Minor Hotels has recently signed ExCelle Hotel San Gimignano, Colbert Collection. It is the company’s second Colbert Collection property in Italy. The hotel is scheduled to open in 2027 in San Gimignano, Tuscany. Colbert Collection is Minor Hotels’ soft brand for independent properties, and the new signing adds to its European growth.
A Convent With a Second Life
The hotel is located inside the historic San Domenico Complex, in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed center of San Gimignano. The building was once a convent and later a prison. It will have 33 guestrooms, and each one will be created from an original convent cell. A restaurant and bar will also be on site. The design is meant to keep the building’s historic character while giving guests a modern stay.
The hotel is one piece of a larger redevelopment of the complex. The plans include a theater and opera arena that can hold more than 1,000 people. Visitors will also find restaurants, retail boutiques, meeting and event venues, and a museum. Hotel guests will have access to the cultural and artistic programming across the whole site. Minor Hotels says the property fits the brand’s three pillars, which are the art of place, the art of gathering, and the art of taste.
Opera Laboratori is leading the regeneration. The Italian cultural heritage company has been active since 1991 and manages more than 86 museums, archaeological sites, and places of worship. Its portfolio includes the Royal Palace of Caserta, the Cathedral of Siena, the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, and the Galleria dell’Accademia. About 1,000 people work for the group, which also runs ExCelle, the hospitality project behind the hotel’s name. Gonzalo Aguilar, CEO of Minor Hotels Europe & Americas, said the company wants to grow with character-led hotels in culturally relevant destinations.
Where Colbert Collection Stands
The first Colbert Collection hotel, Porta Rossa Hotel Firenze, opened in Florence in May 2026. The WestDill Mayfair Hotel London is expected to follow in the first quarter of 2027. San Gimignano would then become the next addition to the lineup. The brand takes its inspiration from Parisian boulevard cafés. Its hotels are meant to share an interest in food, cultural discovery, and community.
Each property is expected to keep its own identity. Guests are offered curated experiences that link them with the people, stories, and traditions of the local area. Beppe Costa, CEO of Opera Laboratori, described the project as a cultural regeneration effort for San Gimignano and the wider region. He said the aim is a destination where culture, creativity, and hospitality meet.
Minor Hotels already has a sizable presence in Italy. The company operates 60 properties there across seven brands:
- Anantara
- Tivoli
- NH Collection
- nhow
- Avani
- Colbert Collection
- NH Hotels
The San Gimignano signing extends that footprint further into Tuscany. It also gives the company a second Italian address under the Colbert Collection name, following Florence. With London on the calendar for early 2027, the brand is on track to have three hotels open or signed across two countries within a year.
