Former HK Hotelier Launches New Luxury Hotel Brand - The Salviatino Collection

Following the success of restored Florentine Renaissance villa Il Salviatino, veteran international and Hong Kong hotelier Marcello Pigozzo has launched a new luxury hotel brand, The Salviatino Collection.

Il Salviatino, one of Italy’s finest Renaissance villas on the outskirts of Florence, is also one of Europe’s hottest 5-star hotels.

The former Hong Kong-based President - Asia Pacific for InterContinental Hotels Group, founded hotel development and management company MPg in 2009 to restore the 15th century palazzo to its former glory.

Three years after opening his flagship, his hospitality venture has rebranded as The Salviatino Collection with the addition of another historic address in Northern Italy. Chateau Puget in Provence, France and the Sanctuary in Barbuda are also in the pipeline for future openings.

The collection extends with the March 2012 opening of Palazzo Victoria in the historic city centre of Verona, celebrated home of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’.

The new sister property to Il Salviatino has been upgraded from the former Hotel Victoria, centrally located in Verona’s historic heart. With 71 rooms and suites, it promises “a new type of luxury” in the city.

Paying homage to the historic site, original medieval and roman ruins have been carefully preserved to feature throughout public areas and rooms.

With dramatic high ceilings and charming wrap-around iron balconies, deluxe rooms and suites have been innovatively re-designed to preserve original Veronese décor – from traditional shutters, original frescoes and textile wallpapers to mahogany furniture and hand made linens.

An underground conference facility seating 70 ‘theatre style’ doubles as a museum of ancient ruins.

“The launch of Palazzo Victoria encapsulates the very best of Italian culture and luxury living,” said Pigozzo. “The vision is to meet its rich heritage by complementing the brand’s signature top-end technology, bespoke amenities and exceptional fine dining. As with Il Salviatino, we are committed to creating a hospitality experience unrivalled in Italy, with personalized service for each room.”

Palazzo Victoria’s brasserie is headed by Salviatino Collection Chef Carmine Caló and is set in a beautiful 300-degree courtyard garden. Caló executes a delicious and wholesome menu, deriving from an abundance of Italian, as well as local cuisine.

As the setting for many of Shakespeare’s works, Verona is a major Italian tourist attraction – with daily re-enactments of the famous Romeo and Juliet balcony lament: “Wherefore art thou, Romeo?” It is the 4th touristic center in Italy after Rome, Venice and Florence.

Verona is also convenient for exploring neighboring attractions – from wine-tasting in Valpolicella and sailing on Lake Garda to the historic cities of Venice, Padua, Vicenza and Mantua. With an affluent range of activities from shopping to sailing nearby, Verona allows tourists and locals alike to experience Italy’s finest adventure destinations, including skiing in the Dolomites.

“The years I spent in Asia are the driving force behind the service culture we have instilled. While our expanding collection is born in Italy, our service is inspired by Asia’s highest levels of excellence,” Pigozzo added.

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