The most innovative luxury wellness resort in Italy...
Il San Corrado di Noto, a charming luxury resort in Sicily, nestled in the persuasive panorama of the Val di Noto. A noble farm - once owned by the Prince Nicolaci - is an idyllic place, and beautiful resort built in surprising harmony with nature. The collection of spacious suites and villas are designed to give the maximum level of well-being, stimulating a regenerating balance between mind and body. The relaxing and prestigious atmosphere manages to exalt the colours of the Sicilian tradition and the most modern and innovative comforts at the same time.
Space, silence, privacy and the opportunity to live a unique experience. The 26 suites (2 with private pools), each with a large private patio, are the perfect synthesis between privacy and luxurious details. Carefully designed it blends Sicily culture and tailored comforts, starting from all the essential services.
The 8 villas have a private pool and a total area of more than 250 square meters, an excellent location to watch the sunset, read a book, or sip a glass of superb local wine. Each villa represents an innovative definition of "luxury escape", a refined alcove where space and privacy are dimensions sealed by the precious silence. The authentic charm of Sicily is revealed in every detail and enhanced by the charming surrounding countryside: olive trees, palms and oranges draw a timeless fresco.
The great culinary tradition of Sicily lives through century-old influences from other countries and cultures - all the people who arrived in Sicily left something.
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Blue Collection is a Fully Licensed - Certified Travel and Real Estate Agency based in Athens and Mykonos, offering Selective Real Estate Services, Luxury Villa and Chalet rentals, Event planning & Management, Yacht – Heli and Private Jet Charter, Car rentals, Ground Transportation, Executive Transfers, Premium Concierge as well as Close Protection & Security Services for Mykonos Island and through their supportive network, to all major destinations in Greece as well as on selected destinations Internationally.
So far, Blue Collection has more than 250 Selected Villas for rent directly by the
owners as well as through their Platinum Villa Collection (thier Private Collection) and is able to serve Selected High Net-worth Guests VIPs, Celebrities, etc. These specific villas from their Private Collection are not featured online due to privacy, confidentiality, and security purposes.
The Teams mission is to collect luxury properties throughout Greece with a truly unique character and to provide their clients, with highly personalized services focused on success and client satisfaction through perseverance, determination, and commitment.
HIGHLY PERSONALIZED
Can you provide us with an overview of Sintra Marmoris Camelia’s unique features and what sets it apart from other luxury hotels in the region?
Sintra Marmòris Camélia is a brand-new property that was carefully designed to offer all the modern comfort incorporated in the authentic style of Sintra. This, allied with the extra personalized service, creates a unique experience for the ones who want to absorb the true essence of Sintra.
What inspired you to pursue a career in hotel management, and what path led you to your current role as a general manager?
I really love people. The elegance of understanding and absorbing different cultural information, being able to listen and share useful information for the ones trying to know more about a destination, is enriching. As a host, I am the bridge between their intent and the destinations potential. Seeing that they were able to experience it the right way, departing with an honest smile and sense of achievement is something that fills me up.
What led me to my current role was the possibility – more than to be part of the experience – but to be part of the experienced design team. In a small property like ours, we can listen to the needs of our guests as well as upgrading our services according to it.
As General Manager of Sintra Marmoris Camelia, what are your primary responsibilities in overseeing the hotel’s operations?
My primary responsibility is to assure that our team understand the project, is motivated and happy being here. All the rest comes almost automatically.
What are the biggest challenges you face as a general manager, and how do you approach those challenges?
The biggest challenge is to accompany all the changes that happens worldwide and affects the travelling movement and consequently our operation. Staying up-to-date and aware is my approach to it.
What strategies do you use to create a positive and supportive work environment for your staff, and how do you ensure that they are engaged and motivated?
Each member of our team, independently of their positions, has a different opinion, vision and approach about a specific matter, as well as our guests. Being open to listen, and try to validate their suggestions helps us to design a service that suits different POV and therefore makes more people identify with the experience. There are others but this might be the main one considering it improves the engagement and at the same time the quality of service.
The Hospitality industry is constantly evolving. How do you stay updated with the latest trends and ensure that Sintra Marmoris Camelia remains competitive in the market?
Nowadays, there are several business intelligence tools that helps us to stay up-to-date and take measures almost instantly. This, combined with accompanying the public information that arrives to the guests in general and being aware of their needs locally helps a lot in that matter.
As this edition of our magazine focuses on summer in Europe, how does Sintra Marmoris Camelia leverage its location to offer guests a unique summer experience?
Sintra is a prime destination for summer, it is not too warm and offers a variety of experiences such as heritage (including old history and fairy tales) mountain activities, and beaches that are comfortable and beautiful at the same time. In a very short distance you have coastline, mountain, and town activities. We consider ourselves as a comfortable “headquarter” for the ones that are willing to experience all of it.
What advice would you give to aspiring hoteliers?
