Green hotel unveils spectacular children's facilities in Sardinia

The Resort Valle dell'Erica Thalasso & Spa in Sardinia offers a rare treasure, a fully equipped and highly sophisticated 'baby' and 'mini' club for children that in no way intrudes on the beauty and tranquillity of the hotel's setting. Family orientated resorts can be fun but noisy, but Resort Valle dell'Erica has got the balance right. Ericaland, the hotel's fully equipped children's centre, has a pool, restaurant, dedicated staff and a carefully thought out program of entertainment for all children, babies upwards. The Nursery offers a retreat for mothers and babies, with a feeding bottle preparation area, a soft area, bathrooms with diaper changing facilities and a nap room. The Junior/Mini Club is open for 3-12-year-olds from 9.00am to 11.00pm daily. The children have their own restaurant, offering evening entertainment and leaving parents free to enjoy a quiet evening in the grown-up restaurant or on the beach. Thanks to the enormous and well thought out layout of Resort Valle dell'Erica, none of these splendid facilities intrudes on the natural beauties of the coastline.


The Resort Valle dell'Erica continues to win awards for its eco-friendly policies. The Delphina group owns a consortium of hotels in Sardinia including a Charming Hotels favourite, the Hotel Capo d'Orso Thalasso & Spa. It has introduced a fully comprehensive 'green' policy throughout its hotels. These range from basic initiatives such as responsible waste disposal to ambitious and far-reaching schemes for tree planting and energy conservation. The president of Delphina, Francesco Muntoni, is also the mayor of Aggius, a pretty local town. He is a leading advocate of alternative and renewable energy sources on the island and installed 38 wind turbines in the local area, each one producing over than 1,000,000 kilowatts, sufficient for the needs of 400 families.

Hotel Touring - Bologna

One of the many striking features of the Hotel Touring is the 360 degree panorama of Bologna from the roof terrace. There are wonderful views of the nearby San Petronio Basilica and distant prospects of the towers and hills of Emilia-Romagna. The presence of a jaccuzzi on the roof terrace further enhances the effect, especially at the height of summer. The hotel dates to the nineteenth century but was given an extensive makeover in the Fifties and reopened in 1957. It has moved with the times since then, but retains an agreeable feeling of post-war celebration and elegance with a gentle but perceptible nod towards a belle epoque past. Nowadays the rooms are for the most part decorated in Liberty style with a contemporary spin; the luxuries of Room 438, the 'Diamond Suite', have become legendary, though all of the Touring's rooms are happy, uplifting and memorable. The hotel can arrange gastronomic tours of the surrounding area to order, covering the manufacture of wine, cheese and balsamic vinegar with lessons in cookery and history.

Hotel Il Guercino - Bologna

The Hotel Il Guercino is hidden away in a tranquil courtyard, remarkably peaceful and laid back but reassuringly close to the exhibition centre and the historical attractions of the old city. The hotel is a clever blend of historical authenticity underpinned by hi tech, all of the rooms flawlessly equipped and imaginatively decorated in a range of eclectic styles from the baroque through to the nineteenth century. There is a fabulous Turkish bath, part of the new Tecnogym fitness centre unveiled at the Guercino this month.

A measure of the hotel's appeal is that it has been visited on several occasions by a friendly ghost who has stayed in more than one of the well appointed rooms and has had its photograph taken by one of the guests. Though the sybaritic spectre avoided the hotel during the extensive renovation works it is hoped that he will pay a return visit and enjoy the new facilities, even in only in spirit. "Here at Il Guercino we take the needs of all our guests very seriously," says Sauro Nanetti, "even ghosts."

Bologna itself remains one of the most popular destinations in Italy, offering a consistently high standard of living to its residents and a good mix of activities for visitors. There is an agreeable and typically Italian collision of the old and new, ancient Etruscan remains sitting comfortably alongside contemporary exhibitions of photography, sculpture and art. There are some spectacular interiors, notably the anatomical theatre in the Palazzo dell'Archiginnasio and the Enrico Tabellini museum of music. A funloving but remarkably well-behaved student population contributes to the lively nightlife of the city.

