CHI Signs 20-year Management Agreement for Two Hotels in Sicily

CHI Hotels and Resorts has signed a 20-year management agreement with Italian companies ‘Off Side srl’ and ‘Sicilia Golf Resort srl’ (both acting on the advice of CBRE Hotels Italy), for the operation of two upscale golf resort hotels in Taormina and Catania on the Island of Sicily, Italy.

The two resorts, currently under construction and scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2012, are the Corinthia Taormina Golf Resort and the Wyndham Catania Golf Resort.

Situated on a 616,000 sq meter tract of land in the picturesque Alcantara national park and canyon, within the popular Giardini Naxos area of Taormina, the five-star Corinthia Taormina Golf Resort will feature 130 bedrooms and suites and 158 fully serviced residential units on four floors, overlooking an international 18-hole golf course and club house.

The hotel will feature two restaurants, three bars including a juice bar, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a health club and spa and six meeting rooms.

 The hotel also has parking for 350 cars and is located 1.5 km from the popular Taormina beaches, 35 km from Catania international airport and about the same distance to the city of Messina.

Taormina has been one of Sicily's top travel destinations since it became part of the European Grand Tour in the 19th century and Sicily's first resort. The romantic town has remnants of its Greek and Roman habitation, a fine medieval quarter and castle ruins, and modern shops and restaurants. Perched on the side of Monte Tauro and often referred to as the ‘Sicilian Monte Carlo’, Taormina offers fantastic views of the coast and Mt. Etna volcano. Below the town are excellent beaches where one can swim in the clear sea water. It is also famous for its annual arts festival, with plays, concerts and a film festival held outdoors in the Greek Theater throughout most of the year.

The Sicilia Golf Resort srl owned five-star Wyndham Catania Golf Resort, with a massive footprint of over 879,000 sq meters, is in the municipality of Carlentini, between the city of Catania and the UNESCO designated World Heritage city of Syracuse.

 The hotel will have 192 bedrooms and suites and 224 fully serviced residential units on three floors overlooking an international 18-hole golf course.

This hotel's facilities will include two restaurants, three bars, a health club and spa, sauna, Jacuzzi and exercise room, indoor and outdoor pools, gift shop, a golf club house and pro shop, a ballroom and two meeting rooms.

 It is only 8 km away from Catania international airport and 40 km from the city of Syracuse.

Catania is a renowned port and Sicily’s second largest city after Palermo. It was home to such great artists as the composer Vincenzo Bellini and the writer Giovanni Verga. Catania lies in the shadow of the famous active volcano Mount Etna, a very popular attraction with visitors to this baroque city. Most of Catania's wide streets and majestic palaces were built during the eighteenth century, coincidental to the Bourbon's development of Naples. Further to the south, Syracuse is a historic sea-side town that is famous for its rich Greek history, culture, amphitheatres and architecture. Syracuse is a pleasant town, with plenty of activities to occupy visitors, and is also a good base for seeing the south-eastern corner of Sicily.

“We are excited at the prospect of taking two of our top brands to Italy for the first time” said CHI’s chief executive officer and managing director Tony Potter. “With these wonderful projects, we are also adding a new dimension to our operational base - that of including the golf resort business to our already diverse portfolio of hotels. We are a pioneering hotel company with a 45- year track record of operating some of the top award winning luxury hotels in major cities and resorts around the world. We now look forward to repeating our success story in Italy as well.”

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