Floating Hotel on the Danube: MS Amalyra, a four-star boutique vessel

Built in 2009, 360 feet long and 38 feet wide - that could be your home on the Danube river during your performance tour 2011 from Budapest to Vilshofen. The MS Amalyra was designed and built in Holland by Europe's best ship builders and under the watchful eyes of Europe's top Caterers. There are 2 lounges located on the Upper Deck from which you can enjoy panoramic river views, the Panorama Lounge which accommodates up to 150 passengers, and the smaller Adagio Lounge in the Aft of the ship, which can also be reserved for group meetings. A wellness area is located in the aft area of the Violin Deck. This generously designed space includes a glassed-in fitness room, massage and beauty salon. Each ship has an elevator, which very few river cruise ships feature. The onboard culinary staff offers menus comprised of soups, fresh produce, high quality choice cut meats, and fresh fish and seafood. Start your day with a breakfast buffet and choose from a rich assortment of breads, croissants and pastries, a variety of fresh fruit, yogurt, cereals, and smoked salmon. In the evening, be the guest for an elegant dinner or a traditional theme night with a feast of regional specialties.

Roccafiore Resort, Todi

 

The Roccafiore Resort is located just three kilometers from the town of Todi in Umbria, Italy. The resort offers a variety of guest rooms located in three different 19^th century guest homes, professional spa treatments, a vast wine cellar, and the gourmet Restaurant FiorFiore.

Classic guest rooms come equipped with air conditioning, mini refrigerator, flat-screen satellite television, telephone, high-speed internet connection, and an en suite bathroom with hairdryer. Free services for guests include entrance to the spa with access to the warm bath, steam bath, sauna, Kneipp path, four-person Jacuzzi, indoor and outdoor pools, and bicycles. The spa also provides guests with a well-being kit that includes a complimentary bathrobe and slippers.

Additional spa services include hydrotherapeutic treatments, holistic massages, and color and aroma therapy treatments, all intended to encourage relaxation, renew energy, regenerate vitality, defeat fatigue, and release toxins.

The Roccafiore Cellar offers house-made wines resulting from what they call a “perfect synergy between the land, microclimate and vines, valid interpretation of the country, and rediscovery of traditional wine practices.” The resort’s strictly organic wine production aims at the physiological balance of plants to produce high quality wines. These wines can also be sampled at the Resort’s highly acclaimed restaurant Fiorfiore.

Chef Carlo Grimaldi offers patrons of Fiorfiore a variety of seasonal dishes based on Umbrian regional tradition. The cuisine is prepared using products exclusively of the Roccafiore far, such as wine, oil, vegetables, and legumes, and meats, cheeses, and truffles from nearby businesses. Fiorfiore has received high critical ratings from the Michelin Guide, Red Prawn, Italian Restaurants magazine, Espresso magazine, and many others.

The Roccafiore Resort is currently rated number one by TripAdvisor of all specialty lodging in Todi. 

Home away from home: Villa Il Gioiello, Sorrento

In 1970, Count Mario Caracciolo of Nicastro, the last descendent of the prestigious Neapolitan Caracciolo family, decided to relocate to beautiful Sorrento. Enamored by the princely beauty of the Villa Il Gioiello, "Jewel Villa," he bought the property, refurnished it, and even resided there, personalizing the space over the years with his own furniture and possessions.

Although the villa was refurnished in modern décor, the atmosphere reflects the presence of the Caracciolo family’s historical roots. Harmoniously situated among a beautiful garden and tall trees within the cultural centre of Sorrento, the Villa Il Gioiella Sorrento provides an ideal relaxation retreat.

Guests can visit the Museo Correale, the famous Piazza Angelina Lauro, the main city square Piazza Tasso, and overlook the harbor and the ancient valley of Surrentum, all just a pleasant 500 meter stroll away.

The villa offers five guest rooms and can accommodate up to twelve adults. Standard guest room amenities include LCD plasma satellite television, radio alarm clock, air-conditioning, wireless internet, and personal safes. The villa provides a multi-lingual staff and also offers a continental breakfast served in the comfort room, a gym, solarium, and outdoor swimming pool with free sun loungers and towels.

Home away from home: Roccamare Resort, Tuscany

The concept behind the Tuscany’s Roccamare Resort is to surround guests with nature. Located a reserved and peaceful stretch of Castiglione della Pascaia’s beach, the Roccamare Resort is surrounded by the lush greenery of a secular pine grove. The resort lies just five kilometers from the Aragonese Castle and provides an ideal location for bike rides and horseback excursions. Local entertainment venues and events liven up the summer evenings with shows, celebrations, and concerts.

Roccamare is situated in the Le Rocchette district, between Punta Ala and Monte Argentario, along a section of coastline considered among the cleanest of the entire peninsula. Guests can enjoy the private swimming pool, private beach, American bar, mini market, piano bar with live music, mini golf, table tennis, soccer field, basketball and tennis courts and seaside bar, and dine at either of the resort’s two restaurants, “La Rocca” gazebo restaurant, and “La Piscina” restaurant and pizzeria. 
All fifty guest rooms offer views of either the ocean or pine grove and are decorated in traditional Tuscan style.

Home away from home: Palazzo Niccolini Al Duomo, Florence

During the construction of Florence’s Cathedral, completed in 1400, most of the houses in the area of the Piazza del Duomo were demolished, with the exception of those in the north-eastern corner of the newly created square. It is in this portion of the plaza that the Palazzo Niccolini al Duomo was subsequently erected. The original buildings housed the workshops of some of the most celebrated Florentine artists, including the famous sculptor Donatello who’s legacy is commemorated by a bust and inscription on the façade of the Palazzo, facing the Cathedral.

The Palazzo was originally built by the Naldinis, a prestigious Florentine family of bankers, merchants, and valorous soldiers. Giovanni Naldini purchased houses in the area and began transforming them into the Palazzo in 1532. Architect Pierfrancesco Silvani was commissioned in the 17^th century to construct the Palazzo’s monumental staircase, great windows, and gateway. Throughout the late 1760s, Domenico Andrea Naldini embellished the Palazzo’s interiors with still perfectly preserved frescoes by the best known Florentine artists of the time. The frescoes depict typical 18^th century tastes, featuring allegories, landscapes, architectures, ruins, flowers, and animals.

When the last direct Naldini descendant, Cristina, married Marchese Eugenio Niccolini di Camugliano in 1891, the Palazzo was given to his family as part of her dowry.

The residence recently underwent extensive renovated, with careful precautions not to altar any of the building’s historical features. Present owners Filippo and Ginevra Niccolini di Camugliano oversee the residence in all details to ensure that guests receive the highest quality treatment.

All guest rooms offer air conditioning, direct telephones, wireless internet connection, hairdryer, combination safe, mini-bar, satellite LCD television, and DVD player. A beautician, masseur, and hairstylist are available upon request.