, air-conditioning and balconies. Guests have access to a nearby fitness center and an on-site book and DVD library. The hotel can arrange a chauffeured car-service, theater tickets and dinner reservations.

Hotel Villa Carlotta
Via Pirandello 81 Taormina
Phone: (+39) 0942-626-058
Web site: www.hotelvillacarlottataormina.com

Hotel Palazzo Failla

Located in southeastern Sicily, the Hotel Palazzo Failla gives guests easy access to Modica’s 100 historic churches. This luxury hotel features a traditional Sicilian design and atmosphere. Throughout the property guests can admire original frescoes, hand-made ceramics and antique furniture. Rooms carry the same Old World feeling, yet feature modern amenities such as wireless Internet access, air conditioning and satellite television. All room rates include a daily breakfast buffet. The hotel’s cafe serves cocktails and coffee throughout the day and the on-site restaurant offers Sicilian dishes and wine.

Hotel Palazzo Failla
Via Blandini 5
Modica
Phone: (+39) 0932-941-059
Web site: www.palazzofailla.com

Article by by Patrick M. Lind, Demand Media
Source: USAToday.com

Verdura Golf Resort and Spa, Sicily

The Telegraph published a review of the Verdura Golf Resort and Spa, Sicily a few days ago.

The spa: Perched on the rugged landscape of the lesser-known south-western coast of Sicily is this new shoreline resort from Rocco Forte, the king of cosy minimalism. At 4,000 square metres, this spa is one of the biggest in Europe.

Spa Spy’s symptoms: An outbreak of mild eczema has left Spy with dried-out and itchy skin, plus asthma which, Spy suspects, has been brought on by a stressy, urban lifestyle.

The prescription: Pre-treatment soaks in the four outdoor thalassotherapy pools, filled with mineral-rich sea water. A self-administered hydro-massage under the pool’s various power jets is followed by a 50-minute Sicilian Aroma massage (£93).

The procedure: After an initial consultation and a 45-minute relaxing soak in the pools, hammam and “experience” showers, it was time for the signature treatment: an all-over body massage aimed at moisturising the skin and offering complete relaxation. Local olive oil, lemons and blood oranges are used.

The verdict: The time spent in the thalassotherapy pools was not only relaxing but resulted in Spy’s skin calming down and feeling noticeably more hydrated. The massage was the icing on top – with aches and pains eased away and skin feeling soft and supple.

The medical opinion: Dr Eric Asher, medical director and GP at Third Space Medicine, London, says: “The application of fairly strong jets of water to skin nerve endings can stimulate a healing response in the underlying tissues and even (possibly) in organs linked to the areas being treated. The minerals in the water are likely to be beneficial as they are a more concentrated version of the body’s own blood salts and would also stimulate healing in the superficial skin cells, helping to alleviate itchy skin.”

The feelgood factor: The resort’s stark design, by architect Flavio Albanese, suits its location on a wide expanse of rugged shoreline. But the ultra-modern look is softened by it being set among fragrant olive groves and gardens. All 203 bungalow rooms have terraces, sea views and lovely Sicilian design touches – local mosaics and ceramics and flashes of warm colour.

Details: During March and April, a three-night stay at Verdura (00800 7666 6667, www.roccofortecollection.com) starts from £1,100, as part of the resort’s Exclusive Spring Offer. This includes daily breakfast, complimentary three-course dinner every evening, complimentary green fees for unlimited use on the three golf courses, and a complimentary spa treatment for each three-night stay. Alitalia (alitalia.com) flies to Catania from London Heathrow, from £177 return.

Source: Telegraph.co.uk

Verdura Golf & Spa Resort in Sicily reopening March 1, 2010 with a new Spring offer

The Rocco Forte Collection’s first ever golf and spa resort, Verdura in Sicily, will reopen its doors for its first full season on March 1, 2010.

The luxurious Olga Polizzi-designed resort, complete with a private coastline, three links style golf courses, a thalasso-therapy spa and four restaurants, is situated in a beautiful corner of South West Sicily, one hour’s drive from Palermo.

To celebrate the reopening of the resort, Verdura has launched a Spring promotion from March 1 to April 29 (excluding Easter) offering guests booking a stay on a bed and breakfast basis a complimentary upgrade to half-board, unlimited green fees and a complimentary 50—minute spa treatment for each three night stay.

Sir Rocco Forte, chairman and CEO of The Rocco Forte Collection, explains, “From the outset I wanted to create a truly luxurious resort which offered exceptional golf, spa and dining experiences amid panoramic views and spectacular design. With 1.8km of coastline and 230 hectares of land, Verdura offers an incredible feeling of space for those staying in the 203 rooms and suites of the hotel. My sister Olga Polizzi has worked very hard to create a look that is both luxurious and striking – our guests will know they are waking up in Sicily.”