Travel, know places, be a guest. Knowing other cultures and countries is very helpful but not mandatory. Look around when visiting your small cafe, restaurant or bar, when going to your preferred clothing store or market. Visit other hotels. As a guest, what captures your attention? What do you dislike? All these small details that look unrelated may be helpful when creating an experience. They are focusing on the guest, the same as you would. Just absorb the best all of them have to offer and allign it with your instinct.
Any exciting future or summer plans for the hotel?
There are some plans in the pipeline for the future but, unfortunately, we cannot disclose them at this point.
Sintra Marmòris Camélia is the most recent unit of the Marmòris Group, opened in 2022, it features 9 rooms individually designed and inspired by relevant personalities of the historic context of Sintra while combining the best of current comfort and facilities with the romantic style that characterizes historic Sintra.
Located in the historic center of Sintra, each floor pays tribute to an important monument and is also part of the Cultural Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which encompasses the town and its mountains. From its windows, the view over the Vila, Serra and Vale da Raposa, from which the National Palace of Sintra and the hillside of the Castelo dos Mouros stand out.
This privileged location, next to the iconic “Volta do Duche” and the historic Sintra train station, allows you to be close to the most relevant points of interest in the village of Sintra, while delivering all the necessary tranquility to rest after a day of fantastic discoveries.
All guests will be able to enjoy the facilities of Sintra Marmòris Palace, a 5-minute walk away, including the heated swimming pool overlooking Sintra, large gardens, late afternoon wine service and parking space.
TRANQUILITY TO REST AFTER A DAY OF FANTASTIC DISCOVERIES
A baroque and sophisticated universe...
Immerse yourself in a world of magic, where East meets West, and where Provence brings to mind an Italian-style dream. A real haven of peace, where everything has been done to ensure that guests have an unforgettable stay.
This 5-star Relais & Châteaux hotel offers top-of-the-range facilities combined with service bordering on excellence. The country home opens out onto a garden filled with the sweet fragrances of Provence, with cypress trees sheltering the outdoor swimming pool. On the patio, the plane trees offer welcoming shade when the restaurant's dining room is dressed in its most beautiful finery.
The spirit of Villa Gallici, a Provençal residence dating from the 18th century, is embodied through a refined baroque decoration which makes this bastide a real place of enchantment.
Enjoy a unique experience at La Villa Gallici, an enchanting and poetic site located just a few minutes’ walk from the centre of Aix-en-Provence.
Provided By La Villa Gallici
One Luxury Day offers the best services to make your wishes come true.
Over the years One Luxury Day has grown to meet the highest standards and pays very high attention to details and the organization of every client wishes. Wishes become reality with One Luxury Day.
One Luxury Day offers exclusive services for demanding customers who want to set no limits to their expectations. They provide a personal consultant who, in a short time, can plan and organize events, business trips, private parties, incentives for employees, gifts, and experiences of all kinds.
For any need, just contact them, and every wish will be fulfilled with the best proposals.
Their clients are successful leaders who know they can rely on them for both family management and their own business. The services offered may concern the organization of travel and recreational activities, such as the rental of a helicopter or a limousine, the booking of a show or the organization of a last-minute event, up to the point of proposing much more branching services, complex and tailor made such as the management of real estate properties.
I have always been a dreamer and wanted to travel the world since childhood. When I grew up, I started exploring different countries and felt connected to Europe and Asia. When traveling, I always took a lot of photos, and one day my husband asked me "Would you like to try posting them on Instagram?" I never thought of becoming a blogger and didn't even have an IG account. I decided to give it a try and after a few posts I noticed people’s interest, so I continued. Since I was a fan of luxury travel before and loved to stay in luxury hotels, it was clear that luxury travel would become my niche. I started my blog in 2020 just for fun and curiosity and suddenly started collaborating with the best hotels in the world.
Tell us why you love what you do.
I love being a luxury travel blogger because it is what I always loved to do, travel, and share my experience, and also because I meet a lot of interesting people around the world.
What does your daily work routine look like?
When I collaborate with the hotel, my daily routine looks like this: I wake up early in the morning, do makeup and style my hair, and choose different outfits for shooting with breakfast in the room. When breakfast arrives, I never eat it, first I have to prepare the content, and since I am a perfectionist, it will take some time until I am satisfied with the photos and videos. I usually take pictures in different outfits with the same breakfast and create different content. I would say it takes me about 20-40 minutes to shoot. After I finish shooting, I enjoy breakfast, I try to order only those dishes that can be eaten cold. After breakfast, I can go to the pool or explore the hotel to take other pictures and videos, but it always depends on the hotel program, because sometimes hotels like to give me different experiences and then I follow the plan and show in my stories how I spend the day at the hotel. So, basically, I would say that my daily routine at the hotel starts with filming and ends with it. I love showing real experiences when I travel rather than creating only Instagrammable content.
