The Tuscan city of Florence has been earmarked as a future site for Marriott’s W Hotels Worldwide brand. With an opening date penned for 2023, W Florence is set to become a buzzing centrepiece in the heart of the artistic city alongside the Ponte Vecchio riverfront and the Duomo.

Leeu Collection has appointed Auberge Resorts Collection to manage Collegio Alla Querce (College at the Oaks) in Florence, Italy. The historic 16th-century property, acquired by Leeu Collection in 2017, has its own chapel and theatre and was previously used as a boarding school and hotel.

This month sees the much-anticipated launch of Florence’s coolest boutique hotel, Dimora Palanca.

COMO Hotels and Resorts has launched a new COMO Shambhala Retreat at COMO Castello Del Nero – the first Asian-inspired wellbeing experience in Tuscany.

Marriott International’s W Hotels is now accepting reservations for its maiden Italian property, W Rome, beginning mid-November 2021, LATTE can reveal.

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has bolstered its Italian network with the addition this month of the fabled San Domenico Palace in Taromina.

Having just announced a new addition to the Curio Collection by Hilton in Sardinia (opening next year), Hilton has now revealed plans to launch the Conrad Chia Laguna Sardinia in 2022.

Rocco Forte Hotels has this month unveiled its newest member property, the newly restored Villa Igiea.

Twenty branded independent villas of Verdura Resort, Sicily are set to launch in April 2021. The Rocco Forte Private Villas will be the newest addition to the luxury resort, guaranteeing the ultimate privacy and security for those who seek exclusive accommodation combined with the unique services that have made Verdura Resort famous throughout the Mediterranean.

Abercrombie & Kent has introduced a new eight-country, 23-day air itinerary across the northern hemisphere that will explore Taiwan, Nepal, Bhutan, India, Uzbekistan, United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Italy.

Italian luxury hospitality company, Baglioni Hotels & Resorts, will expand its stable of properties to Sardinia from June 2021 after securing a new management contract on the picturesque coast.To be named Baglioni Resort Sardinia, the addition of the five-star Paradise Resort & Spa will take the group’s collection to nine. Baglioni’s current portfolio includes hotels and resorts in Rome, Florence, Venice and Tuscany in Italy, London, the Maldives, and Saint Paul de Vence and Aix-en-Provence in France.

Oetker Collection will welcome its first Masterpiece Hotels property in Italy in April 2022. Hotel La Palma is in the centre of Capri Village. The first hotel on the island – formerly known as Locanda Pagano – and dating back to 1822, the original property will undergo a complete transformation.