Hotel Villa del Sogno - Gardone Riviera

The vast grounds of the Villa del Sogno hold many secrets, hidden temples and secluded paths that lead to ancient hillside clearings where one can enjoy memorable views of the sunsets over Lake Garda. There is a distinctly arcadian feeling and scholarly guests will reach for their Catullus and Virgil. The hotel itself, by contrast, is a masterpiece of  fin-de-siècle opulence and was once the the private home of the flamboyant Viennese silk manufacturer Maximilian Heydweiller, who built the villa in 1904. The rooms are imaginatively decorated in a variety of styles, reflecting Maximilian's eclectic taste. Call in advance to express a preference for Venetian, Liberty or Biedermeier. There is a choice between excellent standard rooms or luxury suites with gym, Jacuzzi, massage beds and private terraces. There is a swimming pool, a wellness centre and two restaurants. The informal Garden Bar serves lunch throughout the day and the very grand Maximilian Restaurant has a fine view of the lake from its terrace.

Villa del Sogno
Via Zanardelli, 107
25083 Gardone Riviera

Manager: Mr Davide Calderan

Park Hotel Faloria - Cortina d'Ampezzo

The Hotel Faloria has been a renowned mountain retreat for over a century. It is becoming increasingly popular to visit outside the ski season and explore the surrounding mountains on foot or by bike - the flora and fauna of a Dolomite spring and summer are magically uplifting. The Faloria comprises two chalet-style buildings, typical of the region, connected by a central area comprising the lobby, restaurant and an informal bar. The 31 rooms and suites have bracing views over the main piazza of  Moena and the surrounding Dolomites. The restaurant is friendly, intimate, and overlooks the Avisio river. It serves classic seasonal Trentino dishes. There is a Wellness centre on the top floor offering a variety of fitness programs and relaxing therapies. The views alone are sufficient to make you feel appreciably better even before you embark on the therapies.

Loc. Zuel di Sopra, 46
32043 Cortina d'Ampezzo

Managers:
Mrs Fabiana Rea

Hotel Villa Michelangelo - Vicenza

The Villa Michelangelo is a peaceful 18th century mansion close to the historic centre of Vicenza, well placed for exploring the nearby cities of Venice, Padua and Verona and the great Palladian villas along the Brenta Canal. The size 52 rooms vary in size and are well and luxuriously decorated with glassware, marbles and luxurious fabrics. The restaurant, La Loggia, has two elegant rooms with views over the Berici Hills. There is a swimming pool is set in the villa's olive grove with its own pleasant, informal bar. Vicenza itself is a World Heritage Site and there is a remarkably high concentration of beautiful architecture there. These include Andrea Palladio's masterpiece, the Basilica Palladiana, and his Teatro Olimpico, an enchanting 16th century theatre with an original stage set by Vincenzo Scamozzi. The food in Vicenza is widely and justly celebrated. Dishes are simple and are complemented by Asiago cheese, Marostica cherries, Nanto truffles and Breganze Cabernet wine.

Via Sacco, 35
36057 Vicenza, Arcugnano

Manager: Mr Pietro Rusconi

Hotel Villa Franceschi - Veneto

Hotel Villa Franceschi is a 16th century villa set in verdant parkland on the banks of the Brenta Canal. It is the former summer retreat of a Venetian merchant and characteristic of the many spectacular villas that line the Brenta, the country houses of the Venetian merchant princes. One of Franceschi's façades overlooks the water while the other overlooks the gardens and domestic buildings. All rooms are vast and have original fireplaces and tiled floors. There is an abundance of antique furniture and Murano glass chandeliers and mirrors, acres of Carrara marble and cascades of Rubelli fabric. The old Barchessa, a former boathouse and repository of farm equipment, has been transformed into a reception area with a bar and public rooms, all having access to the gardens. The restaurant has a large, shady verandah and serves good Venetian seafood classics. The landscaped gardens are peopled with beguiling antique marble statues.

