People

Well-being, the new luxury

reading time: 5 minutes

Speaker’s Corner: Wellness Innovations in Luxury Hotels - 1

Some people have made a profession out of managing and designing well-being. Such is the case for Patrizia Scafati, an engineer, project manager, investment manager and board member of Terme di Saturnia, who discusses how the Feidos Group is working on various hotels.

Feidos is the company which, together with the American York Capital fund, purchased the beautiful Terme di Saturnia from the Milanese Manuli family for 40 million euros in 2018. The Group owns a series of hotels, some of which have recently been renovated.

“In the last six years,” Scafati tells us, “I have been lucky enough to work on three hotels that offer unique luxury hospitality destinations: the Hotel Vilòn, a boutique hotel in the ancient heart of Rome; the Locanda Rossa in Capalbio, a charming farmhouse in the Tuscan countryside (not owned by the Feidos Group, Editor’s note) and the Terme di Saturnia Resort, which encompasses a historic thermal spring that is unique in the world.”

The three renovations were carried out by different teams. The architect and interior designer for the Hotel Vilòn in Rome was set designer Paolo Bonfini. Architect Tommaso Ziffer was appointed for the extension of Locanda Rossa, assisted by two other architects: Paolo Cattaneo and Paolo Pejrone for the design of the outdoor area and greenery.

Lombardini22 was involved in renovating the architecture and facilities of the Terme di Saturnia; the interior design was overseen by the ThDP firm in London, while architect Paolo Pejrone gave us valuable advice on the new greenery project for the thermal park. All different ‘hands’ and poetics, united in important research focused on creating unique environments designed for different types of customers”.

 

How has the idea of luxury changed and which spaces are considered essential by your guests?

 “The concept of luxury has changed considerably in recent years,” explains Patrizia Scafati. “The notion of exclusivity can be associated with a particularly well-finished and welcoming bathroom; with a reading corner with a desk that makes you want to sit and think or work; with a secluded garden where you can calmly sip a drink and relax with a book; with a glimpse of green and blue where you can meditate or listen to good music. These are rooms in which you want to stay and spend time, where you can feel peaceful and at ease.”

 

What services, including digital services, will be developed in your hotels?

“We cannot overlook the direct relationship between the staff and the guest, an aspect that distinguishes the luxury hotel experience and makes it unique. Despite the uniqueness of this relational aspect, all home automation systems have been adopted in the hotels. In certain hotels, rooms have been equipped with different technical lighting, such as in the Hotel Vilòn in Rome, and with remote access management systems. The relationship with the local area, its typical features and the opportunity to enjoy it in an environmentally friendly way is a key value; personalized guide services, bike tours or trekking routes, child care, cooking lessons and spa services, not to mention the most diverse sports, such as the 18-hole golf course in Saturnia, can be booked – online and offline – at all our facilities.”

 

What are the new spatial concepts for your hotels and what are they used for?

“At the Terme di Saturnia, the resort I am currently working on, we are developing new relaxation rooms and treatment services for guests, as well as opening a bar overlooking the waters of the ancient spring. This long social distancing period has led to a new concept of well-being that is more intimate and of luxury that is completely private, discreet and truly exclusive.”