Zoom around on a Vespa in Tuscany, trace the footsteps of Puccini in Lucca, look the part at a Venetian carnival ball, prepare authentic Apulian food in Puglia, cruise villas of the rich and famous around Lake Como, tour the famous vineyards of Piedmont, stay in the most stylish hotels or experience an audience with the Pope in Rome
A touch of La Dolce Vita! sums up Kuoni’s latest brochure as it brings together the best of Italy’s exalted cuisine, fashion, history, music, architecture and unparalleled sights. Lead-in prices for holidays in this colourful and stylish Mediterranean country are just £415 for five nights at the Hotel Romeo in Verona on a room and breakfast basis.
“Our new Italy brochure, only the 6th edition, will be sharing a space with top Italian specialists who have been around for over 30 years,” boasts Angelo D’Avino, product manager at Kuoni. “It’s spot on for those young lifestyle trendies wishing to stay at the newest and most fashionable hotels in Italy.”
Highlights of the brochure are:
· Over 90 new hotels, most of which are not known in the UK market. They include an old monastery above Amalfi, the historic Sorrento Palazzo, Hotel Villa Cimbrone in Ravello for classical music lovers, the Tuscan medieval estate of Borgo la Bagnaia, the eco-friendly Virgilius Hotel in the Tyrolean mountains and the lavish Lefay Resort & Spa on Lake Garda
· Eleven new destinations this year, from Como Town for the young and trendy and elegant Piedmont to Lake Trasimeno, the volcanic lake of Italy
· Exclusive to Kuoni is the planet-friendly Nova Yardinia resort, which includes the Alborea Eco-Lodge and Kalidria Grand Hotel stretched along the Ionian coast
· The best venue in Tuscany, Petriolo Resort & Spa, close to Montalcino
· Seven new excursions and tours, including fly drives in Sicily, Puglia, Sardinia and Tuscany, and the Best of the Neapolitan Riviera
· Most city hotels are offering free nights, while resort hotels are offering EB discounts
· Fantastic array of Italian experiences to get the most out of any holiday in Italy: in Tuscany, the Lakes, across the cities and Campania, and spanning cooking, art, history, wine, theatre, opera, shopping, trekking, festivals, architecture and sailing
EDITOR’S NOTES:
History and Track Record
Kuoni was established in 1906 in Switzerland by Alfred Kuoni, a visionary adventurer and explorer of his time who opened some of Europe’s first travel agencies. Today it has branch operations in over 40 countries. For 103 years, Kuoni has been creating holidays with a spirit of adventure and has been recognised consistently, winning coveted awards such as: ‘The World’s Leading Tour Operator’ for the past 11 years at the World Travel Awards; The Daily Telegraph’s Ultratravel voted Kuoni ‘Britain’s Best Large Tour Operator’ and Sunday Times Travel Magazine readers voted Kuoni 'Favourite Tour Operator for Families'. Kuoni has been ‘Britain’s Best Longhaul Tour Operator’ for 27 years as voted by travel agents.
Ethical Performance
Kuoni is committed to being a good corporate citizen, empowering people to protect the natural environment and local populations. The broader aim of Kuoni’s Corporate Responsibility (CR) policy is to minimise the adverse impact of tourist travel. Kuoni has over 32 active global CR projects and four priority areas: protecting children from sexual abuse in tourism; promoting fair working conditions; finding solutions for water scarcity and mitigating the consequences of climate change.
Kuoni’s Unique Selling Points
1. Concierge Service
The Kuoni Concierge service offers all the usual facilities of booking theatres, concerts, restaurants, festival or cultural occasions and overseas sporting events. It also manages private airport transfers, late check-outs, private tours and personal guides.
2. Kuoni Personal Travel Experts
Kuoni Personal Travel Experts are knowledgeable staff passionate about travel and ready to tailor-make the perfect holiday. They offer a personal touch by building a relationship with customers so they can call on the same travel expert each time they book.
3. At Home with Kuoni
Launched this year, At Home with Kuoni offers complimentary champagne, canapés and a Kuoni personal travel expert for individuals able to host a small gathering of friends and family in their home to learn about exciting holiday options. Guests are offered exclusive discounts.
Customer Assurance
Kuoni is ABTA and ATOL protected, giving customers financial protection and ensuring they won’t be stranded abroad. Customers are safe in the knowledge that while they are abroad, Kuoni has professional ground agents and English speaking guides to ensure they have an enjoyable stay.