My daily routine at home looks like this: I check all the content I created during my last trip and choose the best one for my social network and the hotels' social media. I edit photos and videos, I post, and write blog articles on my website www.atravelgirl.com, I also choose photos for my online shop with prints, but it takes much longer for editing since they must be perfect not only online, but also on paper. I reply to emails and plan my next trips too.
Focusing on Summer in Europe this month, what are some of your top destinations in Europe that you recommend for a memorable summer vacation, and why?
Personally, I think that a memorable summer vacation can be spent almost anywhere in Europe, but my favourites will be Italy, especially Tuscany, Sardinia, South Tyrol and Sicily, South of France, such as Cote D'azur and Corsica, and Switzerland.
What are some lesser-known hidden gems in Europe that you believe offer an extraordinary luxury travel experience in the summer, away from the more popular tourist destinations?
This is quite a difficult question, since Europe is so small and popular with tourists from all over the world, and most of the places are already known. If you want to visit more unusual places in Europe with luxury experiences, I would definitely recommend thinking about Switzerland, Tuscany and the French Alps, they are not as crowded as classic Mediterranean destinations, but very beautiful and offer extraordinary luxury experiences. Most of the people visiting Italy stop in Florence when they go to Tuscany, but this region is so unique that it can offer much more than historical cities and actually is my favourite region in Italy. I personally love going to Tuscany countryside, they have amazing luxury hotels in vineyards, it is a very relaxing experience, you can try local wine and food, enjoy a day by the pool and explore this beautiful region by car. If you want to visit Switzerland I would suggest you choose a luxury hotel by the lake or in the Alps, it is an absolutely fantastic experience, Switzerland has many amazing luxury wellness options. It is a perfect way to relieve stress and enjoy nature. There are also lots of Michelin Guide restaurants and golf fields in Switzerland, you will not get bored. The other destination that I would recommend in Europe is the French Alps, excellent service, beautiful views, luxury hotels with outdoor pools, and some of the best restaurants in France. It is also a relaxing experience, but you can always make it more fun with sport activities, for example golf and tennis.
Do you have any exciting trips coming up and could you tell us more?
In July and August I will be in Switzerland and Italy, and from September I will have other exciting trips, which you can see if you follow me.
List the top 3 countries on your bucket list and why?
In Europe, I have only one country on my list, Sweden, since I have already visited other countries in Europe that I wanted to visit. I have Swedish friends and I'm just curious to see this country. The other top 2 countries on my list outside of Europe are Costa Rica and Brazil. I love nature, animals and Bossa Nova, I think these two countries have a lot to offer, and I'm looking forward to exploring them soon! I want to mention one more is South Africa! Same reasons, nature, animals, and culture. However, I have a big bucket list that includes countries on different continents.
Any advice for someone wanting to become a travel blogger and content creator?
Be ready to have many competitors, especially in the travel niche. There are always new faces and it can be challenging sometimes. I don't think it is a good idea to quit your job and start from zero, in my opinion, it is too risky, as it is not very easy to start earning at the beginning. For many bloggers it takes years before they start to have regular income from their blogs. Instagram is changing all the time, so you have to be flexible and creative. Be ready to hear "No" from hotels and brands, not everyone would like to collaborate with you, it is normal, just accept it and continue. I always recommend to take 1 month off from social networks to rest and enjoy your offline life, there are many creators who do not do this and experience emotional burnout. If your goal is to become a popular blogger, just believe in yourself and be passionate about what you share with the audience, if you are honest and authentic your people will find you.
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Overlooking the iconic Piazzetta, Cervo Hotel is the ideal retreat for those wishing to stay in the heart of Porto Cervo. The Hotel offers a wide choice of bars and restaurants, a private beach accessible by shuttle, a swimming pool and a fitness area.
It is located only one-step away from the most famous boutiques, the Marina with its exclusive yachts and a conference center that can accommodate any type of meeting, reception or event (up to 600 people).
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Brilliantly situated 600m from Mykonos Town yet beautifully secluded, the Ostraco Suites offer the perfect venue for a luxury wedding, or private social event in view of the gleaming sea.
At Ostraco Suites the basic principle is true faith in the vision to unite guests with the Greek cuisine and the raw materials offered by the Cycladic land, along with supporting diversity in the presentation at all meals.
The journey starts from the arrival & acquaintance with the chef, the explanation of the options offered through the availability of fresh ingredients, based on his preference & through the recipes that not only offer enjoyment but also education in Greek cuisine as we know it.
Their partnerships with small producers offer pure, fresh ingredients and authentic taste. The unparalleled quality of this service combined with the tradition of the place creates the ideal setting for someone to experience the love and fervor that their cooking has to offer & with great respect to the evolution of the market & the sustainable recognition of the value of this cycle.
In our next issue, we invite you to indulge in the lap of luxury amidst the captivating Middle East. Prepare to be immersed in a world of opulence as we unveil the most exquisite hotels, culinary delights, and prestigious agencies this enchanting region has to offer.