Via Don Minzoni, 28
30030 Venice, Mira
Managers: Alessandro and Dario Dal Corso

Villa Stanley - Florence

The Villa Stanley is a peaceful 14th century retreat set in acres of parkland to the north west of Florence. There are 25 large guest rooms, all with relaxing garden views. There are additional rooms in the restored outbuildings near the villa's lemon grove. Appealing original features include a well and a secluded private chapel in the grounds. There is a discreetly landscaped swimming pool, immaculately planted formal gardens and fine tennis courts. The hotel restaurant, La Limonaia, offers Tuscan and Italian specialties served either in the dining room  or on the terrace overlooking the park.

Viale XX Settembre, 200
50019 Sesto Fiorentino
Florence

Manager: Mr Umberto Giordano

Hotel Helvetia & Bristol - Florence

The small but exceedingly well-appointed Bristol stands reassuringly close to the Palazzo Strozzi and the elegant Via Tornabuoni. It continues to unite the two worlds of high art and high fashion, just it did in the days of the Grand Tour. There are 67 rooms, each individually furnished with pietro duro tables, antique porcelain, Old Master paintings, silks and brocades. The whirlpool baths bring one gently down from the cultural high ground to the rich pastures of self-indulgence. The two suites on the 5th floor have great views of the cupola of Santa Maria del Fiore, the cathedral of Florence. There is a tangible sense of past glory - the hotel was visited by a number of luminaries including Stravinsky, Pirandello and Gorbachev. The Giardino d'Inverno - the courtyard gardens - remain as they have been for decades a meeting place for local literati and the Florentine upper crust. The Bristol has been expertly restored by its owner, the hotelier Luigi de Simone Niquesa who has lent a number of pieces from his private art collection. The Hostaria Bibendum restaurant overlooks the Piazza Strozzi and offers Italian and Tuscan classics. The wine list is exemplary.

Via dei Pescioni, 2
50123 Florence

Manager: Mr Stefano Venturi

Resort Valle Dell'Erica Thalasso & Spa - Delphina Hotels - Santa Teresa Gallura

Created in the late 1950s, this elegant holiday village has always been a sought after and sophisticated holiday resort. When the original buildings were given a spectacular makeover in 2005, the developers showed great respect for the natural ecology of the landscape. This consolidated Valle dell Erica's reputation and made it one of the most admired eco destinations in Italy. There are seemingly endless white sandy bays and innumerable secluded coves overlooking the Straits of Bonifacio. There are 140 rooms, all on the ground loor with independent entrances. For a pleasing mediterranean flourish, it is possible to arrange for the fresh catch of the day to be cooked and served to you directly on the beach. The thalasso spa, Le Hermae, lies in a cluster of natural granite rocks and has four sea water swimming pools set at different temperatures. There are thalasso-therapy cabins, Turkish baths and massage.

Valle dell' Erica
07028 Santa Teresa Gallura
Olbia - Tempio

Manager: Giuseppe Antonio Panunzio

Alborea Eco Lodges - Taranto

The Alborea Eco Lodges are part of the Nova Yardinia Resort and set in 16 hectares of natural parkland on the edge of the Stornara Nature Reserve, overlooking the Bay of Taranto. The 124 self-contained eco lodges are set in natural clearings of pine trees and wild herbs - the fragrance is heady and uplifting. The lodges are remarkably spacious with light modern wooden furniture, large verandahs, panoramic windows and hydro-massage baths. There is a good choice of food. The Silvo Grill has an eclectic international menu while the Taresco pool-side bar is informal, friendly and has delicious ice cream. A short walk through the pine groves leads to a private beach with fine white sand, sun loungers, parasols and bar service. There are heated indoor and outdoor sea-water swimming pools. Guests may use the thalasso spa facilities of the neighbouring Hotel Kalidria. The Stornara Nature Reserve was established in 1977 to protect the coastal forest of Aleppo pines. The word Stornara refers to the storni (starlings) that migrate here in winter.

