Magic on the coast of Sicily

On a magical stretch of coast in the rugged south-west corner of Sicily, The Rocco Forte Collection’s sensational new golf and spa resort, Verdura, opening May 2009, is now on sale.

Occupying a 230-hectare property, a vast, rolling valley of lemon trees and olive groves between the mountains and the Mediterranean, Verdura brings together the talent and experience of some of the world’s best hotel, golf course and spa designers, who have used the vivid Sicilian setting as the inspiration for their new work here.

Verdura offers a new kind of Mediterranean experience: With a maximum of only around 400 guests at any time, and 1.8km of private beach, it will absolutely never seem crowded. The resort can be characterised as luxurious but restrained; Sicilian with savvy; private but well-connected; relaxing but energetic. It’s a hot, five-star holiday destination for singles, couples, families or groups who love the sea, sport, spa and Sicily.

Verdura has 203 stylish rooms and suites which arc out from the centre. These are divided between two types of building: Courtyard (close to the central reception and dining area) and Landscape. These are slightly below the Courtyard Buildings so as not to obscure the view, closer to the sea and grass landscaped into the contours of the valley as it slopes downwards towards the sandy beach. Every room without exception has a sparkling, uninterrupted view of both the sea and the golf course from its private terrace.

There are two 18-hole championship golf courses and a nine-hole course, designed by Californian golf architect Kyle Phillips (Kingsbarns; The Grove) who is renowned for creative use of natural and man-made landforms in the course of designing world class golf experiences. In addition there are practice facilities (driving range, putting and chipping areas, bunkers) and a clubhouse with pro shop, comfortable changing rooms and an informal restaurant and bar. Private lessons, clinics and academies for younger players will be all part of the service.

The 4,000 sq ft spa, fitness and beauty centre, a series of pavilions around an open courtyard, set a little apart, is a deeply peaceful place to relax, unwind or even just to sit quietly and gaze at the blue view. With 11 treatment rooms and a terrace for outdoor massages, the spa adopts a holistic approach through its four treatment programmes: energising, anti-ageing, weight loss and detox. A 20m spa lap pool occupies an impressive indoor-outdoor building, and four hydrotherapy pools are neatly landscaped into wooden decks in the gardens.

The Sicilians, as with mainland Italians, set great store by their own cuisine. Across Verdura’s four restaurants, menus by Michelin-starred Executive Chef Franco Maddalozzo will feature indigenous ingredients – lots of fresh fish, citrus fruits, olives, mint, honey, almonds – in light, healthy Mediterranean dishes. Special menus have been designed to introduce children to Sicilian-Italian cuisine and there is also a barbecue.

Understanding that, for families, the holiday adventure starts the moment they set foot in the resort, Verdura has devised clubs for younger children, activity programmes which are not too structured for teenagers, a fully-equipped, professionally-managed crèche for babies and infants from six months, and flexible babysitting services should parents wish to eat on their own or go out. Teenagers and older children will love being able to ‘free-range’ around the resort, which is car-free and totally secure, using its 60m two-tiered swimming pool, six floodlit tennis courts, golf, private beach, watersports, bicycles and other games facilities to their hearts’ content.

Any company interested in pursuing ‘blue-sky thinking’ will find it here, with Verdura’s well-thought-out conference facilities. There is scope for theatre-style presentations, round-table discussions and discreet, high-level meetings. It will be an inspirational place to clear the mind and achieve some goals.

Beyond the resort lies Sicily itself: A short hop along the coast is the picturesque town of Sciacca; and 30 km away, Agrigento, with its Valley of the Temples, is the nearest well-known settlement. The resort lies an hour’s drive from Palermo airport, and also has its own helicopter-landing facility. Verdura joins The Rocco Forte Collection of individual hotels in 13 destinations, and is the company’s first fully-fledged resort.

Design

Verdura Golf & Spa Resort fuses strong, modernist, environmentally-sensitive architecture with design that is simultaneously luxurious, firmly rooted in Sicilian culture and inspired by the spectacular Mediterranean setting.

In keeping with the raw, rugged scenery beyond the property Italian architect, Flavio Albanese, partly inspired by the work of the famous Mexican Luis Barragan, has used clean, contemporary lines, diverse textures and solar energy. The Rocco Forte Collection’s Director of Design, Olga Polizzi, has delved into Sicily’s roots to source bold colour, mosaics, local ceramics, furniture and artefacts, to create a look that is simultaneously luxurious and authentic. Guests will wake up knowing they are in Sicily.
Polizzi has brought her experienced and intelligent hand to bear on the design and feel of the resort, so that it has a tangible sense of place, the unmistakable lustre of luxury, a pared-down, contemporary edge and a simplicity that is in keeping with the local culture and the mood of the moment.

Polizzi explains: “My inspiration always starts with the place. Every project is a different thinking process: You ask ‘what is right for this place?’ I found Sicily hard, raw and rugged and this was reflected in the square, strong forms we have used and the hot colours. We also aimed to achieve a balance here between luxury and important ecological considerations.”

Scouring the island, Polizzi found that handcrafted tiles were a key traditional feature of its houses and villas, so this became a cornerstone of the design for Verdura. She borrowed the pattern from a 19th century tile and used it in different forms as a motif throughout Verdura’s private and public spaces. The throws, lampshades and cushions in the bedrooms, and the walls and upholstery in one of the restaurants all feature this motif. Sicilian company Caltagirone handcrafted the tiles which are used throughout the resort.

In the rooms and suites, each one slightly different from the next, Polizzi has set intense, Sicilian colours – violet, ochre, scarlet – as accents against a white background. Modern four-poster beds in dark wood have simple, romantic, white muslin curtains. Soft lighting is provided by lamps with fabric cylinders made by the renowned Italian lighting company, Flos. The floors are polished concrete.

Local mosaic was sourced for the bathroom walls. Colourful local artefacts used in the rooms include pots that were commissioned from a local potter and tiled tabletops. At the entrance to each room (and at reception) are plaster reliefs of ancient Sicilian artefacts and recreated by Italian company Recuperando. To create continuity from inside to outside, and to reflect the Sicilian grasses, bamboo canes have been used over the terraces to create shade and then emulated on the room ceilings by taking a plaster mould of the canes.

All of the bedrooms feature walk-in wardrobes and spacious, naturally-lit bathrooms with walk-in showers for two, stone vanity tops and seating areas.

A number of well-known Italian companies have collaborated in the resort design process, including: Paola Lenti, Bonacina, Driade, Porada, Flexform and Gabianelli.

There is an early booking offer of seven nights for the price of five or 12 nights for the price of nine, on bookings made before March 31 2009 and valid up to June 30. The offer is available on a half-board or B&B basis.

For UK customers the half-board offer represents a saving of AED9,050 (£1,700) on a deluxe room, or AED 14,370 (£2,700) on a classic suite.

Prices start at AED 1,750 (€350) per room per night during low season, and at AED 3,590 (€720) during the high season.

For further information on Rocco Forte’s Verdura Golf & Spa Resort, log on to Roccofortecollection.com.