Golfers will enjoy a first-rate experience with two 18 –hole championship golf courses as well as a 9-hole par-3 course, set into the Sicilian countryside designed by renowned golf architect Kyle Philips. The spectacular 4,000sq metre Verdura Spa is a tranquil retreat offering luxurious treatments using local olive oil and extracts from oranges and lemons. The spa also houses a lap pool, fitness center, hammam, beauty salon and open-air thalasso-therapy pools.

Families will be very well looked after with a Verdura’s Kids Club and Teenagers Club, many land and sea activities, including tennis, sailing, windsurfing and two tiered swimming pool.

Sir Rocco Forte continues, “Verdura brings together the talent and experience of some of the world’s best hotel, golf course and spa designers, who have used the vivid Sicilian setting as the inspiration for their work.”

Verdura Golf & Spa Resort among the sexiest golf resorts in the world

Verdura Golf & Spa Resort has been nominated among the sexiest golf resorts in the world by A Position.com.

Here is what journalist Brian McCallen writes about Verdura Golf & Spa Resort, Sicily:

Crossroads of civilizations, Sicily—the triangular-shaped island at the tip of Italy’s boot—is etched with more than 3,000 years of history. But it’s a recent newcomer that’s proven to be every bit as smoldering as Mt. Etna. Slated to open on March 1, Verdura is a 45-hole seaside complex set on a large estate near the Valley of Temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Well-preserved antiquities not sexy enough? The stylish resort is a stage set for La Dolce Vita, from its private beach (perfect for intimate cuddling) to an airy, contemporary hotel accented by volcanic tufa, exposed timber, and vibrant splashes of local color. The Roman within you will love the spa: blood oranges, lemons, volcanic mud, and seawater season the treatments. Musicians will serenade you at the Torre Bar, but there can’t be a better place under the Mediterranean sun to nuzzle than La Granita, which serves Tapas-style dishes and vino on a terrace above the pool and gardens. While the resort’s brawny East and West courses weave through olive and orange groves near the sea, the nine-hole short course is ideal for a let’s-not-keep-score, his-and-hers outing. Exotic, sun-drenched, and intensely beautiful, Verdura is the perfetto place to ignite or rekindle a romance.

More about A Position.com:

Mixed twosomes, rejoice. The A Position.com has named the best golf resorts for mixing your favorite indoor and outdoor sports. The second installment of “The A List”—a monthly compendium of expert golf and travel info—discloses where these experienced golf and travel experts most want to swing. The A Position’s writers searched for locations that put the “hot” in hotel, with balmy weather, hands-on spa treatments, secret passageways for midnight trysts, succulent meals, even provocative golf course mounding. From Sicily to Thailand, Mexico to Ontario, The A Position’s laborers of love reveal where to take your paramour for Valentine’s Day—or any time of the year—when you want to play a round.

Orient-Express Hotels acquires 2 Sicily hotels

Orient-Express Hotels Ltd. announces expansion plans in Italy. The company has signed a binding agreement to purchase two distinctive properties in Taormina, Sicily from The Framon Group, subject to completion conditions.

The 83-key Grand Hotel Timeo is considered by many to be the most luxurious hotel in Taormina, and the nearby 78-key Villa Sant’Andrea has a private beach on the Bay of Mazzaro. Under the agreement, scheduled for completion in late January, Orient-Express Hotels will acquire both properties for a combined price of EUR81million (US$117 million) including the assumption of existing financing of EUR44 million (US$64 million), a new medium term bank loan of EUR6 million (US$9 million) and vendor financing of EUR5 million (US$7 million). The company plans to invest EUR11 million (US$16 million) in a major refurbishment program, to take place over three consecutive winter closures. The hotels will reopen to Orient-Express Hotels’ standard in time for the 2010 summer season.

More at HotelsMag.com

Interview with Sir Rocco Forte

Who follows SicilyGuide knows that we have been big fans on the Verdura Golf & Spa Resort of the Rocco Forte Collection. Here is an interview with Rocco Forte featured in The Luxury Travel Magazine.

A conversation with Sir Rocco Forte, Chairman of The Rocco Forte Collection, a family of 13 luxury hotels and resorts in Europe, with four new properties due to open within the next three years in Northern Africa and the Middle East.

When you established The Rocco Forte Collection in 1996, what was your vision?

With The Rocco Forte Collection, the strategy from the beginning was to create a luxury hotel group which covered all the major cities in Europe, because there was no one else doing that. Our hotels have a very strong design element which is overseen by my sister Olga Polizzi, Director of Design for The Rocco Forte Collection. We try to relate the hotel to the local market and environment it’s in. Our hotels aren’t too big. There’s an intimate feel to them. You can treat a customer as an individual. Once a hotel is larger than a certain size it gets difficult to do that. It’s a combination of all those things.