Località Principessa
S.S. 106 km 466.6
74010 Castellaneta Marina

Manager: Mr Vincenzo Gentile

Hotel Villa Morgagni - Rome

The 19th century Liberty-style Villa Morgagni is outside the centre of Rome in a leafy residential area near the Baths of Diocletian and the park of the Villa Torlonia. There is a reassuringly long driveway leading to the villa and the setting is tranquil, unhurried. There are 34 rooms, some with private terraces. There is a sauna and Turkish bath.

Via G.B. Morgagni, 25
00161 Rome

Manager: Mrs Simona Gargari

Residenza Torre Colonna - Rome

The massive 13th century Torre Colonna used to be a defensive tower, a key point on the extensive Roman estates of the powerful Colonna family. It is now a very cleverly converted five-bedroom guest house. The location is perfect, very near Piazza Venezia. The Torre Colonna looks austere from the outside but is very seductive within - medieval minimalism with understated but unignorably lush touches of modernity. For example, a spiral staircase made of glass rises to the roof terrace where one can see Trajan's Column from the Jacuzzi. Breakfast is served at the top of the tower in a dramatically painted scarlet room with leather sofas. The contemporary Italian artist Natino Chirico exhibits at the hotel.  

Via delle Tre  Cannelle, 18
00187 - Rome

Managers: Gianni Montanari
and Sarah Hawker

Hotel Sole al Pantheon - Rome

The Hotel Sole al Pantheon dates from the 15th century and is one of the oldest hotels in Rome, overlooking the 2nd century AD Pantheon in Piazza della Rotonda. There is a palpable sense of ancient and modern history in the public rooms. The silverware on display in the lobby dates from the 18th century when the hotel was known as The Sun. There are reminders of distinguished visitors over the years including Ludovico Ariosto, Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. The Italian composer Pietro Mascagni stayed here when his popular work, Cavalliera Rusticana, was first performed at the nearby Teatro Barberini. The rooms are grand, beautifully decorated. There is a clever balance, always difficult to achieve, between 15th century grandeur and 21st century comfort.

Hotel Sole al Pantheon
Piazza della Rotonda, 63
00186 Rome

Residenza di Ripetta - Rome

The Residenza di Ripetta is a former 17th century convent, dramatically converted, between Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps. The hotel's impressive contemporary art collection, with works by Pomodoro and Sinisca, fits in remarkably well with the historical frescoes and sculptures from Ripetta's past. There are 69 suites and apartments, a roof garden with tremendous views and a quiet courtyard garden that completely shuts out the bustle of Rome. The meeting rooms are memorable, especially the Bernini, a former church-oratory that can hold more than 200 people.

Via di Ripetta, 231
00186 Rome

Hotel Homs - Rome

The newly redecorated four star boutique Hotel Homs was founded in 1910 and has enhanced its international reputation consistently over the years. It is well placed near the Piazza di Spagna and within striking distance of all the main sights including the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and Piazza Navona. The glamorous boutiques of Via Condotti, Via Borgogona and Via del Corso are a short walk away. The Homs has 53 elegant rooms and a clutch of top floor suites with private terraces that have incomparable views of the Roman skyline. The hotel's recently opened Vuda Bar overlooks two elegant streets, Via della Vite and Via Frattina. The Vuda is widely known and praised as a champagne bar and stocks all the best vintages.

