The Grand Hotel San Pellegrino, a 1904 Art Nouveau gem near Bergamo, will reopen in late 2030

Closed since the late 1970s, the Grand Hotel in San Pellegrino Terme, a masterpiece of Liberty, the Italian Art Nouveau style, which opened in 1904, will reopen at the end of 2030. The project director confirmed the date on 19 October 2026, along with a name that lovers of grand hotels will welcome: French interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon will design the interiors. The brand that will run the hotel, however, has yet to be chosen.

Late 2030: a timeline at last

Nima Khan Nakhjavani, project director at EKN Development, a hotel developer based in Newport Beach, California, has set the course: the design will be finalised in the first quarter of 2028 and the hotel is due to welcome its first guests by the end of 2030. Work has not yet begun; the technical team is already studying which tasks can be carried out in parallel to stay on schedule. In 2024, when the contract was awarded, EKN spoke of reopening within four years.

Pierre-Yves Rochon takes on the interiors

This is what is new at this stage: the concept and interior design go to Pierre-Yves Rochon, the French interior designer who has already reimagined the interiors of the Hotel Danieli in Venice. Milan agency Lombardini22, chosen back in October 2025, is leading the technical design. The project’s stated aim is to strike a balance between the standards expected of an international luxury hotel and the historic character of the building.

118 rooms and a spa fed by the springs

The plans presented by EKN provide for 118 rooms spread, as in the past, over the four floors above the ground floor. The basement will house a spa fed by the municipal springs and a speakeasy-style bar; the ground floor, a restaurant and luxury boutiques; the attic level, a library bar and a terrace beneath the dome. Outside, an infinity pool, a hot bath, bocce courts and gardens will complete the picture.

70 million euros and a 99-year lease

The municipality of San Pellegrino Terme has entrusted the building to EKN for 99 years, for an indexed annual rent of 10,000 euros. The contract signed in January 2025 put the restoration at 64.2 million euros, including 5 million in public funding (3 million from the Lombardy Region, 2 million from the municipality); the budget announced now stands at 70 million euros. In April 2025, the Italian State waived its right of pre-emption, and every stage of the design is submitted to the heritage authorities to avoid delays.

Which brand for the Grand Hotel?

This is the big unknown. Among the interested groups, the name of American giant Marriott is circulating, but the project says the brand will only be revealed later. Nothing has been signed at this stage, and the hotel could just as well join another luxury brand.

A 1904 hotel that welcomed queens

Built from 1902 by engineer Luigi Mazzocchi and architect Romolo Squadrelli, the Grand Hotel opened in May 1904. Its silhouette recalls the French châteaux, with its side towers and great central dome, and its facade makes it a masterpiece of Italian Liberty, the peninsula’s Art Nouveau. It then had more than 130 rooms and welcomed Queen Margherita, then Queen Elena of Savoy in 1929. Closed since the late 1970s, it occasionally opens its restored salons for guided tours. For other Lombard revivals, see the Raffles Lake Como and the Corinthia Lake Como, on Lake Como.