Smeralda Holding – the company owned by Qatar Holding, and owner of the most important 5-star tourist assets on the Costa Smeralda – is continuing with its five-year investment plan worth 120 million euros, a cornerstone of the strategy for development and diversification of tourist services set in motion by the Group in 2017.
For the 2021 season, Smeralda Holding will be presenting more important changes that will render the Costa Smeralda even more unique, continuing to enhance and characterise the destination.The aim of the strategic plan is to focus on diversifying the design of the assets and the services they offer, from the refurbishment of the hotels to a wider range of dining options, from wellness to an increase in sports activities and activities for families, as well as an increased focus on sustainability.
The investments planned for 2021 amount to 15.3 million euros and will, by May, see the completion of the third large-scale stage of restyling for the most glamorous hotel on the Costa Smeralda, the Cala di Volpe, which, under the guidance of world-famous architects such as Bruno Moinard and Claire Bétaille from the 4BI & Associés architecture firm and Dordoni Architetti, will be opening for the 2021 season with a series of spectacular innovations, while still maintaining the quintessential essence of Jacques Couelle’s original design.
“Our investment plan – stated Mario Ferraro, the CEO of Smeralda Holding – is aimed at repositioning our tourist services, rendering them more modern and competitive, increasing the number, the exclusivity and the diversity of the services. – commented Mario Ferraro, CEO of Smeralda Holding – The Costa Smeralda has the potential to become a destination attractive to all types of target in the luxury sector. Families, children, sport and wellness will all progressively be offered a range of dedicated services in an ever-increasingly sustainable context, which over time will allow us to develop programmes that are not specifically related to the summer. In this period of uncertainty, we feel that it is essential for the business plan to continue to move forward with even more determination in order to combat and overcome the negative perception caused by the pandemic. Our spirit of renewal must serve as a model for the entire Costa Smeralda, instilling the necessary trust in the future that is fundamental for the joint reconstruction of future seasons.”
The firm 4BI & Associés run by Bruno Moinard and Claire Bétaille has redesigned another 7 rooms, the corridors and all the hotel’s restaurants, from the grill to the iconic poolside barbecue, and has also created a new gourmet area dedicated to the new restaurant Beefbar, as well as carrying out the soft refurbishment of 12 rooms, with a style studied specifically to preserve the essence of the original design by the celebrated architect Jacques Couëlle that has rendered the Cala di Volpe unique and celebrated worldwide.
Bruno Moinard and Claire Bétaille of 4BI & Associés commented: “It is a true honour to have been chosen for this project at the Cala di Volpe, the iconic Costa Smeralda hotel. Inaugurated in 1963, it is a work of art, and for more than half a century has been considered as one of the most desired destinations in the world. It has been a real pleasure to have been called on to return this jewel of architecture and sculpture to its former glory. Our aim has been to delicately revisit the aspects that have contributed to its fame, while remaining true to the creativity of Jacques Couëlle and Savin Couëlle and preserving the soul of this exceptional location, preserving it over time.”
Again, at the Cala di Volpe, the skilful touch of the Dordoni Architetti firm will result in the creation of a new category of rooms and suites in the old wing, the creation of a new gym with relative outdoor area and of a new treatment room as part of the hotel’s Shiseido Spa.
“For the new restyling project for the Old Wing – commented Luca Zaniboni, co-founder of the Dordoni Architetti firm – we had the privileged of being able to interact with the work of Jacques Couëlle; approaching the original design with the utmost respect, redefining a number of rooms. Each room has become a project in its own right, with its own identity, where dimension and atmosphere are defined via the light, the layout of the space and an attentive selection of materials and furnishings. The common thread that connects all of the room designs is a concept of “essential beauty” and materiality in line with a strong bond with nature.”
Lastly, the Hotel Cervo, which looks out over the elegant Piazetta in Porto Cervo and its exclusive marina, will see a refurbishment of the common areas.
In addition to the works already carried out in previous years, for a value of 46.5 million euros – the first and second stage of the restyling at the Hotel Cala di Volpe and the creation of its Shiseido Wellness Spa, the re-designing of the main entrance to the Hotel Romazzino and its spa and the creation of the hotel’s first kids club, and the opening of the Matshuida restaurant – between 2021 and 2023 the Group will complete the five-year investment plan (a further 60 million euros) with the conclusion of refurbishment works at the Hotel Cervo, the Pitrizza and the Romazzino, and with a significant project for the valorisation and conversion of the Cervo Tennis Club into a 40-room lifestyle hotel, a selection of branded restaurants and retail space, targeted at a younger clientele, Millennials and the Generation Z.
The Smeralda Holding Group has furthermore set in motion a process dedicated to sustainability with the creation of a series of initiatives aimed at the valorisation of green areas with the creation of nature trails, the adoption of a plastic-free policy in the hotels, and of actions and practices relative to the strategic management of refuse, water, energy and mobility, as well as the signing of an agreement with the Business Management School at the Bocconi University with a view to defining a Sustainability Plan aimed at reducing the environmental impact of the Group’s activities over the next five years.
Smeralda Holding’s commitment to sustainability and the continuation of the business plan is a significant investment not only for the company, but also for the local area, in line with the Group’s strategy that has always focused on creating added value for the Gallura community, also in economic terms, beginning with the many local businesses and suppliers involved in the refurbishing of the hotels.
Continuing in the light of valorising and supporting the local community, despite the pandemic and the changes in habits and prospects, the Group once again this year is continuing with a number of its free initiatives, as with previous years, in support of the development and well-being of the local community, with a particular focus on younger generations, such as the online language courses, which have more than 345 enrolments for the 2021 edition.