Aperture

🏨 IHG Hotels & Resorts introduces the mid-scale brand Garner to Rome, renaming The Smooth Rome to Garner Rome Aurelia after partnering with Pacini Group. The rebranding emphasizes IHG's commitment to strengthening its portfolio in Italy's mid-scale segment, adding to over 88 Garner properties in development. Launched in 2023 as IHG's 19th brand, Garner Hotels is recognized for its flexibility and solid returns. Garner Rome Aurelia is located west of Rome on Via Aurelia, providing convenient access to Fiumicino Airport, Vatican City, Trastevere, and central historical attractions. After Pacini Group's total renovation in January 2025, the hotel features 58 modern rooms, a restaurant, bar, open terrace, and meeting area, focusing on essential elements like strategic location, comfort, free Wi-Fi, 24-hour fresh ground coffee, and quality H24 snacks at the Garner Shop. Willemijn Geels, VP of Development Europe at IHG, sees this expansion as a milestone for growth in Italy, while Emidio Pacini, Founder & CEO of Pacini Group S.p.A., expresses pride in the partnership and the ability to meet the increasing demand for quality hospitality in Rome.

🏡 Tridente Collection, under Fabrizio Pacini's guidance, recently opened U-Visionary Venezia in Cannaregio, Venice, joining the brand's Roman hotel. The boutique hotel showcases a blend of Western and Eastern culture through modern design, curated by architect Daniele Chiocchio from Integra Design. U-Visionary Venezia features rooms overlooking the Grand Canal, a 26 sqm family suite with a terrace, and an Oriental-style garden. Artistic elements are incorporated in collaboration with Cinquerosso Arte gallery, harmoniously balancing dark wood with vivid textiles.

🏡 Vista Ostuni, a luxury 5-star hotel by the Passera family, is confirmed to open in summer 2025 after two years of construction. Located 37 km from Brindisi Airport and near the White City, it’s part of The Leading Hotels of the World and housed in the former 14th-century Manifattura Tabacchi. The hotel operates year-round, offering 28 rooms and suites with an average size of 60sqm, two restaurants, three pools, a rooftop bar, a library bar, a Spa, a beauty center, and a gym. Michelin-starred Chef Andrea Berton oversees the food & beverage, with two dining experiences: Bianca Bistrot and Berton al Vista. The hotel features over 16,000 sqm of gardens designed by landscape architect Erik Dhont, private beach club transfers, historical and artistic site visits, and 70 staff members. Architect Roberto Murgia of RMA led the restoration with a vision of discreet luxury.

🏠 Kerzner International is developing the SIRO brand, with SIRO Boka Place in Montenegro opening this year and announcing SIRO Roppongi, Tokyo for 2029. SIRO One Za'abeel in Dubai welcomed its first guests in February 2024. SIRO Roppongi will feature 100 rooms plus advanced fitness and recovery labs, located in Tokyo's Minato-ku district, near art galleries, museums, and Michelin-starred restaurants. Philippe Zuber, CEO of Kerzner International, highlights Japan's strategic significance and Kerzner's commitment to expand within the country.

🎨 Gardaland to unveil 'Animal Treasure Island,' an exclusive Merlin IP, in April 2025. The attraction aims to forge a deep emotional connection with visitors, featuring animal characters embodyed with relatable values and behaviors. Luisa Forestali, head of marketing at Gardaland, emphasizes the creation of a special bond that endures beyond the visit.

🏨 IHG Garner Hotels launched in Italy by rebranding a Pacini Group property into Garner Rome Aurelia. Strategically located west of Rome on Via Aurelia, the hotel offers access to Fiumicino Airport, Vatican City, Trastevere, and downtown attractions. In January 2025, Pacini Group completed a total renovation of the hotel, now featuring 58 rooms, a restaurant, bar, open terrace, and meeting area. This marks IHG's commitment to strengthening its mid-scale segment in Italy and expanding its portfolio with Willemijn Geels, VP Development Europe, and Emidio Pacini, Founder & CEO of Pacini Group, expressing enthusiasm for the partnership and market growth.

🏡 Oliver Winter, CEO of a&o Hostels, opened a&o Firenze Campo di Marte in Florence, featuring 119 rooms with a central location near Campo di Marte station. The hostel is equipped with seven self-check-in terminals in 13 languages, cleaning robots, a mobile key app, electric vehicle charging stations, and 40 parking spaces. The building will be redesigned by BWM Architektur & Design, adding a multifunctional courtyard for sports and recreation. The Florence hostel has 466 beds and is the second a&o in Italy after Venice (2017), contributing to the chain's total of 42 hostels across Europe.

🏨 Radisson Hotel Group in 2024 added nearly 40,000 rooms globally. Elie Younes highlighted a successful year despite geopolitical changes and plans for 2025 focusing on growth and new business models. The Radisson Collection expanded to 70 hotels, including first-time acquisitions in Paris, Madrid, and a third in Riyadh, with new flagships in Rome and Srinagar, India. In collaboration with PPHE Hotel Group, they launched art'otel London Hoxton in May, with an art'otel Rome slated for early 2025, marking the brand's debut in Italy. Radisson Blu brought over 20 new properties, like those in Casablanca's financial district and Conakry, Guinea. Radisson RED entered markets such as Danang, Berlin, Auckland, Vientiane, and Abuja, with significant openings in Galway and Phuket Patong Beach. Launched in 2020, Radisson Individuals rapidly grew in the Apac region with nearly 15 new properties, including in India, Oman, Sardinia, Turkey, France, and the UK. The mid-scale brand prizeotel was rebranded to Prize by Radisson, with upcoming openings in Gdansk and Berlin. An Eastern Mauritius coast hotel is under development.

✈ Royal Air Maroc transported 500,000 passengers in Italy in 2024, eyeing a new African destination, Dakhla. In January, they inaugurated routes from Rabat and Madrid to Dakhla. Mohammed Adil Korchi, Italy's General Manager, anticipates an additional 11 aircraft by June, potentially exceeding the current 40 weekly flights from six Italian airports. By 2037, the airline aims to increase its fleet from 70 to 200, serve over 100 global destinations, 46 domestic routes, and target €9 billion in turnover with 31.6 million passengers, up from 7.2 million in 2024.

🏠 Raro Villas and Raro Realty, part of the Nicolaus group, are experiencing significant growth in market recognition, managed properties, and business turnover. The Raro brand includes Raro resorts and high-end tailor-made offerings, expanding into the Raro Rooms Collection for luxury room and service offerings in charming dwellings. Raro Villas' portfolio exceeds 3,000 villas, with strong American market demand (30%) and bookings from 57 countries. In 2024, Raro Villas saw a business turnover increase of 12% over 2023 and 69% over 2022. Bookings for September and October 2024 grew by 55% and 28%, respectively. Raro Realty's total property values and commission from sales increased by 95% in 2024 over 2023, with the opening of a new office in Savelletri and plans for iconic Italian locations. The success of both divisions is attributed to strategic positioning, innovative approaches, and international market visibility through prestigious events.