As Delphina hotels & resorts takes a number of top titles at the World Travel Awards, Breaking Travel News here chats with Elena Muntoni, brand manager with the Sardinia-based company, to find out more

Breaking Travel News: Congratulations on your success at the World Travel Awards, with Delphina hotels & resorts taking a number of top prizes. Resort & Spa Le Dune has defended the title of Italy’s Leading Beach Resort. How does it feel to have won there?

Elena Muntoni: Being elected Italy’s Leading Beach Resort for the second time and in such a special year fills us with pride and we sincerely thank all our supporters.

The eight kilometre stretch of Li Junchi beach, right in front of the Resort & Spa Le Dune, makes our offer unique and perfectly suitable for couples looking for relaxation and fun-seeking families alike.

This Blue Flag-beach with white sand is also very popular with guests who love taking long walks on almost deserted areas or practice water sports.

The sand dunes behind the beach have fascinating vegetation, populated by junipers, sea roses and other essences, while the stunning view ranges from the islet of Isola Rossa to Asinara Island.

The resort is greatly appreciated for the opportunity to choose between five hotels, ten restaurants, an elegant spa, children’s village and lots of free sport activities.

We are also very proud of our farm with a vegetable garden, orchard, vineyard and olive grove to get to know the typical plants and crops open to visits by adults and children for recreational activities to learn and appreciate nature while exploring the Mediterranean plants and picking of the vegetables, which will be eaten at the restaurants.

Breaking Travel News: At the same time, the wider company has been honoured with the trophy for Italy’s Leading Hotel Group. What do you think it was that caught the eye of voters?

EM: Winning this award is more than a simple recognition.

It confirms our commitment and passion over almost the last 30 years and further strengthens the orientation of our future actions. 

Our business philosophy is a customer-driven hospitality which is rooted in Sardinian tradition, making guests feel truly welcome and at home.

We treat our guests as we would our friends coming to stay, and we craft everything around their comfort.

Our collective aim is to give them a genuine experience, understanding and taste of Sardinia, every moment of the holiday becomes an opportunity to get in touch with our traditions and live authentic experiences.

This is really important to us all in Delphina hotels & resorts.

We are 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.

Being Sardinian has made us first of all ambassadors of our land.

The spirit of hospitality and the desire to protect this natural paradise are part of our DNA, for this reason from the very beginning, we commit ourselves in terms of sustainability and respect for nature.

For example, Delphina hotels & resorts is the first Italian hotel chain to 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.

We are pleased to save 3,536 tons of CO2 each year.

We also gifted all staff with reusable water bottles to refill in specially installed fountains and replaced single-use plastic water bottles for guests with glass bottles and recyclable cans.

Every season we save 68,700 plastic bottles.

Breaking Travel News: Finally, Resort Valle dell’Erica Thalasso & Spa was voted Europe’s Leading Green Resort. How important is sustainability to your operations?

EM: The unique landscape of Sardinia is our greatest treasure, and it has always been the core of our projects.

Winning this title for the third time is the proof we are definitely on the right path. It’s the signal of how it is possible to offer an increasingly eco-friendly holiday that respects and enhances the territories.

From the very beginning, we were strongly determined to make every single building fit harmoniously into the nature and you can see it from the first sight.

The Resort Valle dell’Erica Thalasso & Spa is a truly natural oasis in North Sardinia.

Set in a 28-hectare natural park of scented shrub-land, along 1,400m of unspoilt, sparkling coastline, sandy beaches and wind-carved coves right in front of the Straits of Bonifacio, Corsica and La Maddalena Archipelago International Marine Reserve.

An exclusive location in the heart of the Mediterranean, the resort is the perfect choice to experience a complete Sardinia beach holiday with tailor-made services and facilities for all guests that enjoy a five-star freedom holiday, as we like to say: the charm and the luxury of the best five-star hotel, but less formal.

Breaking Travel News: How would you describe the mood in Italian tourism as we prepare for next summer – will these wins be a springboard to a full recovery in 2022?

EM: This summer we noticed a great desire for Italy and for holidays in Sardinia, with more attention to all aspects related to safety and the possibility of enjoying a free holiday in large open spaces.

Since last year, we have successfully implemented simple and clear procedures for all hotels and resorts to offer our guest a peaceful and comfortable stay.

We believe in a gradual recovery of tourism, including international travel, so we will plan as usual, renovation and restyling works in all our hotels and resorts.

We are sure that these international awards will be a springboard to a complete recovery and the demonstration that offering a quality holiday, respectful of the nature and the culture of this island is the winning way.

More Information

Find out more about Delphina hotels & resorts on the official website.