Has that vision changed? If so, how and why?

We have spent the last ten years building The Rocco Forte Collection brand in Europe and our vision and brand values have remained the same throughout. About two years ago, as part of the evolution of the brand, we made the decision to start thinking outside of Europe and signed management contracts for properties in Abu Dhabi (opening mid 2010), Jeddah (opening autumn 2010), a golf & spa resort in Marrakech (opening 2011) and Cairo (opening 2012). The fact that we are moving towards management contracts, and have in fact fought off competition from other leading five star brands, shows how far we have come in the last ten years, and that we are now in a position to leverage The Rocco Forte Collection brand.

Tell us about your newest hotel, which is actually your first resort (pictured above), and how this project came about?

From the outset I wanted to create a truly luxurious resort which offered exceptional golf, spa and dining experiences amid panoramic views and spectacular design. The rugged south west coast of Sicily provided the ideal setting for the Verdura Golf & Spa Resort.

The decision to move into resorts was a natural progression for us and a key element in the growth strategy of the business. We will be looking to attract the same leisure and corporate customers that currently stay in our other properties as well as expanding into the family market.

For golfers Verdura offers a first-rate experience with 45 holes of the highest design set into the Sicilian countryside with superb views of the Mediterranean. As a resort it presents every possibility with a spectacular 4,000 square metre Spa, specializing in luxurious Thalassotherapy and Aromatherapy treatments.”

Families will also be very well looked after with Verdura’s Kids Club and Teenagers Club, enjoying many of the land and sea activities on offer including the 60-metre two tiered swimming pool, tennis, sailing and windsurfing.

Verdura brings together the talent and experience of some of the world’s best hotel, golf course and spa designers, who have used the vivid Sicilian setting as the inspiration for their new work here.

What are your criteria for selecting new destinations?

It’s all about finding a great property in the right location and of course at the right price. I like acquiring buildings that have a sense of history, are well located and have a real connection to the city.

There are still key cities in Europe that I would like to be in including Paris, Madrid, Milan, Barcelona and Moscow. I would also like to have a property in New York as it is the most Eastern looking US city and is an important destination for us.

Most of your hotels are historic buildings. Why did you build new hotels in Manchester and Munich?

Our hotels are a mixture of older historic buildings and new builds. It really is all about the location of the property and its connection to the city. The Lowry Hotel (above left) with its dramatic glass-fronted façade is a real landmark in Manchester and was the first five star hotel in the city.

There are different sets of issues with developing hotels in both new build and historical buildings. For example when we were building The Augustine (above right) in Prague, we had to work with the local fine art authorities because a lot of the buildings have historical significance. At our new resort in Sicily, Verdura Golf & Spa Resort, I had always wanted to create a high-class golf resort. When we looked at Sicily, we found a place that is interesting historically, has beautiful countryside, good tax incentives and the weather is usually quite good. Of course, this year while we’re building there’s been more rain than in the last 70 years! And the land had 72 different owners, so we had to negotiate with everyone.

Is there one of your properties where you feel most “at home” and why?

This summer, I spent quite a lot of time at our new golf & spa resort, Verdura in south west Sicily which opened in August. I am extremely proud of the resort and think we have created something very special there.

Out of all the hotels in The Collection, I probably spend the most time at Brown’s Hotel (below) as it’s located in the heart of my hometown, London and is a quick walk from my office in Jermyn Street. The fact that it was an old Forte hotel makes it extra special to me. I think my sister has done a great job in creating a quintessentially English hotel with a contemporary feel. The Donovan Bar and The Albemarle restaurant (below right) in Brown’s have become two of the places ‘to be seen’ on the London circuit.

Source: LuxuryTravelMagazine.com

Verdura Golf and Spa Resort voted leading new spa hotel in Europe

Verdura Golf & Spa Resort features one of Europe’s most advanced luxury well being centers, designed to ensure that a holiday can be a life-changing experience. At 4,000 square meters, the spa is one of the largest in Europe.

Set amid fragrant, sun-kissed olive groves and gardens, Verdura Spa offers a complete holistic approach to health, well-being and fitness. An extensive menu of spa treatments, lifestyle, exercise and nutritional programs will leave the body revived, relaxed and rejuvenated.

Treatments are focused around the four key areas of anti-aging, detox, rejuvenation and diet. The experienced health and therapy staff will consult with each guest and develop a personalized program of treatments and fitness activities. Treatments can be tailor-made to concentrate on massage, golf-related exercise, diet and nutrition. Treatments such as facials and body wraps take inspiration from the island, using local ingredients such as blood oranges, lemons, volcanic mud and Sicilian seawater.

More at TreatmentAbroad.net

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