New General Manager for Verdura Golf & Spa Resort in Sicily

The Rocco Forte Collection is pleased to announce the appointment of Luciano Lusardi as  General Manager of Verdura Golf & Spa Resort in south west Sicily, which opened in August 2009.  Italian-born Lussardi will reopen the 203-bedroom resort on March 1 for its first full season.

Luciano has an impressive 28 years of experience in the hotel industry, including 21 years with the InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG).  He most recently held the position of Area Director of Operations based in Madrid where he successfully managed 80 IHG properties in Spain, Portugal and Italy.  During this time he supervised the development of two golf resort hotels in La Manga, Spain.  Other roles within the company include Area Vice President of Operations for Spain, Italy, southern France and Malta; Regional Vice President of Operations for Spain and Italy; Operations Director for France, Italy, Spain and Morocco; Area Director Mediterranean, General Manager, Holiday Inn Madrid and General Manager, Holiday Inn, Bologna City. 

Prior to joining the InterContinental Hotel Group, Luciano was Executive Assistant Manager at the Crest Hotel Antwerp and Director of Sales for Crest Hotels, Italy and Malta.

Luciano Lussardi comments: “I am very pleased to be the joining The Rocco Forte Collection and managing the company’s first ever golf and spa resort.  I am looking forward to the reopening of Verdura and welcoming guests to this very special resort in a beautiful corner of south west Sicily.”
-ends-

For more information/images, please contact:
Anna Martin/Natasha Berg
The Rocco Forte Collection
Tel. 020 7766 3137
Email. nberg@roccofortecollection.com

The Rocco Forte Collection
The Rocco Forte Collection was established in 1996 to create a group of luxury hotels in Europe.
The hotels have individual styles, with each hotel reflecting its nationality and location. The
properties are inked together under The Rocco Forte Collection, which guarantees attention to
detail, quality and service delivery.

The Rocco Forte Collection comprises: Hotel de Russie, Rome; Hotel Savoy, Florence; The Balmoral,
Edinburgh; The Lowry Hotel, Manchester; Hotel Astoria, St Petersburg; Hotel Amigo, Brussels;
Brown’s Hotel, London; Villa Kennedy, Frankfurt; Hotel de Rome, Berlin; The Charles Hotel, Munich; The Augustine, Prague; Verdura Golf & Spa Resort, Sicily

Future openings: Abu Dhabi – 2010; Jeddah – 2011; Marrakech – 2012;