Sicily’s deluxe Verdura Resort has continued its momentous start to 2017 after receiving top international acclaim from Golf Digest, the world’s biggest golf title, for the second year in a row.
The exclusive golf and lifestyle destination has again been named by the magazine – which has more than 1.6m subscribers in the US alone – as one of the recipients of an ‘Editors’ Choice Award for Best International Resorts 2017’ in its annual list of the ‘Best Things in Golf’.
Revealed in the May issue of Golf Digest, the list features a select group of leading names from the global golf industry and was compiled in consultation with the magazine’s group of 27 international affiliate titles and its panel of more than 1,000 golf course raters.
Opened in 2009, Verdura Resort – a Rocco Forte hotel – has quickly risen to become one of the new modern stars of European golf.
Having been added to the prestigious European Tour Properties Network at the start of the year, the award-winning venue will have the honour of hosting the inaugural Rocco Forte Open – Verdura next month from May 18-21, five years after staging the 2012 Sicilian Open.
Max Adler, editorial director for Golf Digest, said: “We launched this program last year with the mission of identifying The Best Things in Golf, with an emphasis on lifestyle properties, products and services—and we were overwhelmed by the positive response from readers.
“Unlike our course rankings, this reward takes a wider view to consider the merits of all aspects of the resort property. Going forward, this program will continue to receive a similar editorial treatment as our annual Hot List, which has become the game’s authoritative review for golf equipment.”
Verdura Resort has enjoyed a hugely impressive last 12 months with bookings increasing dramatically across its golfing sectors, and its success on the course has been reflected off it with the resort winning a number of other top international accolades including being named as Italy’s number one golf venue in a list of continental Europe’s top 100 golf resorts.
Marcello Della Vecchia, Director of Golf Sales at Verdura Resort, said: “It’s a very exciting time for everyone here, and receiving such top international acclaim for the second year running is deserved reward for all the hard work that has gone into making Verdura Resort a leader in the European golf and lifestyle market.
“Our exclusive world-class facilities have made the resort hugely popular with golfers, couples and families and we’re relishing the chance to showcase what we have to offer when the European Tour visits next month.”
Nestling on the coast in 230 hectares of stunning landscape, Verdura Resort is ideal for a golf break and features two outstanding 18-hole championship courses – the East Course and West Course – as well as a par-three nine-hole course, all designed by Kyle Phillips.
Complementing Verdura Resort’s outstanding golf courses are extensive golf 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.
Away from the fairways, the resort features an array of other luxury sports and lifestyle 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
ENDS
High-resolution images of Verdura Resort may be downloaded for editorial purposes from here.
For more information on Verdura Resort email Ambra Rollero at arollero@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, 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 will have the honour of staging the 2017 Rocco Forte Open in May. 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.
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
Media Enquiries: Rosie O’Brien, Group Communications Director, Rocco Forte Hotels, robrien@roccofortehotels.com
