Aielli & Benevento

Concierge.com recently created a list of the world’s hotels with the n=best bathrooms. Rome’s Cavalieri made the list (known once as the Cavalieri Hilton it is now part of Waldorf Astoria collection.) The Cavalieri also is home to La Pergola, one of Italy best rated restaurants.

The best of the bathroom: The hydro massage tub in the Penthouse Suite at the Rome Cavalieri hotel is so spectacular, it has earned its own separate bathroom-within-a-bathroom in the guest suite. Up a few steps and glassed-in for gazing, the tub lets you take a dip while drinking in a view of St. Peter’s Basilica. The ceiling over this Roman bath glitters with starry fiber optics, and you can set the lighting to green, blue, yellow, or—look out—red.

The rest of the bathroom: Paneled in a rare marble with malachite inlay, the palatial bathroom is trimmed with Swarovski crystals; there’s an LCD TV above the opulent vanity, and the luxe triple-head shower is equipped with a tropical storm–inspired mister, plus scent therapy. The rest of the suite’s no slouch, either, with Andy Warhol artwork and an oversize Karl Lagerfeld sofa set that was originally designed for Lagerfeld’s home in Paris.

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The Eternal City has never been a hub of youth hostels and greasy spoons, but if you aren’t afraid of really making use of that AMEX Black card, consider the Ultimate Anniversary experience offered by Aielli & Benevento.

With this over-the-top 24/7 concierge service, the sophisticated touring couple gets five fabulous nights in Rome, and what an incredible spree it is: a suite with 24 hour butler service at the St. Regis  that would make Italy’s billionaire Berlusconi envious, private ‘after hours’ tours of the St. Peter’s and the Vatican, a Mercedes S Class sedan, driver-guide, and  exceptional Michelin rated dinings at Rome’s award winning restaurants,(La Pergola, Vivendo, and Imago to name a few).

Each day has its own theme: a Fashion Day with a couture fitting at Armani or Dolce Gabbana, an Art Day with a private tour of the Borghese Museo or and after hours tour of the Sistine Chapel, and a Wine Day at three fabulous enotecas.

This touring experience can of course be 100% customized to client’s interests.  All expense included start at  15,000 Euros per person, based on one couple. Touring includes all Five star suite accommodations, breakfast in bed each day, First Class airfare, US airport transfers, private guides, daily masseuse, and personal driver throughout Italy stay.
> Email for details: info@aielli-benevento.it .

Since the success of the film, Aielli & Benevento has offered a fantastic private tour to view the sights and secrets of the best-selling book “Angels and Demons” by Dan Brown.   Even with private sedan & driver-guide the duration of this magnum opus tour can be almost 8 hours, but you see much of Rome.  The specific itinerary includes: the Pantheon; the twin churches of Santa Maria del Popolo and Santa Maria della Vittoria; the Piazza Navona, Castel Sant’ Angelo and of course, Saint Peter’s Basilica.

This unique experience allows one to follow in Tom Hanks’ footsteps with a mysterious and winding “treasure-hunt “through Rome!  The plot of book is set in Vatican City and Rome. Angels & Demons pits Langdon (paired with an intelligent and attractive female sidekick, Vittoria Vetra) against a modern incarnation of an ancient foe of the Roman Catholic Church, the Illuminati. In the book, Catholics fill St. Peter’s Square, awaiting the announcement of Il Conclave, the assembly of cardinals charged with selecting a new pope. Little do they know they are sitting atop a time bomb — and that four cardinals in line for the job are being murdered at sites around Rome. The Illuminati’s most hated enemy is the Catholic Church, and they have resurfaced to do away with the Catholic Church once and for all.  Following the Path of Illumination, solving puzzles and enigmas, discover the Altars of Science and decode the secret messages hidden in Bernini sculptures as Landon must. Four Altars of Science, representing the four elements of earth, air, fire and water, and a mysterious text from John Milton are the key clues that, once decoded, will enable you to experience the Path of Illumination step by step. The focal point of this private tourour is the importance of Bernini’s masterpieces, spread throughout Rome’s fantastic churches and monuments.

