Aperture

🏡 Orient Express La Minerva, a luxury five-star hotel, will open in spring 2025 in Rome. The hotel is in the historic Palazzo Fonseca, dating back to 1620, with 93 luxury rooms and suites, renovated by architect Hugo Toro. The property was acquired in 2021 by Arsenale. Gilda Perez-Alvarado, CEO of Orient Express, announced the opening, part of a collection including hotels, trains, and sailing yachts. The hotel aims to blend Art Deco style with contemporary elegance and serve as an exclusive travel and cultural destination.

🏨 Hilton Group expands to Moldova, investing in the capital's historic Dacia Hotel for transformation into Hilton Garden Inn. The project in Chișinău aims to elevate hospitality standards and boost tourism and economic performance, with an expected completion in 2026. Natalia Bejan of Invest Moldova Agency highlights the significance of this move for the emerging destination.

🏨 Meliá Hotels plans to open 15 new luxury properties in 2025 under the brands ME by Meliá, ZEL Hotels, The Meliá Collection, and Paradisus by Melia, expanding in Europe, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia. ME by Meliá openings include Lisbon, Malaga, Marbella, Greece, Albania, China, and Mexico. Paradisus by Melia will open in Fuerteventura and later in Pattaya, Thailand. ZEL Hotels, co-founded with tennis player Rafa Nadal, will launch ZEL Sayulita in Mexico and expand to Madrid.

🏡 Villa San Michele, A Belmond Hotel in Florence, will undergo a restyling starting at the end of 2024, with completion expected in 2026. Creative direction by Luigi Fragola Architects, the 15th-century ex-monastery will reduce rooms from 42 to 38, including 3 signature suites and 28 suites/junior suites. The 9,700 sqm gardens, reimagined by Luca Ghezzi Garden Design, will reopen in spring 2026 with new outdoor experiences in the Renaissance style gardens.

✈️ In Nuuk, Greenland, the first of three airports opened, with two more expected in Ilulissat and Qaqortoq by 2026. Managed by Air Greenland and Icelandair, the new airports will reduce travel time across Greenland to approximately 90 minutes. Nuuk's new international airport introduces five weekly direct flights to Copenhagen, increasing to six during Christmas and eight in summer. Additionally, a weekly summer flight from Nuuk to Aalborg and a seasonal Nuuk-Billund flight from April to October are offered.

🏖️ In 1975, Attilio Neyroz and Silvia “Cicci” Feroli established the internationally renowned luxury Hermitage Relais & Châteaux in Breuil-Cervinia. Celebrating its 50th anniversary, a book titled "I miei primi cinquant’anni" by Guido Andruetto honors the hotel intertwined with the iconic Cervino mountain. CEO Corrado Neyroz emphasizes the heritage of hospitality, the future's unique experiences, and tackling climate change's threat to their beloved mountains.

🍔 A new Burger King opens in Milan on November 30 at Viale Corsica n. 91, the ninth directly owned store in the city and 93rd in Italy. The restaurant employs 25 staff, covers 228sqm with 30 indoor seats, and introduces table ordering via QR code and a "Be The King" loyalty program. Burger King Italy continues its growth with 283 restaurants nationwide, 34 opened in 2023 alone, serving over 20 million Italians annually. Founded in 1954, Burger King operates over 18,700 locations in 100+ countries, and QSRP, its parent company in Italy, oversees over 1,200 European restaurants generating €1.4 billion in turnover.

🍺 Doppio Malto, a renowned Italian gastronomy brand, has opened a new restaurant in Modena, adding to its 43 locations in Italy and 3 in Europe. The Modena venue on via Emilia Est 776 offers a mix of artisanal beer, crafted in Iglesias, Sardinia, and quality food, including a new winter menu with over 14 craft beers. Celebrating the opening, the restaurant provides beer for 3 euros from Monday to Thursday and free meals for kids up to 10 years on Sundays. Future expansions include Brescia, Pompei, Sassari by 2024, and Nice, Marseille, Lyon by the first half of 2025. Doppio Malto continues to offer job opportunities and has been awarded the "Insegna dell’Anno" for quality and popularity.

☕ Rancilio Group, part of the Ali Group Coffee Division, opens a new branch in Letchworth Garden City to serve the UK and Ireland, promoting brands Rancilio, Rancilio Specialty, and Egro. Scott Singleton is appointed as the Managing Director, with James Gardiner as Business Development Manager and Darren Hutchinson as Tech Service Manager, supported by Giacomo Fontana, Regional Sales Manager from Italy. The branch will focus on local commercial relationships and operational support for the region's coffee technology needs.

🏡 Located in Venice's tranquil Sant'Elena district, Hotel Indigo Venice Sant’Elena is a boutique hotel managed by HNH Hospitality and part of IHG Intercontinental Hotels Group. It resides in a 1930s former convent, redesigned by THDP and architect Manuela Mannino, inspired by the Venice-Byzantine culture connection. The hotel features blown glass chandeliers, 75 rooms and suites including a duplex suite with terrace, and the Savor Restaurant Bar & Garden. Hotel manager Carmela Pino has been leading since July.