MILAN — Starhotels Collezione, the Italian hospitality group known for infusing its Florentine saper fare and distinct sense of craftsmanship into hotels from Rome to New York City, is making its foray into the resorts segment. It also continues to eye further expansion potential at home in Italy.
On May 28, the group will cut the ribbon on its first resort: the Hermitage Hotel & Resort Forte dei Marmi – Starhotels Collezione. Designed with 59 rooms and suites, the property spans over one hectare of private parkland, surrounded by pine trees with views of the Apuan Alps. With an expansive poolside area, it sits just steps away from the Tuscan beaches of Versilia and was conceived as a premier destination for family-oriented leisure. The firm’s chief executive officer Elisabetta Fabri said that Forte dei Marmi has become an upscale vacation destination recognized on a global level and still has a lot of potential.
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“Forte dei Marmi has become a real luxury destination and is increasingly appealing for year-round tourism,” she stated, adding that the summer area, a historic Dolce Vita-spirited playground for the Milanese and Florentine upper-crust, as well as aristocratic families like the Agnellis — the founders of automotive firm Fiat — is rising in allure to the level of Capri and Saint-Tropez.
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Fabri has helmed the group since 2000 and has developed a reputation for revitalizing underutilized properties, transforming them into contemporary luxury destinations with modern conveniences.
Fabri has grown the firm into one of the strongest independent hotel groups in Italy with 314.8 million euros in revenue and 34.3 million euros in net profit in 2024 — the best performance in the group’s history.
“Over the next five years, our strategy will be driven by selective, flexible growth with an increasing focus on the high-end segment. We will start by enhancing the value of our existing portfolio, which represents a unique asset in the Italian landscape,” she added. With every acquisition and new project, she has been focused on promoting Italian craftspeople and craftsmanship.
In 2019, the group launched La Grande Bellezza – The Dream Factory, an initiative designed to foster collaborations with leading artisans and historic ateliers, highlighting creativity, savoir-faire and cultural heritage. Italian lifestyle is conveyed strongly in its Florence location, Hotel Helvetia & Bristol – Starhotel Collezione, situated in a Grand Tour-era building from 1885.
A new wing has been designed with interiors by interior designer Anouska Hempel. Its luxury spa is the largest in Florence’s historic center, spanning 5,940 square feet, with calidarium, tepidarium, sudatorium, frigidarium and two pools. The hotel is also a culinary destination with a daily breakfast buffet including pastries by Iginio Massari and a restaurant and cocktail bar by Cibrèo, a key spot on the Florentine food scene.
In 2028 the firm will open its first Capri hotel after taking over and renovating the Villa Blu Capri in Anacapri, Italy. Upon its completion the new resort will be a five-star boutique hotel with 19 rooms, a swimming pool and a restaurant.
Despite opening foreign properties like the Michelangelo in New York’s Midtown district in 1992, taking over the Hotel Castille in Paris in 2005 and The Gore, The Pelham and The Franklin in London in 2014, the focus for the group remains fixed on Italy. There are still several potential regions, which remain underdeveloped from a tourism perspective, like Sicily, Apulia and the Italy Lakes Region, namely Lago Maggiore.
“Italy is truly a land of opportunity right now, especially for foreign investors. And there is great potential because, if you think about it, tourism is concentrated in only 4 percent of the destinations. So, there is an entire world still to be discovered, with lesser-known destinations that need to be developed,” she said.
Sectorwide, Fabri said the boom in foreign investment into Italy’s tourism industry is palpable, driven by the need for better infrastructure to accommodate tourism to new hot spots.
Despite the complex geopolitical situation, bookings continue to grow and she sees growth in 2026.
“We are on track — we have surpassed, and we are surpassing last year in terms of production and revenue, so there is no slowdown.”