Renowned for providing an outstanding golfing experience in an idyllic Mediterranean setting, Verdura Resort deserves its reputation among the world’s most exclusive golf destinations and is celebrating further international recognition after winning a top new travel award.
The deluxe Sicilian resort was named as one of the winners of the International Association of Golf Tour Operators’ (IAGTO) inaugural ‘Hotel Experience Awards’, and received the ‘Best in Italy’ honour at the IAGTO Golf Tourism Awards, which took place at this month’s 2019 International Golf Travel Market in Marrakech, Morocco.
This year’s IAGTO awards – the 20th time that they have been held – focused on recognising the achievements of golf courses and hotels that delivered the best possible experience to visiting golf travellers over the last 12 months.
IAGTO’s global network of 700-plus golf tour operators in 64 countries voted for one hotel and one golf course/golf resort in 25 leading golf destinations worldwide, with Verdura claiming the top spot in Italy.
Giacomo Battafarano, General Manager at Verdura Resort, said: “Everyone at Verdura Resort works tirelessly to make sure that all our guests receive a luxury golf, hotel and leisure experience that they will remember for the rest of their lives.
“It’s a great honour to receive this new international award and is especially pleasing as it’s voted for by leading figures in the golf travel industry. It’s been another outstanding season for the resort, and we’re looking forward to showcasing our facilities to an ever-growing audience in the future.”
The award is one of a number of top accolades that Verdura has received in 2019, including the resort being selected by Golf Digest magazine as a recipient of its prized ‘2019 Editors’ Choice Award for the Best Resorts in Continental Europe’ for the fourth year in a row.
Home of the European Tour’s Rocco Forte Sicilian Open, the exclusive luxury lifestyle destination has quickly established itself over the last decade as a firm favourite with golfers eager to combine outstanding golf with the finer things in life.
Nestled in 230 hectares of stunning Mediterranean landscape on Sicily’s southern coast, Verdura Resort’s golf facilities include an outstanding 18-hole championship course and a par-three nine-hole executive course, a double-ended driving range and first-class academy. In addition, the venue features Italy’s only European Tour-approved Performance Institute, while its second 18-hole championship layout is set to reopen next year following a major redesign by the world-acclaimed golf architect Kyle Phillips.
Verdura Resort features 203 rooms and suites, all with a sea view, including six villas which offer a perfect solution for family holidays, each with its own private swimming pool.
The resort has an extensive array of other luxury sports and lifestyle facilities, while guests also have the opportunity to sample a wide variety of gastronomy, wine, history and culture.
ENDS
High-resolution images of Verdura Resort may be downloaded for editorial purposes from Verdura Resort
For more information on Verdura Resort contact Luke Frary on 01730 711920/ luke@theazaleagroup.com or email Dona Daher at ddaher@roccofortehotels.com
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, an 80-minute drive from Trapani and Palermo airports.
Verdura features 203 rooms, suites and villas 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 nine-hole par-three course. The links-style layouts have all been designed by world-renowned golf architect Kyle Phillips and are built to the highest specifications, while one of the 18-hole courses is currently being revamped to offer guests a new and enhanced experience. A member of the exclusive European Tour Destinations network, Verdura was the host venue for the 2012 Sicilian Open and is home to the European Tour’s Rocco Forte Sicilian Open. The courses are matched by outstanding practice amenities including a double-ended driving range and excellent golf academy and Performance Institute.
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 top in Italy and sixth in Golf World’s updated list of the ‘Top 100 Golf Resorts in Continental Europe’, second in National Club Golfer magazine’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, 2017, 2017 and 2019. 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 2017/18’ rankings and claimed a ‘Golden Award for Golf’ at the 2015 Voyages & Hôtels Readers Awards. It was also the only Italian resort to be named in Conde Nast Traveller magazine’s list of ‘The 14 Best Family Hotels in the World’ in 2018 and ‘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 collection 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 openings: Rome in 2019, Shanghai in 2019, Puglia in 2019.
www.roccofortehotels.com
Media Enquiries
Daniela Moore, Group Communications Manager
Rocco Forte Hotels
Email: dmoore@roccofortehotels.com