Resort Valle dell’Erica Thalasso & Spa was last year recognised as Europe’s Leading Green Resort by voters at the World Travel Awards, honouring its one-of-a-kind connection to nature on the island of Sardinia.

To find out more about the property, Breaking Travel News here catches up with Elena Muntoni, brand manager with operators Delphina hotels & resorts, to find out more about how its location on the Italian island allows the resort to offer something truly unique.

Breaking Travel News: Can we begin with a quick overview of what Delphina hotels & resorts brings to the hospitality market in Italy?

Elena Muntoni: Delphina hotels & resorts is a family-run chain with a collection of four-, four-superior and five-star destinations in northern Sardinia, all right by the sea and surrounded by the greenery of the Mediterranean maquis between the Costa Smeralda, the archipelago of La Maddalena and the Gulf of Asinara.

We specialise in holidays for couples looking for privacy and a chance to relax, for families with children - with many activities and wide open spaces for playing and having fun on offer - or wellness and thalassotherapy lovers.

Thanks to cutting-edge centres, sport experiences and excursions by sea and by land, we can cater to all markets, as well as incentive and meeting, weddings, honeymoons and anniversaries.

Central to our philosophy is the bond with our land, Gallura, a region located in the north of Sardinia, which is key to our culture of hospitality.

This permeates every aspect of what we do: the cuisine, for which we choose only fresh and genuine ingredients, the wellness, where herbs and essences from Sardinia are essential parts of our line of treatments, Sardinian Signature, and also the excursions, where expert local guides will lead our guests to the most stunning places on the island.

That is why the holiday in Delphina is unique and authentic and offers the opportunity to discover the traditions and the flavours of Sardinia.

BTN: Sardinia was one of the least impacted regions of Italy during the Covid-19 outbreak – has this made it easier to return to operation?

EM: This will be remembered as a year of difficult choices, but we stayed united and faced it together.

Hospitality is part of our DNA and the decision to open our hotels has been a gesture of love and responsibility.

We are now able to offer our guest a peaceful moment to share with their families and close friends, to discover a new way to enjoy free time and contact with nature.

Since the very beginning, our hotels have had certain characteristic and peculiar aspects that can be considered strengths at this time.

They offer large spaces - our facilities are immersed in very large Mediterranean parks.

For example, at the Resort Valle dell’Erica Thalasso & Spa, there are 28 hectares, allowing us to meet the needs of social distancing.

Our structures have a horizontal development, an arrangement of the rooms in a diffused and independent form.

There are no corridors, elevators or narrow spaces where it would be difficult to manage security measures.

We also offer direct access to the sea - the beach is accessible on foot from the rooms, and this means being able to move independently and in very open spaces.

For example, Resort Valle dell’Erica is surrounded by 1,400 meters of coastline between numerous coves and the long beach of La Licciola.

Or the Hotel Marinedda Thalasso & Spa, which is located right in front of the bay that hosts the long and spacious beach of La Marinedda, the sea reachable on foot from the rooms.

Each room has its own private entrance, its own terrace or veranda and in the higher type rooms also its own portion of private garden.

Several rooms also have their own private swimming pool.

BTN: What measures have you put in place to ensure the safety of guests as they return this summer in the post Covid-19 world?

EM: Just a few clear but necessary rules to allow all guests to experience their Sardinian holiday in a safe and relaxed way.

These measures are included in our Delphina Safe Holiday Protocol and follow the guidelines of the World Health Organisation and the regulations established by the Italian government and the Conference of the Regions.

From the private transfer in a sanitised car, to the reception in the structure, safety distances are always guaranteed, and the staff wear personal protective equipment.

In addition, a medical service guarantees 24-hour daily assistance and the staff are trained to provide assistance.

There are also instructions and information in each room and in the common areas.

To ensure a safe environment, spaces are sanitised routinely; rooms and surfaces are disinfected and treated with specific surgical standard medical devices for each change of guest.

In addition, an accurate procedure using ozone machines is carried out for cleaning and disinfecting the rooms.

There are settled precautions in order to guarantee the safety of children: the baby feeding service is managed by members of the staff, the recreational and sport activities are done in small groups, divided by age, and preferring open air.

We have done our best to guarantee safe holidays and our guests appreciate it.

BTN: A leading property in your portfolio, Resort Valle dell’Erica Thalasso & Spa, was last year recognised as Europe’s Leading Green Resort by voters at the World Travel Awards. How important are accolades such as these to Delphina?

EM: We are incredibly proud to have awarded such a wonderful accolade.

Guests can experience an unforgettable and eco-friendly holiday that respects the environment and enhances the healthy life and local culture.

Specifically, Resort Valle dell’Erica is the perfect choice to experience a complete Sardinia beach holiday, with tailor-made services and facilities for all guests, whether single, couples or families.

We call it a ‘five-star freedom’ holiday: the charm and the luxury of the best five-star hotel, but less formal.

The resort is set in 28-hectares of scented shrub-land, along 1,400 metres of un-spoilt, sparkling coastline, and sandy beaches, making a truly unique natural oasis.

This place and the other parks that surround our hotels and resorts are unique for their beauty, their strategic position and because they constantly increase in value thanks to the environmental conservation and preservation.

That is why we commit ourselves in terms of sustainability and respect for the nature.

For example, we use 100 per cent certified green energy, that comes exclusively from renewable sources, as a part of the ‘We are green’ philosophy, a collection of good practices and territorial enhancement initiatives.

BTN: How would you describe the mood in Sardinian hospitality in late 2020? Is there hope a swift rebound as we look ahead to next year?

EM: The social distancing and the new safety rules did let us discover a new way to think, to live the environment around us and to relate with the others.

During 2020 we have found the value of our free time, the simplicity, the essential, the deepest relations, but even a link with the spaces and the time too often forgotten in the frenzy of our urban daily.

Obviously, summer is the time of the year when we normally look for contacts or simply a chat under a beach umbrella and we hope to experience them again soon without limits.

World Travel Awards

Resort Valle dell’Erica Thalasso & Spa is once again in the running for the title of Europe’s Leading Green Resort at the World Travel Awards.

Guests can vote here until September 24th.

More Information

Offering a number of five-star properties on the island of Sardinia, Delphina hotels & resorts welcomes guests to a world of luxury.

Each is set unobtrusively, romantically along the coast of the island, waiting to offer unrivalled hospitality in an unmatched location.

Find out more on the official website.