27 May 2010 • Grand Hotel Timeo & Villa S.Andrea Taormina Sicily open Orient-Express Hotels • 2 New entry siciliane entrano nel portfolio Orient-Express Hotels

27 May 2010 • Grand Hotel Timeo & Villa S.Andrea Taormina Sicily open Orient-Express Hotels / Giovedi 27 maggio • 2 New entry siciliane entrano a far parte di Orient-Express Hotels.

Grand Hotel Timeo e Villa S.Andrea a Taormina, acquistati dal gruppo USA Orient-Express Hotels con un investimento complessivo di 107 milioni di dollari.

"I 2 hotel - spiega Maurizio Saccani, Vicepresidente Italia Orient-Express - sottoposti a una ristrutturazione triennale il cui obiettivo è migliorare ulteriormente la già ottima Qualità dell'accoglienza.

Pertanto li chiuderemo durante la stagione invernale per far continuare i lavori.

Gli interventi più impegnativi saranno sulla metratura delle camere, che sarà aumentata; alcune di queste sono già state trasformate in Junior Suite".

Sul fronte del business, primi segnali di miglioramento arrivano dalla clientela Usa, "mentre quella inglese è ancora bloccata dalla crisi e dal calo della valuta" specifica Saccani
www.grandhoteltimeo.com • www.hotelvillasantandrea.com

31 January 2010
The 83-key Grand Hotel Timeo is widely considered to be the most luxurious hotel in Taormina and the 78-key Villa Sant’Andrea has a private beach on the Bay of Mazzarò in Taormina Mare.

Upon acquisition, Orient-Express Hotels will close both hotels, as it does its existing Italian properties over winter, and upgrade key facilities, such as bathrooms and the spa.
The hotels will reopen to Orient-Express standard for the 2010 summer season.

Built in 1873, the Grand Hotel Timeo occupies an excellent position in the historical centre of the city. From the hotel's panoramic terrace, guests can admire spectacular views of Mount Etna and the bay of Naxos. Since the 19th century and the era of the Grand Tour, the hotel has been popular with an elite group of international travellers, who enjoy the hotel’s unique location, swimming pool, wellness centre and the parkland which surrounds it. Each guest room has its own terrace and the hotel's ‘Il Dito e la Luna’ restaurant specialises in regional Sicilian cuisine.
Villa Sant'Andrea is located on the Bay of Mazzarò, the heart of Taormina's seaside district. The atmosphere is that of a private villa, enriched by paintings and antiques and set in lush gardens just steps away from a private beach. Several of the hotel's suites open onto a private terrace. The ‘Oliviero’ restaurant, on a panoramic terrace overlooking the Calabrian coast, is known for its fish and seafood specialities.

The Grand Hotel Timeo nestles adjacent to one of the city’s most famous attractions, the legendary Greek Theatre, dating back to the 2nd century AD. Below, looking out across the blue waters of the Ionian sea, Villa Sant’Andrea, built in 1830, is right on the beach. The two properties are located approximately five kilometers apart and are linked by a private shuttle.

Sicily, the largest Mediterranean island, has been growing in popularity as a tourist destination due to its excellent climate, magnificent scenery and splendid architectural legacy. The island attracts an eclectic mix of tourists from around the world and its history ranges from Greek colony to Roman province and from Arab Emirate to Norman Kingdom.

Perched on a 200 metre high rocky spur called Monte Tauro on Sicily’s East coast, Taormina overlooks majestic, sweeping bays and to the South, Mount Etna, often capped with snow despite the mild climate of the region. The city has good transport links and is located 40 minutes from Catania International Airport, which has direct flights to all major European cities and good connections to those serving the USA.

Commenting on the transaction, Paul White, President and Chief Executive of Orient-Express Hotels said, “Iconic properties such as the Grand Hotel Timeo rarely become available. Both of these hotels typify Orient-Express Hotels’ core business - established properties with history and personality.”

The successful completion of this transaction at the end of January 2010 would bring the number of Orient-Express properties in Italy to eight. These include Hotel Cipriani and Palazzo Vendramin in Venice, Villa San Michele in Florence, Hotel Splendido and Splendido Mare in Portofino and Hotel Caruso in Ravello.

Ends/..
Orient-Express, (NYSE: OEH, www.orient-express.com) the name behind an elite collection of travel experiences, first came into being in 1883 as one of the world’s most exciting and indulgent train journeys. Today those same two evocative words also embrace hotels, cruises and other luxury rail adventures in 25 countries, across five continents. The Company has offered exceptional luxury travel experiences since 1976, when it first purchased Hotel Cipriani in Venice and then shortly afterwards, recreated the celebrated Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, linking London, Paris and Venice, along with other European cities. Today, the company owns or part-owns and manages 50 businesses, 40 of which are highly acclaimed hotels, each unique in style, from the Mount Nelson in Cape Town and Rio’s Copacabana Palace, to the Grand Hotel Europe in St. Petersburg and Maroma Resort & Spa on Mexico’s Riviera Maya. There are two restaurants, including ‘21’ in New York, two river cruise operations and six luxury trains.

For further information and images, please contact Vicky Legg,
Director of Public Relations, Orient-Express, on 020 7921 4067 or
vicky.legg@orient-express.com

www.orient-express.com

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www.hotelvillasantandrea.com

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www.grandhoteltimeo.com

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www.orient-express.com

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