- Where · in Venere, in the municipality of Lerici, in the Gulf of Poets, Liguria, at the gateway to the Cinque Terre.
- What · a five-star hotel with 80 to 90 rooms and suites under The Meliá Collection brand, alongside private residences.
- Size · approximately 4,000 sq m built, including a 400 sq m spa.
- Who · Gilda S.r.l. (CLH Invest and Gruppo Alfano) is building, SOGES Group is operating under brand licence for nineteen years.
- When · targeted opening within twenty-four months of the August 2026 announcement, aiming for 2028.
The Gulf of Poets has not seen a hotel project of this scale for a long time. Meliá Hotels International will establish its brand The Meliá Collection in Lerici, on the eastern coast of Liguria, in a location made famous by the great English Romantics long before luxury tourism took an interest. This will be the Majorcan group’s eighteenth Italian address, and its first on the Ligurian Riviera.
1. Venere, a balcony over the Gulf of Poets
The future hotel will stand in the area of Venere, one of the most panoramic points in the municipality of Lerici, in the province of La Spezia. This is the eastern tip of the Gulf of La Spezia, the golfo dei Poeti frequented by Byron and Shelley in the early 19th century, whose name has endured.
The location is the project’s true asset: the Cinque Terre are around thirty minutes away, Portovenere and Tellaro a few kilometres, and La Spezia railway station connects to Milan and Florence in under three hours. Yet eastern Liguria remains significantly less equipped with ultra-luxury hotels than the western section around Portofino, which explains operator interest.
2. The hotel concept in figures
The announced development comprises 80 to 90 rooms and suites, spread across approximately 4,000 square metres combining hotel accommodation and upscale private residences. This mixed format, hotel plus residences, has become the standard for seaside developments of this scale, securing financing through the sale of residential units.
Regarding amenities, the property boasts a 400-square-metre spa and fitness centre, an outdoor pool with sun decks, a dining offering focused on seafood and Ligurian produce, as well as versatile spaces for meetings and private events. On this scale, the complex will rank among the largest five-star developments on the Ligurian Riviera.
3. Terraced architecture, designed to blend into the landscape from the sea
The architectural approach is noteworthy, as it responds to a genuine constraint: on this steep coastline, a poorly positioned building is visible from everywhere. The project adopts a stepped structure following the contours of the land, in the style of Ligurian agricultural terraces, in order to minimise its visual impact from the sea.
This is complemented by spacious private terraces and green roofs planted with local species. Today, this is the expected response from planning boards on Italy’s protected coastlines, and it offers what guests seek anyway: unobstructed views and privacy.
4. The structure: who is building, who is operating
Construction is led by Gilda S.r.l., a vehicle uniting CLH Invest and Gruppo Alfano. Operation falls to SOGES Group, an Italian operator marking its first footprint in Liguria and its second joint project with the Spanish group.
The chosen model is a so-called “white label” operation: SOGES operates the hotel under a brand licence agreement for The Meliá Collection for an initial term of nineteen years. Meliá provides the brand and its global distribution network without committing capital, while the local operator brings ground-level knowledge. The investment amount has not been disclosed by the parties; market estimates circulate above sixty million euros, without official confirmation.
5. What this project reveals about the Ligurian market
The Meliá Collection brings together characterful independent addresses that retain their identity while benefiting from the group’s distribution. This is the format major operators prefer when entering markets where standardised offerings would fare poorly, and the Ligurian coast clearly fits this description.
This trend is not isolated: secluded coastal enclaves now capture most luxury signings in the Mediterranean, at the expense of major resorts. There remains the usual question surrounding projects announced twenty-four months out: deadlines are rarely met, and a 2028 opening is still more of an ambition than a certainty.
- 📍 Location · Venere, municipality of Lerici, province of La Spezia, Liguria, Italy
- 🏨 Brand · The Meliá Collection, Meliá Hotels International group
- 🔑 Capacity · 80 to 90 rooms and suites, plus private residences
- 🧖 Wellness · 400 sq m spa and fitness centre, outdoor pool
- 📅 Target opening · expected by 2028
- 🔗 Brand · melia.com · The Meliá Collection
