Sardegna Resorts has signed agreements with LVMH Hospitality Excellence for the latter to manage two of its hotels in Costa Smeralda.
Sardegna Resorts is a part of Smeralda Holding which is wholly-owned by Qatar Investment Authority (QIA). LVMH Hospitality Excellence meanwhile belongs to the luxury group LVMH Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton.
The LVMH brand Belmond will manage the Hotel Romazzino, which will open for the 2024 season as the Romazzino, A Belmond Hotel, Costa Smeralda.
The second property, Hotel Pitrizza, will be managed by the LVMH brand Cheval Blanc. The hotel will continue to operate under its current name until 2026, when it will be rebranded as Cheval Blanc Pitrizza, Costa Smeralda, following the completion of a renovation project.
In a statement released by LVMH, it added that all employees will remain employed by Sardegna Resorts, which will also retain ownership of the hotels’ property and businesses.
Both hotels are located in the heart of Costa Smeralda and were designed in the 1960s by the architects Luigi Vietti and Michele Busiri Vici – who both contributed to the development of Porto Cervo.
Smeralda Holding Group’s long-term strategy to enhance Costa Smeralda hospitality offerings was launched in 2017. The plan includes tourism initiatives and the introduction of major F&B operators such as Nikki Beach, Zuma, Novikov, Beefbar and Matsuhisa, among others.