Aperture

🏠 Rocco Forte Hotels to open The Carlton Milan, its tenth Italian property, at the end of summer 2025 in Milan following Rocco Forte House Milan's launch in September. After extensive renovations by design director Olga Polizzi and interior designers Paolo Moschino and Philip Vergeylen, the hotel aims to offer an authentic Milanese experience. The Carlton Milan will feature 70 rooms and suites, a restaurant, lounge bar, wellness center with gym and spa, and a panoramic bar with 360-degree city views.

🏠 Vocabolo Moscatelli, a boutique hotel in Umbria, was created by former five-star hotel concierge Frederik Kubierschky and Catharina Lütjens. The property, once a 12th-century monastery near Umbertide, Perugia, emphasizes local craftsmanship. Architect Jacopo Venerosi Pesciolini of Archiloop designed the renovation, respecting historical elements while integrating modern comfort. The hotel features unique rooms and suites, a spa suite, and a private chapel for weddings. Vocabolo Moscatelli is part of Design Hotels, listed in Michelin Guide, won a spot on Condé Nast Hot List 2023, and is featured on The Aficionados platform. The hotel offers personalized experiences, a la carte breakfast, and no TVs (unless requested). Activities include truffle hunting, foraging, ceramic courses, and visits to local artisanal sites.

🏦 Dusit Hotels and Resorts, a Thai company, expands into India with the opening of dusitD2 Fagu, Shimla, located 20 kilometers from Shimla in Northwest Himalaya at an altitude of 2000 meters. This luxury hotel features 80 rooms with views of valleys and mountains, a temperature-controlled pool, a spa with Thai massages, event spaces, a terraced lawn, and an outdoor amphitheater. Dining options include Dusit Gourmet for international cuisine and SOI for Thai and Pan-Asian food. Gilles Cretallaz, COO of Dusit International, sees India as a market with great potential, with four additional properties under construction and more planned. Dusit also launched its first hotel in Malaysia in early December in Melaka, a UNESCO World Heritage city. The Dusit Princess Chiang Mai in Thailand reopened after a three-year renovation that modernized services and rooms, expanded meeting spaces, and revamped dining options to include Jasmine Restaurant and Casa Verde.

💎 Romance Island, part of Sun Siyam Olhuveli in the Maldives, targets couples for honeymoons, anniversaries, and marriage proposals. Peak visits from Italians in December, January, August, with growing numbers in November, June, July, and September. The island boasts 111 villas, bespoke experiences like planting a personalized palm tree, 50+ dive spots, 7 dining options, and couple's treatments at the Blue Spa.

🛍 Sicilia Outlet Village to open during the holiday season from January 2-6, 2025, with extended hours up to 21:00. Starting January 4, visitors can take advantage of early sales at 170 Italian and international brand stores. A highlight for children will be meeting the Befana on January 6 for a hug and a photo.

🏆 Provincia Autonoma di Trento launches new grant for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in hospitality, commerce, and services sectors in preparation for the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. Eligible interventions include expansion, renovation, and equipment purchases. Incentives cover 30% of admissible expenses with a minimum spend of €50,000 for hospitality and €25,000 for commerce/services, up to a maximum of €1,000,000. Applications open from March 4, 2025, to May 30, 2025, with investments starting by September 1, 2024.

🏝 NH Collection adds the 4-star family hotel Mirtillo Rosso in Alagna Valsesia to its portfolio, set to open in March 2025 as NH Collection Alagna Mirtillo Rosso after renovation. Located minutes from the Alagna cable car leading to the Monte Rosa Ski area with 150 km of slopes, the hotel features 56 rooms and a Wellness Center with Spa, boasting separate areas for adults (300 sqm) and families (400 sqm). The NH Collection brand, celebrating its 10th anniversary, has 17 hotels in Italy and 60 Minor Hotels Europe & Americas properties across the country.

❄ Nordic Hotels & Resorts, part of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, offers 45 hotels across 27 cities in 5 Northern European countries. Key locations include At Six in Stockholm with 343 rooms and 14 restaurants, and Sommerro in Oslo, housed in the former electric company's building with 231 rooms, 7 restaurants, and a cinema. The collection also features The Thief in Oslo and Villa Copenhagen, with special mentions of the Wood Hotel in Bodø for Northern Lights views and the annually reconstructed IceHotel in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden, offering 10 to 20 ice suites.

🏖️ Blu Hotels acquires Beverly Alps Hotel & Spa, a 4-star establishment with 41 rooms and suites, in Pinzolo, Trentino, Italy. The group, led by President Nicola Risatti, secures a 9-year renewable lease. The hotel, close to Skiarea Campiglio Dolomiti di Brenta lifts, opens December 21, featuring refined cuisine and a wellness center with a pool, jacuzzi, Finnish sauna, Turkish bath, and more.

🏨 Sacbo confirms long-term partnership with HNH Hospitality for the new Hilton Garden Inn Bergamo Airport, starting construction in January 2025 and opening in 2026. The hotel at Bergamo airport will have 180 rooms and is directly connected to the Milan Bergamo Airport, which is expected to serve over 17 million passengers by the end of 2024. Sacbo has planned investments over €200 million for 2023-2027, including €30 million for the hotel and surrounding areas. The hotel aims to enhance the prestige of Milan Bergamo Airport's services and facilitate multimodal transport development including a railway connection.