************Clients can always pick their day of touring.  Just call 212.695.1511 and ask to speak with an Aielli & Benevento travel specialist for a complete list of services/charges. Or email us for touring details at: info@aiellli-benevento.it.

The Turin, Italy based company Red Travel offers a unique service that may     intrigue those of you a bit more independently-inclined than the traditional   Europe-in-luxury goers: you can rent a Ferrari for one to eight days and      scoot your way around the rolling hills, through the countryside, parallel to  the ocean, or you know, whatever suits your fancy, from one end of Italy to  the other. Some packages include stops at high-end hotels and spas in    traditional cities, whilst others cater to a more rural-minded crowd with stops for dinner at a former convent and a farmhouse.

Oh, and don’t worry about trying to fit your bags in the little red hotrods; a tour manager follows you via GPS and can even arrive at your destination ahead of you if you wish. The four day trip from Rome to Siena and back will run you and your shotgun buddy €4,300 each (about $5,700), but the deposit on the car will set you back €15,000 (or about $19,800) until you bring her back unscathed.

> For more information on this and other A&B private touring experiences in Italy, email us at: info @aielli-benevento.it.

The Lamborghini”s Track Academy provides an entry into the world of Lamborghini and offers a real-life opportunity to develop your track driving skills under professional guidance. This 1.5 day course includes a full day on  track, split between handling exercises and track sessions. Controlled skids, breaking techniques and other safety exercises will allow you to explore both your capabilities and those of Lamborghini’s top model: the Murciélago with its 640 hp 12-cylinder engine: the fastest and most extreme super sports car in its class.

The course can be taken at tracks near Venice and Rome. Price: starting @ 3,900. Euros (includes one overnight stay at the event hotel including breakfast; Cocktail and dinner on the first evening, lunch on the second day; Track hospitality with all refreshments _ Lamborghini gift items and Academy certificate; and Personal DVD of in-car video shots and photo CD capturing the day_s action.)

Click here for Driving Academy brochure.

Questions, email us at: info@aiellli-benevento.it

Favignana is the largest of the Egadi Islands. The island’s vast bay is dominated by The Fort of Santa Caterina, built by the Saracens, rebuilt by the Normans and used by the Bourbons as a prison. The island is characterised by its inviting beaches and coves, among which are Cala Azzurra, a small sandy bay; Cala Rossa, a rocky cove and the extensive Burrone Lido beach. Divers will appreciate the sea caves, such as the Grotta Azzurra (named for the blue water) and the Cave of Sighs (named for the moaning sound the waves make when the sea is rough).

Levanzo: The northernmost of the three Egadi Islands, which lie off the coast of Trapani to the west of Sicily. It has been inhabited since 10,000BC – as the Neolithic cave paintings at Grotto del Genovese testify – but the island remains largely unchanged, with empty bays and
coves, quiet beaches and a relaxed pace of life. There is little to do here but enjoy the great outdoors, whether by walking or snorkelling or going on a boat trip.

Marettimo is the most isolated of the Egadi group, Marettimo is certainly one of the most beautiful, unspoiled and interesting islands of Italy. It has two harbors used by fishermen, and a small village with just two fish restaurants. It is also home to some unique flora, and makes a great base from which to study the migration of birds to and from Africa. There are numerous caves, which can be visited on a boat trip, including the Grotta del Cammello, which contains the remains of a Roman settlement.

The island’s 31-mile coastline is home to a huge variety of aquatic life, including monk seals and dolphins; and the restaurants serve excellent seafood. The island can be reached by hydrofoil and ferry from Trapani or Mazara dei Vallo.

