Aperture

🏠 Hilton to open the Canopy by Hilton Milan Duomo in Milan with 96 rooms in 2023 and the Hilton Garden Inn Rome Colosseum with 181 rooms by summer 2026. Both properties result from franchising agreements with Forimi Italia Spa, part of the Gruppo Roscioli. Alan Mantin, Hilton's VP of Development for Southern Europe, highlights Italy's importance with 109 Hilton hotels operating or in the pipeline. The Milan property features a sophisticated design including a restaurant, bars, and a pool, while the Rome hotel offers modern amenities near historic sites like the Colosseum.

🏡 The Muraka at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island is the first underwater villa, 5m below sea level, featuring glass walls and ceilings, for a starting price of €40,000 per night. Treehotel in northern Sweden offers unique treetop cabins, including the "UFO" and "Mirrorcube", starting at €523 per night, with 4-star hotel amenities and green energy. Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort in Finnish Lapland has glass igloos for viewing the Northern Lights, ideal from December to March. Giraffe Manor in Nairobi, Kenya, allows guests to dine with giraffes peering through windows, popular on Instagram. Skylodge Adventure Suites in Peru offers transparent capsules suspended on a cliff near Cusco, accessible by rock climbing or zip-lining, perfect for a digital detox and star gazing, but not for those with vertigo. These unique accommodations are part of companies' strategies to enhance employee wellbeing and incentive programs.

🏨 Egnazia Ospitalità Italiana chosen for the faithful refurbishment of Hotel Diana, housed in a historic building since 1908. The company, experienced in the field, has been working since January on the revival of Castello Sonnenburg.

💸 Hosco, an online career platform, has expanded its global network this month by welcoming four new Career Centers. These additions enhance the availability of profiles in hospitality management, culinary arts, and bartending, connecting users with a larger pool of global hospitality talents.

🏠 Club Carpeneto, an "albergo diffuso" in Alto Monferrato by Essence Interiors and EIDOS Group, will open in January 2026 in Carpeneto, Alessandria. Developed for American entrepreneur James McKinley Thomason, the project features integrated tourism with local partnerships and premium services like a spa and recreational activities. Five locations offer suites to houses, with the Casa dei Leoni luxury Club House as a centerpiece. Future plans include new partnerships and restorations to maintain Carpeneto's character, blending tradition with modern comforts.

🏡 Orient Express La Minerva, the first hotel to bring the famous rail brand to a land-based structure, opens today in the heart of Rome at Piazza della Minerva 69, near the Pantheon. This initiative, a result of a shared vision between the French group Accor and Italian Arsenale Group led by Paolo Barletta, was celebrated with notable attendees like Rome’s Mayor Roberto Gualtieri, Orient Express CEO Gilda Perez-Alvarado, Arsenale Group CEO Paolo Barletta, and Nicola Bulgari of Annabel Holding. The hotel features 93 rooms, including 36 suites ranging from 25 to 235 sqm, is designed by architect and artist Hugo Toro, and pays homage to historical figures like Stendhal and Herman Melville. Orient Express La Minerva boasts three F&B outlets, including La Minerva Bar, Gigi Rigolatto opening in May 2025, and Mimi Kakushi expected by the end of 2025, which has already achieved acclaim in Dubai and the World’s 50 Best Bars 2024. The hotel is set to become a prime destination for private and corporate events with five exclusive spaces.

🏃 Club del Sole confirmed as the Hospitality Partner for the Rimini Marathon 2025, set from April 11-13 at the Rimini Family Resort, featuring the Marathon Village. General Manager Angelo E. Cartelli highlighted the event's alignment with their active & healthy vision and its significant tourism impact. The resort offers nature-immersed lodges, a water park, sports facilities, Dog Friendly services, and a 35,000 sqm private beach with Dolcevita Beach Club. The Central Restaurant's remodel will debut during the marathon, culminating with an award ceremony at Piazzale Adamello, where winners get a stay at one of Club del Sole's 27 villages across eight Italian regions.

🏖️ KAIA, a new luxury tented resort brand, will debut in Koh Phangan, Thailand, by late 2025. Founded by Bound and Beyond and Cloud Collective, the brand aims for global expansion of outdoor hospitality. KAIA Koh Phangan will feature 31 ocean-view tented suites of 77 square meters each and four 248 square meter tented villas with private pools. The resort will center around a clubhouse with dynamic restaurants, lounge areas, an infinity pool, and a beach club. Activities will promote guest engagement with nature and local community, including beach banquets, sunset parties, and foraging.

🏡 Opening day for the world's first Orient Express hotel, Orient Express La Minerva, takes place in Rome with key figures in attendance, including Mayor Roberto Gualtieri and CEOs Paolo Barletta and Gilda Perez-Alvarado. The hotel, near the Pantheon at Piazza della Minerva 69, boasts 93 rooms ranging from 25 to 235 sqm, including 36 suites. A 17th-century palace, restored by architect Hugo Toro, the hotel merges Roman heritage with a new aesthetic. Orient Express La Minerva will also feature three exceptional gastronomic outlets, including La Minerva Bar in the lobby, Gigi Rigolatto on the terrace opening in May 2025, and Mimi Kakushi, a fusion restaurant coming by the end of the year, with a concept by Rikas Hospitality Group. Additionally, the hotel offers five event spaces with a capacity ranging from 28 to 165 sqm and a marble statue of Minerva sculpted in 1854 by Rinaldo Rinaldi. CEO Gilda Perez-Alvarado and CEO Paolo Barletta express their commitment to blending the iconic brand with the entrepreneurial vision of Arsenale Group, while emphasizing Rome's ideal blend of history, culture, and Italian hospitality.

🌊 Originaltour is offering summer trips to Bali with the option of Gili islands and Singapore, or Malaysia, with fixed departure dates from August 13 to 29. From Rome, travelers can stay in Sanur, known for its 4+ km beach and temple excursions. A second option includes a week in Sanur or Nusa Dua and a second in Gili Trawangan's Villa Ombok, offering "sasak" style lodgings. There are additional excursions, such as cooking classes in Ubud. Alternatively, a trip combining Singapore and Malaysia starts on August 10, departing from Milan and Rome via Emirates, returning on August 25. This journey includes Taman Negara rainforest, Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, and ends with beach time in Redang at Laguna Redang Resort.