Via della Vite, 71/72
00187 Rome

Manager: Mr Gildo Berardini

National Hotel - Rimini

The National is well placed in Marina Centro, overlooking the beach, close to shops and restaurants and to one of the great buildings of the Italian Renaissance, the Tempio Malatestiano. The National has 83 bedrooms and 3 roof-top suites with private terraces. The Villa dei Gelsomini is the National's new 12 suite annex close to the hotel. There are two restaurants, Il Ristorantino, with an elaborate à la carte and the less formal Ristorante Riviera directly on the beach. Both use local produce imaginatively and there is an excellent wine cellar. Other amenities include an outdoor swimming pool, Jacuzzi, sauna and the Oasi del Benessere, a rooftop Wellness centre. The Ninabella, the hotel's motor yacht, is available for trips on the Adriatic.

Viale A. Vespucci, 42
47900 Rimini

Manager: Mr Pier Luigi Grossi

Hotel & Fine Restaurant Miramare e Castello - Ischia

The Miramare e Castello in Ischia Ponte has a splendid private beach and excellent views of Castello Aragonese, the Bay of Naples, the Sorrentine Peninsula and the island of Capri. The rooms look towards Monte Epomeo, the highest point on the island, or across the bay towards the mainland. Breakfast is served on the roof terrace, light lunches and dinner at the sea front restaurant, the Miramare. Meals are often served on a unique floating deck over the water. There is Technogym itness centre, a beauty spa offering a variety of treatments including total body massages, sauna and hydro-massage and two roof-top Jacuzzis.

Hotel Miramare e Castello
Via Pontano, 5
80077 Ischia, Naples
Manager: Mr Giovanni Monti

Grand Hotel Continental - Siena

The Grand Hotel Continental in Siena occupies the former Palazzo Gori Pannilini, built by Pope Alexander VII and given to his niece Olimpia as a wedding present. Alexander VII was born Fabio Chigi, of the Chigi banking dynasty and a typical scion of the Tuscan mercantile aristocracy of the seventeenth century. Upon his enthronement in the Vatican, Chigi famously opposed the evils of nepotism but made notable exceptions in the cases of his own family and friends, many of whom he appointed to positions of great influence. Though a literary man he was not unopposed to luxury and even his tomb, by Bernini, is rather better appointed than most present-day five-star hotels. The Grand Hotel Continental is a byword in Baroque self-indulgence, lovingly restored by its owner Luigi de Simone Niquesa - a leading Italian hotelier and a Baroque potentate de nos jours - who has re-established the Grand Tour elegance for which the hotel was always renowned and enhanced it with exquisite pieces from his own collection. The Altana Suite is remarkable, on two floors at the top of a medieval tower overlooking the city and the Tuscan hills beyond. The hotel restaurant, Sapordivino, is excellent. The chef, Luca Ciaffarafà, serves an impeccable selection of Tuscan and Sienese classics. There is a strong wine list.

GRAND HOTEL CONTINENTAL

Via Banchi di Sopra, 85 – 53100 Siena (Italia)
Tel. +39 0577 56011 – Fax +39 0577 5601555
E-mail: reservation.ghc@royaldemeure.com

Cave Bianche Hotel - Favignana

A quiet and discreetly sybaritic citadel, the Cave Bianche is on Favignana, the largest of the Egadi islands off the westernmost tip of northern Sicily, near Trapani and Erice. The hotel is a bright and uplifting masterpiece of contemporary architecture set out within the protective walls of an ancient limestone quarry. This unique location puts the Cave Bianche very much at the forefront of the newly emerging upmarket eco hotels of southern Italy. There is a paradise within the walls - over 4000 square metres of it - with orange, lemon and fig trees, yuccas, oleanders, rock gardens and cool, deep pools. As one would expect in this part of Sicily the fish is superb. The chef here is the renowned Andrea Ventura, ably supported by Alberto Fiorino and Cristian Conigliaro. Their takes on mediterrananean seafood classics are zesty, uplifting and healthy.

The Cave Bianche
Favignana Island - Strada Comunale Fanfalo 91023
Manager: Mr Livio Gandolfo