Ustica: Just 50km north of Palermo, the small island of Ustica can be reached by hydrofoil from Sicily and is a popular holiday destination for the islanders during summer. Its jagged coastline is made up of inlets and bays that open into a beautiful grotto, reachable only
by sea. Here, the waters of the Atlantic mix with those of the Mediterranean, creating a unique marine habitat that became a Marine Natural Reserve in 1987. In the centre of this 8km-long island is an elevated plateau from where you can enjoy a magnificent panoramic
view. For several years, local artists have embarked on a unique initiative, namely to paint the walls of homes with portraits, still lifes and trompe-l’oeil scenes.

Here are few places to eat/stay when you get to the Italian Alps (although their no so Italian). This information taken from NY Times article on Cortina d’Ampezzo.

“For a heady combination of low-key glamour, accessibility and the ability to ski right into some of its best restaurants, perhaps nothing quite compares with the resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo, in the jagged Dolomites of northern Italy.

Set in a teacup-like Alpine valley and surrounded on all sides by slopes, Cortina has been attracting visitors for much of the past two centuries: one of its main hotels, Ancora, was built in 1826, and many others date from the 19th century. It became a hot spot for celebrities like Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren and Audrey Hepburn during and after the Dolce Vita era, earning the nickname “salotto dei famosi,” or “the celebrities’ living room.” Today, its clientele seems to come straight from the Italian gossip pages: actresses, models, Azzurri soccer players and superstars like George Clooney. With such rarefied company, perhaps it’s not surprising that the town of Cortina itself has several high-end restaurants, like the Michelin-starred Tivoli and a branch of the high-end El Toulà mini-chain.

The real culinary action, however, seems to take place not in town, but on the surrounding slopes, where a network of old mountain huts known as rifugi cook up what some food-minded skiers say is some of the heartiest and homiest cuisine in the Alps.

WHERE TO EAT

Though many of the rifugi lack Web sites (and street addresses), good English-language information can be found at www.dolomiti.org, a site set up by the region’s official tourism bureaus. Favorites include:

Rifugio Pomedes (Tofana; 39-0436-862061; dolomiti.org/rifugiopomedes) is located at the top of the Duca d’Aosta-Pomedes ski lift. Dinner for two, about 70 euros, $99 at $1.42 to the euro.

Rifugio Capanna Tondi (on the Faloria peak; 39-0436-5775; www.cortinadampezzo.it/virtualtour/rifugiotondi) serves excellent local pasta dishes with great Italian wines. Dinner for two, about 80 euros.

Rifugio Duca d’Aosta (Tofana; 39-0436-2780; www.cortinadampezzo.it/ducadaosta ) is at the top of the Rumerlo ski lift. Dinner for two, about 60 euros.

Rifugio Scoiattoli (near Cinque Torri, 39-0436-867939; dolomiti.org/ita/Cortina/laga5torri/ospitalita/scoiattoli) offers highly traditional recipes with a focus on regional ingredients. Dinner for two, about 70 euros.

Rifugio Averau (near Cinque Torri; 39-0436-4660; www.dolomiti.org/dengl/Cortina/laga5Torri/ospitalita/Averau ) can feel like paradise after a long day, with cooking that justifies an uphill snowmobile ride in the dark. Dinner for two, about 70 euros.

WHERE TO STAY

Modest but with character, Hotel Meublè Oasi (2 Via Cantore, Cortina d’Ampezzo; 39-0436-862019; hoteloasi.it) is not far from the Faloria gondola and has nice rooms priced by the week, starting at 320 euros a person during the high season, based on double occupancy.

Far more plush is the newly reopened Grand Hotel Savoia (Via Roma, 62, Cortina d’Ampezzo;39-0436-3201; www.grandhotelsavoiacortina.com) with has 130 luxurious rooms.  For a booking in late January, the hotel’s Web site offered doubles starting at 335 euros.

