Accor’s new, fast growing Emblems Collection has signed three hotels in Italy, providing immediate momentum in a key European market.
The trio of luxury hotels has been signed into the collection brand by AG Group, who has agreed a strategic partnership with Accor. The first fruits of this agreement will be three properties that will migrate to the Emblems Collection during 2026.
Small, intimate Italian hotels
The three properties are all intimate luxury havens, with small room counts. First up will be Palazzo Sozzini Malavolti, which will open its doors in mid 2026. The 38 room hotel will sit in the centre of historic Siena, a short walk from the Piazza del Campo where the famous Palio horse race is held.
A second property will open in Umbria, with Relais San Clemente reopening as a 51 room luxury hotel, featuring additionally nine private villas. The hotel building was once a Benedictine convent, sitting within a 40 hectare estate. This retreat will feature an expansive wellness offering to give guests a great place to chill out.
Finally, the Masseria Furnirussi will join the collection, providing a base for guests in Apulia. Set within the largest fig orchard in Europe, the hotel will feature 60 rooms, many with private pools, plus a full spa and expansive gardens featuring fruit trees, herbs and local botanicals.
A dynamic player in the hospitality and tourism sector across Italy, the AG Group was founded in 2000. The business provides a range of consultancy services, supporting more than 40 hotels, and also owns and operates hotels directly.
“Accor stood out as a constellation of diverse brands, a powerful global presence, and an artisan of unforgettable guest experiences across every market segment,” said Andrea Girolami, founder and president of AG Group. “The decision to collaborate was not only strategic, but profoundly inspired. Among its brands, Emblems resonated deeply with us: it embodies a refined sense of place, cultural richness, and timeless elegance — qualities that harmonize beautifully with Italy’s heritage of hospitality and our own vision of contemporary luxury.”
In Italy, the Emblems brand has already signed the Hotel Bellevue Cortina d’Ampezzo, which is set to open in the ski resort in 2026, following extensive renovations. Elsewhere in Europe, the brand has signed the Elatos Resort in Greece, and Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa, a country house hotel in England.
A brand with global growth potential
The brand is also making way in Asia, with openings planned in Hangzhou and Guiyang in China, plus Pho Quoc in Vietnam and a site in the Philippines. And in Canada’s Banff winter sports destination, the famed Rimrock Resort Hotel will be joining the brand in early 2026, following an extensive property upgrade of its 333 guest rooms.
Accor’s collection brands, such as Handwritten and Emblems, allow independent hotels to join the powerful Accor distribution system, and the group’s global loyalty programme, Accor Live Limitless. Loyalty points inevitably help drive more bookings, and more business, to hotels that join the major hotel group loyalty systems.
