Belmond and Cheval Blanc to take on Sardinian hotel pair

Pictured: the-soon-to-be-named Romazzino, A Belmond Hotel, Costa Smeralda.
Sardegna Resorts, a Smeralda Holding Company wholly-owned by Qatar Investment Authority, has signed agreements with LVMH Hospitality Excellence to manage two luxury Italian hotels under redevelopment.

The pair of sites are located on Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda and were designed in the 1960s by the architects Luigi Vietti and Michele Busiri Vici.

Two rebrands

LVMH Hospitality Excellence, part of luxury group LVMH Moët Hennessy -Louis Vuitton, will rebrand what is now Hotel Romazzino, under the Belmond line. The site will be known as Romazzino, A Belmond Hotel, Costa Smeralda, when it opens for the 2024 season.

The other property is Hotel Pitrizza, which will be managed by 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.

Planned renovations

The two hotels will undergo renovations, allowing Belmond and Cheval Blanc to offer two new destinations in the heart of Sardinia.

Through these agreements, LVMH intends to further strengthen its position in experiential luxury with two new destinations in Sardinia that will benefit from the know-how and expertise of the Belmond and Cheval Blanc brands.

Destination enhancement

These changes are part of the Smeralda Holding Group’s long-term strategy to enhance and enrich Costa Smeralda as a best-in-class destination.

This plan was launched in 2017 and includes tourism initiatives and the introduction of major food and beverage operators such as Nikki Beach, Zuma, Novikov, Beefbar and Matsuhisa, while aligning with the character and heritage of the destination.

Global projects

Elsewhere in Italy, the Belmond brand will soon appear in Portofino, through the restoration of a former 16th-century Benedictine monastery. The 86-key Splendido, A Belmond Hotel, Portofino will emerge from the works in Q2 this year. In the same quarter, Belmond will also reopen the 72-room Maroma a Belmond Hotel Riviera Maya in Tulum, Mexico, following refurbishment.

Also in North America, the group’s Cheval Blanc strand will increase its presence with the 115-key Cheval Blanc Hotel Beverly Hills, a newbuild property due to complete in Q1 2026.

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