GETTING THERE

Most visitors from the United States get to Cortina d’Ampezzo by way of Venice, about two hours south by car. Delta flies nonstop from Kennedy Airport to Venice, while other airlines offer connections in Europe. A recent Web search found flights starting at about $700 for travel in January. Another option is the airport in Innsbruck, Austria, also about two hours away by car.

This is Cher’s famous Italian Renaissance-Style Malibu Estate.

Set on 1.72 acres on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the 14,000 square foot villa has 6 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, a theatre, a gym and multiples verandas. There is also a suspended tennis court with stunning views of the Malibu bay, an infinity pool and a guest house. According to real estate broker, due to new Coastal Commission restrictions, such an extraordinary property could not be built today. Price: $Offered at $41,000,000.

Realtor contact: Robert Kass, (310) 858-5409Living Area: 13,126 Square Ft.; Lot Size: 74,918 Square Ft

Former 49erquarterback Joe Montana and his wife, Jennifer, have placed their Calistoga home on the market for $49 million. Set on more than 500 acres in Calistoga, the property includes a 9,700-square-foot Tuscan-styled home, equestrian center, a private pond, full-sized basketball court, skeet shooting range, caretaker’s residence, guesthouse, pool and spa, gym, Bocce ball court, and a producing olive farm.

Joe Montana, the San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame quarterback, is selling his Knights Valley estate outside Calistoga. The asking price: $49 million, of course.

If it sells at full price — a not too subtle reminder of the team Montana led to four Super Bowl victories — it would become the highest amount ever paid for a home in Sonoma County.   So what does $49 million buy?

The estate comes with a 9,700-square-foot Tuscan-style main residence, a spacious equestrian center, full-sized basketball court, skeet shooting range, gym, pool and spa.The 500-acre property, dubbed Villa Montana, also features two creeks that run year round, a private pond, a guesthouse and a caretaker’s residence.

Montana moved to the property with his wife Jennifer and their four children in 2003. The family left Sonoma County several years ago and now resides in Southern California, partly so that a son could play high school football for the private Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village. “We have a lot of great memories here with our friends and family,” Joe Montana said Monday in a statement about the villa. “It’s a home made for entertaining.”  A sale even in the ballpark of the asking $49 million price would be a record for the county.

The main residence features three bedrooms, three and a half baths, great room and dining room, breakfast room, media room, office, and a climate-controlled wine cellar and tasting room. An outdoor viewing tower offers panoramas of Mount Saint Helena and Knights Valley. Jennifer Montana is credited with the artistic vision behind the home, which includes imported marble floors and carved Baroque wood portals. An outdoor courtyard features hand-painted frescos, antique statues and fountains.

“It’s our sanctuary,” Jennifer Montana said of the estate in a 2005 Press Democrat interview. Recent photos on the Wall Street Journal’s Web site show a fireplace in the loggia over which hangs the Montana family’s own crest, painted by a French artist, and a marble bathtub so heavy it was set in place by crane.But it doesn’t come cheap. If you could put 20 percent down, and get a 6 percent, 30-year fixed-rate mortgage for the balance of $39.2 million, your monthly payment would come to $235,023.81.

The perfect Valentine’s gift for every guy is the black beauty shown here. This one happens to be owned by American Idol star Simon Cowell (he bought his own.)  But they made a few others.  The F430 is a sports car to rival all sports cars. Produced by the world’s greatest automaker, Maranello based Ferrari, its production was halted in 2009 after 5 years. The suggested price for a F430– with a top speed of 196 mph— starts at $168,000.  

Ferrari F430 GT2 Specs:
Engine: Custom-built Ferrari F136 V8 engine, 32-valve, 4-valves per cylinder.
Power: 600 hp.  Gearbox: 6 speed.
Width: 1,923 mm (75.7 in).
Height: 1,214 mm (47.8 in).
Minimum weight: 1,100 kg (2,400 lb) (including the driver with overall and helmet).
Fuel Capacity: Approximately 85 liters.