Milan, Italy, May 17, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Grotta Giusti Thermal Spa Resort of the Italian Hospitality Collection group in Monsummano Terme, Tuscany, which is scheduled to reopen in summer 2021 following important renovations, will become part of Autograph Collection Hotels, Marriott International’s diverse and dynamic portfolio of independent hotels. The historic 19th-century villa, surrounded by a centuries-old park, has been restored to its former glory thanks to an accurate project inspired by poetry and natural elements of the place, curated by the London studio Richmond International, and has been selected by Autograph Collection Hotels for its distinctive character and for the uniqueness of its thermal cave, the largest in Europe.
A thousand-year-old natural heritage, the cave was discovered in 1849 almost by chance, hidden in a lime quarry owned by the Giusti family, father of the poet Giuseppe. With the discovery, the Righteous decided to build a spa and in 1880 the Royal Hotel where the Prince of Naples and Giuseppe Verdi who called the cave “the eighth wonder of the world” was inaugurated. The underground environments of the cave – Paradise, Purgatory, Hell – have since attracted guests from all over the world, thanks to the natural thermal environment that allows anthropological care unique on the international scene. Its primitive beauty, characterized by rooms of stalagmites and stalactites, long corridors and a thermal water bath, perfectly embody the hotels ‘mark’ a signature experience that each Autograph Collection hotel offers to leave a lasting imprint on all who stay.
“We are very happy to present this splendid project, the result of intense work that will bring to light a unique jewel of hospitality” – says Marcello Cicalò, Director of Operations of Italian Hospitality Collection. “The collaboration with the prestigious Autograph Collection Hotels by Marriott International makes us proud and confident in being able to guarantee our guests an exclusive and top level wellness experience, maintaining all our Italian identity with a strong emphasis on the most authentic Tuscanness. With Autograph Collection Hotels we will have access to the international distribution channels of the Marriott brand and this will give a very strong impetus and great visibility to the resort of Grotta Giusti but also to the resort of Monsummano Terme, representing an important economic and employment driver for the entire community“. Cicalò concludes: “The renovation of Grotta Giusti is part of a multimillion-dollar investment plan that has seen the redevelopment of all the resort’s rooms, the bar, restaurants, the freshwater pool in the centuries-old park and the creation of a new spa for hotel guests. Especially in this historical period, Grotta Giusti’s project is a great sign of relaunch and development that IHC and its shareholders wanted to give for this 2021. A decisive contribution to reactivating the high-end hotel sector with momentum”.
The design philosophy
The redevelopment project of the historic house bears the signature of the architects of Richmond International©, the London firm specialized in the luxuryhôtellerie sector that has always collaborated with the most important international hospitality brands. Richmond’s creative concept, inspired by the poetry and natural elements of Grotta Giusti (from the cave to the hot springs, from the centennial park to the Monsummano hill that embraces the resort) combines the finest contemporary design with genius loci. It develops around the theme of Discovery, the discovery of the Cave. The designers in the interior design choices wanted to celebrate the foundation of the hotel, following the important nineteenth-century revelation, and lead guests on a journey to discover Tuscany, its nature and landscape, its workers and local craftsmanship, its unique thermal offer.
The new Suites
The sensory design scheme focuses on all five senses in a space that brings guests back to nature, rooting them and allowing them to focus on their well-being. A house away from home according to the Tuscan lifestyle: the cave environment and mineral-rich waters are central to the general philosophy of Grotta Giusti and perfectly reflect the Latin word of SPA, salus per aquam: “health through water”. The colors of the rooms and furnishings of the new restaurant, the bar, the common spaces, and all the rooms have been chosen with extreme care in the sign of the historicity and uniqueness of the structure. The walls are characterized by precious frescoes and decorations on the walls, in a continuous dialogue with the surrounding natural park and with neutral furnishings and natural materials such as silk, wood and gold. The Hotel will reopen with 68 rooms including the 3 new Suites – Suite Giusti, Suite Garibaldi, Suite Verdi – named after the three great personalities related to the history of the villa: the poet, the hero, the composer.
The Thermal Spa
Directly from the Hotel you can reach the new thermal spa that develops on the ground floor around the natural cave. Here the offer includes a new Meditarium thermal bath, the new Kneipp path and the wet area with sauna, steam room and wet treatment booths. The hand of the architects has also redefined the new reception of the Spa, enriched by a relaxation area in which to take a break between wellness journeys. The entire first floor of the Spa has been redesigned, with cabins for beauty and spa treatments and the new gym.
The Historical Park
The majestic setting of the 45-hectare park, curated by the renowned landscape architect of the beginning of the last century Pietro Porcinai, houses the freshwater pool with a new bar and restaurant area around it, as well as the tennis court and the life path that winds through the park, revisited with paths among centuries-old trees and lush gardens and trekking paths for excursions in the countryside surrounding the resort. The new “herb garden” will be a central element of the park, used for the cultivation of plants and aromatic herbs that will be used in the kitchen for the creation of culinary specialties related to local products, and to the bar for the creation of cocktails and personalized infusions. An interactive signage system will guide through the different types of plants for a unique and distinctive nature experience.
The Restaurant and the Bars
Completely renovated, the Restaurant Il Poeta,a tribute to the poet Giuseppe Giusti, with a refined menu that houses in each section a poem by the great poet and that includes traditional recipes, based on organic and seasoned raw materials collected directly from the hotel garden, and healthy dishes in line with the philosophy of well-being linked to longevity. The design of the Restaurant is inspired by the Cave, with the presence of natural elements and stones of various shapes and colors that refer to this icon of the resort. And again, the new L’Fresco Lounge Bar where drinks, cocktails and spirits seem created by a herbalist, with personalized herbal recipes collected in the hotel garden, and the Coffee Snail, in the lobby, whose name pays homage to the famous poem by the poet Giusti. A place to relax, work, read the many books related to the territory and listen to music in the living room of a historic house, rich in poetry and literature.
The stay in the new Grotta Giusti will be a memorable experience in the name of poetry and nature, Exactly Like Nothing Else,as the motto of the Autograph Collection Hotels brand, the collection of independent hotels of Marriott International, which with Grotta Giusti enriches its portfolio in Italy.
About Italian Hospitality Collection
Italian Hospitality Collection brings together hotels, resorts and spas of excellence: unique, chosen for their beauty, their history and the charm of their territory. Those who choose Italian Hospitality Collection live an authentic Experience of Italian Hospitality made of warmth, generosity and passion. Every guest feels that they are at the center of our world, surrounded by attention and immersed in the beauty of art and nature. In Tuscany the three resorts in our collection – Fonteverde, Bagni di Pisa, Grotta Giusti – were born as noble thermal residences. They are jewels of history and architecture that have sprung up on natural springs, in some of the most enchanting areas of the region such as the Val d’Orcia, the hills that embrace Pisa and the Valdinievole. In Sardinia, Chia Laguna is immersed in the splendor of one of the most spectacular stretches of the coast, in front of beaches, headlands, coastal lagoons and dunes overlooking the turquoise sea. In Valle d’Aosta, in Courmayeur, Le Massif is an innovative and exclusive project for those who love charming hotels. Since winter 2018 Le Massifoffers a new concept of hospitality where the warmth of the Italian welcome is captured by two unsurpassed locations: the Hotel Le Massif, a breath away from the cable car and fashion boutiques, and the chalet La Loge du Massif, in the heart of the ski slopes.
