For a sunset, it would be hard to find anywhere to beat Verdura. Set on Sicily’s southwest coast, The Verdura Resort, a Rocco Forte hotel has an uninterrupted view out to the Mediterranean, with the next stop being Tunisia some 500 miles away. The resort makes the most of its situation, the low slung villas set back a few hundred metres from the 1.8 km stretch of private beach, so that as the world turns and the sun moves across the resort, it heats those lying by the pools, scorches those playing golf, and then in the evening, the sun hangs just above the horizon while drinks are served.
It takes more than unrivalled sunsets to make a luxury resort, of course. Set between the fishing town of Sciacca and the famous Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, Verdura was designed by Italian architect Flavio Albanese and has modern straight lines, flat roofs and grassy surrounds, planted both for insulation and to blend with the surrounding golf fairways. The walls are warmly coloured with terracotta and ochre, and a variety of textures have been used, including local stone, sand and wood, to create a stylish but unobtrusive ambience.
Heritage design
The interiors are the work of Olga Polizzi, sister of Rocco Forte. Hand-painted ceramics and 19thcentury design are a recurring motif in the bedcovers, lampshades and cushions in the rooms, and you see the same pattern on the walls of the Bar Granita where a Sicilian mojito of rum, fresh citrus, and mint from the grounds makes a winning start to the evening. It’s a stylish place, with the boutiques in the main building displaying design and sculpture from Italian companies such as Paola Lenti, Bonacina, Driade, Flos, Porada, Flexform and Gabbianelli.
この記事は Business Traveller UK の April 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Business Traveller UK の April 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills
A highlight is the rooftop pool, which is a tropical oasis for post-meeting R&R
The Peninsula London
The design is all about natural light, greenery and open-plan spaces
Raffles London at The OWO
A stay at Raffles London at The OWO is bucket-list worthy
Vietnam Airlines Boeing 787-9 business class HO CHI MINH CITY-LONDON
The bedding was nice - with pre-attached seat protector plus soft pillow and silky duvet
Royal Air Maroc Boeing 737-800 business class CASABLANCA-LONDON GATWICK
The service was great throughout the flight and the cabin crew were very friendly
Istanbul
Mosques, subterranean reservoirs and waterside attractions in the cosmopolitan Turkish city
Barking mad
Hoteliers worldwide are reaching for their dog bowls to meet the increasing demand of business travellers bringing their pets
BANGKOK RENAISSANCE
Whether it's extended metro lines, the huge number of new hotels or the parks springing up in the heart of the city, Thailand's capital is so much more than a stopover destination
GRAPE EXPECTATIONS
Discover the best wines available in the sky - and why you should avoid bold tannins inflight
RISKY BUSINESS
Business travellers need their wits about them more than ever these days with strategies in place should the worst happen