Established Italian hotel chain Gruppo UNA has unveiled a rebrand, strengthening its position as the country’s leading provider of authentic Italian hospitality.
Now renamed UNA Italian Hospitality, the repositioning has a more contemporary feel, designed to increase the company’s visibility and enhance its attractiveness to international travellers. “The group’s strong growth in the past three years, alongside the increase in competing foreign brands in Italy, have led us to reflect on the factors that distinguish our brand,” said chief executive officer Giorgio Marchegiani. “After listening to what our guests, clients and partners have to say and studying the market, we have identified ‘Italianness’ as the key salient element.”
Appealing to an international audience
Around two thirds of the company’s current business is down to hosting international guests, a volume that it expects to grow. With that in mind, Marchegiani is keen to double down on what makes an Italian welcome special: “Our goal remains to welcome every guest, both national and international, with warmth, professionalism and sartorial attention to detail, refining a model of hospitality that represents the best of Italy in the world.”
A key part of the transformation under the new brand is a new digital presence. The group’s new website under the UNA Italian Hospitality name has been built from the ground up to deliver simple hotel finding, and easy online booking. As a result, the expectation is of more direct bookings, a greater potential of meetings and events business, and more opportunities to add franchise partners.
The group currently operates 51 hotels across Italy, under two brands. Its UNA Esperienze features upscale hotels and resorts, while a range of urban and leisure hotels are operated under the UNA Hotels banner.
The current business, which is backed by much larger Italian insurance group Unipol SA, was created in 2016 with the combination of two existing businesses, Atahotels and UNA Hotels & Resorts. The group has a mixture of properties, owning just over 20 of its hotels, leasing a further 15, with the balance operated under franchise agreements.
In February 2025, it was reported that Unipol hired Goldman Sachs to seek out potential buyers for the UNA business. First round offers are understood to have been tabled by a number of private equity bidders, keen to take on an attractive Italian portfolio.
A growing business
In 2024, the company enjoyed a 7% increase in revenues on the previous year. Occupancy improved to 76%, driving up revpar and ebitda.
The company has continued to add to its portfolio. In the last year, it has added two hotels to its Esperienze collection. In mid 2024, it reopened the former Hotel Art in Rome, rebranded as the Maison Roma Piazza di Spagna. Then in late 2024, it launched the Maniace Boutique Hotel Ortigia in Syracuse, Sicily to its The intimate boutique property has just 21 rooms, but also boasts a historic garden and private wine cellar. The property is the sixth operated on Sicily by UNA.
