Stars of the European Tour were quick to praise Verdura Resort after it hosted the inaugural Rocco Forte Open earlier this season and the exclusive Sicilian venue is proving just as popular with the continent’s amateur golfers, with golf numbers having grown by nearly 75 per cent since 2014.
A recent addition to the prestigious European Tour Properties network, the award-winning resort is enjoying the benefits of an enhanced golfing profile and continued commitment to delivering an outstanding golf experience, with takings having increased by 73 per cent over the last three years and bookings up across all its golfing sectors again over the last 12 months.
While the number of groups visiting rose by more than a third, Verdura Resort also enjoyed significant growth in the amount of individual green fees and tournaments being booked following another impressive year.
Already featuring two 18-hole championship courses and a nine-hole par-three course, the resort added to its burgeoning reputation in the world of golf by becoming only the second Italian course to be invited to become a European Tour Properties network member.
Spain’s Álvaro Quirós led the plaudits on his way to winning the Rocco Forte Open – Verdura in May, calling the golf courses “paradise”, while Verdura Resort’s other recent accolades have included receiving a Golf Digest Editors’ Choice Award for Best International Resorts for the second successive year and being ranked fourth in Golf World’s inaugural list of the ‘Top 100 Golf Resorts in Continental Europe’.
Marcello Della Vecchia, Director of Golf Sales at Verdura Resort, said: “It’s been a fantastic last three years for the Verdura Resort which has helped to establish us among Europe’s elite golf destinations.
“We’re tremendously encouraged with how business has grown across all golf sectors. Joining the European Tour Properties network and hosting tournaments of the quality of the Rocco Forte Open has helped to raise the profile of the resort, and will do so even further in the future.”
Nestling on the coast in 230 hectares of stunning landscape, and warmed by the Mediterranean sun and refreshed by the sea breeze, Verdura Resort – a Rocco Forte hotel – provides golf on a grand scale.
Designed by Kyle Philips, Verdura’s golf courses offer uninterrupted views of the azure waters from the undulating greens. The resort includes two 18-hole championship courses and a nine-hole, par-three layout – all designed by world-renowned architect Kyle Phillips – as well as extensive practice facilities including a double-ended driving range and outstanding academy.
In addition, guests can enjoy numerous other sports and leisure amenities including six tennis courts, an array of different watersports, a 170sqm fully-equipped gym and an award-winning 4,000sqm spa complex.
Situated on Sicily’s southern coast between Agrigento and the fishing city of Sciacca, an 80-minute drive from Trapani and Palermo airports, Verdura Resort features 203 rooms and suites – all with a sea view – as well as three new villas which offer a perfect solution for family holidays, each with its own private swimming pool.
Away from the fairways, the resort features an array of other luxury sports and leisure facilities while guests also have the opportunity to sample a taste of the gastronomy, wine, history and culture that has made Sicily famous across the world.
For more information on Verdura Resort, visit www.roccofortehotels.com
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High-resolution images of Verdura Resort may be downloaded for editorial purposes from https://goo.gl/whK5xs
About Verdura Resort
Since opening in 2009, Verdura Resort, a Rocco Forte hotels resort, (www.roccofortehotels.com) has quickly established itself amongst Europe’s premier contemporary exclusive golf and lifestyle destinations.
The resort is set in 230 hectares of stunning landscape overlooking the Mediterranean with 1.8km of private coastline, and offers golfing guests and families an unparalleled modern five-star experience on the largest island in the Mediterranean. The resort is located on the southern coast of Sicily between Agrigento and the fishing city of Sciacca, a 80-minute drive from Trapani and Palermo airports.
Verdura features 203 rooms and suites, all with sea views, and is a paradise for golfers with its outstanding facilities. Players from all over the world come to enjoy the two 18-hole championship courses and a nine-hole par-three course, with all three links-style layouts designed by world-renowned golf architect Kyle Phillips, built to the highest specifications and playable all-year-round. A member of the exclusive European Tour Properties network as a European Tour Destination, Verdura was the host venue for the 2012 Sicilian Open and had the honour of staging the 2017 Rocco Forte Open - Verdura. The resort’s East Course is ranked as one of the finest in continental Europe while its beautiful West Course, also a par-72, provides the ideal complement and features one of the most memorable finishes anywhere in the world with the final four holes set alongside the Mediterranean. The courses are matched by outstanding practice amenities including a double-ended driving range and excellent golf academy.
Verdura’s other sports facilities include six tennis courts; a 60m two-tiered infinity pool; numerous watersports, one football pitch; a 170sqm fully-equipped gym and a collection of running trails through olive and lemon groves. The resort’s award-winning 4,000sqm spa complex includes 11 treatment rooms, gym, yoga studio, a 25-metre indoor lap pool, four outdoor Thalassotherapy pools, a double-height steam room, male and female saunas and a spa bar for healthy alternatives.
Guests can sample an authentic taste of traditional Sicily with an array of dishes at one of the resort’s four restaurants and five bars – with fresh, organic produce sourced straight from Verdura’s own garden. In addition, visitors can enjoy an array of cultural and culinary experiences where they can discover the secrets of Sicilian cooking, with menus inspired by celebrity chef Fulvio Pierangelini, and taste the many famous wines of the region. There is also plenty to keep the younger members of the family entertained with dedicated kids and teen clubs providing a variety of fun-packed activity programmes throughout the year.
Verdura Resort has received widespread international recognition and won numerous awards since opening. Among its most recent honours, it was ranked fourth in Golf World’s inaugural list of the ‘Top 100 Golf Resorts in Continental Europe’ and named by Golf Digest as a recipient of an ‘Editors’ Choice Award for Best International Resorts’ in 2016 and 2017. In addition, the resort won the title of ‘Italy’s Best Golf Hotel’ at the 2015 World Golf Awards’; retained its place in Golf World’s benchmark ‘Top 100 Courses in Continental Europe 2015/16’ rankings and claimed a ‘Golden Award for Golf’ at the 2015 Voyages & Hôtels Readers Awards. It was also named ‘Best Family European Golf Resort‘ by the 2011 Tatler Travel Guide, while it was the recipient of two accolades at the 2015 Spafinder Wellness Travel Awards in the ‘Best for Couples’ and ‘Wow Factor’ categories.
About Rocco Forte Hotels
Established by Sir Rocco Forte and sister, Olga Polizzi in 1996, Rocco Forte Hotels is a family of 10 individual hotels and resorts. All of the hotels are landmarks, both old and new, occupying magnificent buildings in exceptional locations. Led by a family who has been in hospitality for four generations, the hotels are united by their distinctive approach to service ensuring guests experience the best of the cities and surrounding areas.
Rocco Forte Hotels comprises: Hotel de Russie, Rome; Hotel Savoy, Florence; Verdura Resort, Sicily; The Balmoral, Edinburgh; Brown’s Hotel, London; The Charles Hotel, Munich; Villa Kennedy, Frankfurt; Hotel de Rome, Berlin; Hotel Amigo, Brussels; Hotel Astoria, St Petersburg.
Future opening: Shanghai in 2018, Rome in 2018