For further press information & images of this expedition, please contact Kuoni PR: -
Fiona Blaszkowski on 01306 744 194/ fiona.blaszkowski@kuoni.co.uk
or Anne-Marie Hansen on 01306 744 173/ anne-marie.hansen@kuoni.co.uk
or Jemma Purvis on 01306 744 006/ jemma.purvis@kuoni.co.uk
or for images, please download from Kuoni Media Images Library
Editor’s Notes:
Neapolitan Riviera (pages 29-59)
· Cruise and sleep aboard a luxury yacht, stopping at famous little Neapolitan ports and dine at Michelin-starred restaurants
· New to the UK and exclusive to Kuoni are the Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi, a restored 12th century monastery perched midway up the dramatic cliffs of the Amalfi coast; the historic Sorrento Palazzo converted into Grand Hotel La Favorita; and the Hotel Villa Cimbrone in Ravello which stages classical music concerts in its gardens
· The contemporary Villa Marina in Capri Marina has been added to the brochure this year and is a magnet for fashionistas
· A seven-night self-drive takes in the bays of Naples and Salerno, soaking up the cosmopolitan Neapolitan Riviera to the less commercial districts of authentic Cilento
Sicily & Beyond (pages 61-71)
· New to the brochure is El Jebel, a Catalan Gothic style former palazzo in Taormina and now an hotel of just nine elegant suites with spa and gourmet restaurant
· Enjoy a seven-night fly-drive, The Wonders of Sicily, exploring historic Syracuse with its Doric temples, the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Agrigento, Trapani, the Norman-Byzantine architecture in Sicily’s capital Palermo and finally Catania to view or climb Mt Etna or to relax by a pool
· Experience the neighbouring island of Malta, with a base at one of four four-and five-star hotels
Sardinia (pages 73-83)
· Explore Sardinian-Catalan origins in Alghero and western Sardinia, staying at the five-star El Faro retreat perched on the rocks of a craggy headland and with plentiful leisure facilities
· New to the brochure is Cala Caterina, a four-star hideaway located on one of the island’s best beaches on the south east coast
· The Su Gologone hotel is a retreat showcasing the superior mountain scenery of Sardinia
Ligurian & Tuscan Riviera (pages 85-91)
· New to the brochure is UNA Versilia on the Tuscan seafront 50 minutes from Pisa airport and perfect for young and trendy couples. Its minimalist style still offers bags of comfort, with a sumptuous spa, rooftop terrace and large wine cellar
Tuscany & Umbria (pages 93- 107)
· Do as the Romans do and hop on a Vespa to soak up the sights of the Tuscan countryside along the Etruscan trail, passing monasteries, ruins and medieval walled towns
· Trace the footsteps of Puccini in Lucca and listen to his music in an open-air theatre and on special gala nights, dine with the artists in the private gardens of Villa Caproni de Taliedo
· Let an art expert guide you round the Tuscan galleries and sample Florentine gastronomy cooked by her husband, a perfect example of how Renaissance art was linked to gastronomic culture
· To enjoy the Tuscan and Umbrian countryside at its best, stay in traditional Tuscan estates, converted monasteries, Art Nouveau villas, farmhouses and even buildings dating back to the Etruscan-Roman period
· New to the brochure is Petriolo Resort & Spa, close to Montalcino and arguably the region’s best venue. It is located alongside natural thermal baths and boasts an award-winning spa which specialises in aesthetic medicine and relaxation treatments.
Puglia, Basilicata & Calabria (pages 109- 123)
· Stay in Borgo Egnazia, new to the brochure, an elegant resort styled as a Puglian village, with golf course in the exclusive Apulian district of Fasano
· New to the brochure are three planet-friendly properties in a sprawling protected coastal pine forest on the Ionian coastline: Nova Yardinia resort with Thalasso Spa, Alborea Eco Lodge amid 16 hectares of pine forests and Kalidria Grand Hotel & Thalasso Spa, with seawater pools and vast array of wellness therapies.
Lakes (pages 125-147)
· Take in beautiful Lake Como from the water, and its even more stunning villas belonging to the rich and famous, from those belonging to George Clooney to the former home of Versace
· New to the brochure is the lavish and world class Layfay Resort & Spa on the shores of Lake Garda. Built ingeniously around the hillside, it is a green resort and part of Small Luxury Hotels of the World
· Explore the charming villages and hamlets of Garda, Lazise, Sirmione and Gardone on a Lake Garda Tour, with an option to see the ruins of one of the biggest Roman villas ever built.
City Breaks (pages 149-173)
· Enhance your look on a life-changing shopping trip with an image consultant in the style capitals of Rome, Milan or Naples
· Get into your costume and attend a spectacular gala dinner and dance at a Venetian Carnival Ball in February
· Experience an audience with the Pope in St Peter’s Square as part of a morning tour of the city’s museums
· Explore Bologna and its gastronomic delights
· Discover Florence from the city’s most hip and quirky hotel, the all gold and white Hh Hotel located in a restored palazzo overlooking the Arno.