Klima Edit - March
Castiglione Ugolino, Tenuta di Murlo, Umbria
What’s New?
Rome’s grand dame, the Hassler Roma, has reopened to unveil the first phase of its refurbishment including an updated lobby corridor and renovated rooms. This will be followed by a reimagined Imago restaurant (Michelin-starred, by the way), the new Palm Court Garden and rooftop bar this spring, and finishing off with a brand new spa excavated under the Spanish Steps opening fall 2026.
Rocalla, a new, luxury padel club, is opening on Formentera for the 2026 summer season. The owner is Pablo Carro, COO and Co-Founder of Playtomic (the world’s largest community of racquet sports players and clubs). One can sign up for multi-day wellness retreats with activities like padel, yoga, and boat excursions, or if you’re staying on Formentera you can also just book court time and find matches through Playtomic’s app.
*This ties into the growing interest in wellness travel and active vacations. Lucie Kittel of Domino Travel, an affiliate of SmartFlyer, has seen a rise in clients seeking more active, wellness-forward vacations beyond the traditional ski and golf trips.
Happenings & Trends
Set Jetting
Is everyone else also mentally time traveling back to the 90s after watching Love Story, and longing to replicate the super secret, intimate wedding on Cumberland Island? Great, same! We have two ideas of the best venues for a similarly private, romantic micro-wedding.
In your own Italian Chapel at Tenuta di Murlo, Umbria, Italy
Castiglione Ugolino sits surrounded by the 18,000 acres of Tenuta di Murlo - it doesn’t get much more private than that. The 13th century castle-turned-villa has its own chapel and 10 bedrooms to house the bride and groom’s nearest and dearest.
Overlooking the Caribbean Sea, Samaná Peninsula, Dominican Republic
Casa Bajacu at Ocama is a three-bedroom villa with ocean views from the top deck and a lush garden by its lower level pool (also looking at the sea, albeit through a few coconut palms). Couples can say their vows as the sunset turns the sky a golden peach color and have a custom dinner as the stars come out.
Staying fit on business trips
Wellness travel is big for leisure, but also growing for business travelers. A 2025 Priceline survey found that Gen Z and Millennial travelers are 1.4x more likely in active travel experiences where they can learn or improve at a sport - which jumps higher for racquet sports, specifically. Business travelers can use the Playtomic app’s “open match” option to find a padel, tennis, and soon pickleball ball match quickly and easily. It will match them with others of their level and set up the game. No more lonely workouts in sad hotel gyms.
Summer Truffle Season
Black Summer Truffle season is coming. The adorable truffle dog at Tenuta di Murlo - a Lagotto Romagnolo named Artù - leads the charge into the woods to find the perfect topping for eggs, pasta, risotto…
Birding on the rise
Birding has been gaining popularity since Covid, with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service reporting an estimated 96 million birders in the US who spent over $107 billion on this pursuit in 2022. The Dominican Republic’s Samaná peninsula is a birding hot spot primarily because it serves as the gateway to Los Haitises National Park, one of the most significant biodiversity areas in the Caribbean. The region's unique "mogotes" (karst limestone formations) and mangrove forests provide a sanctuary for over 110 bird species, including 20 of the Dominican Republic's 31 endemic species. The critically endangered Ridgway’s Hawk is a raptor only found here. Other popular birds to spot are the Hispaniolan Trogon, the Broad-billed Tody and the Hispaniolan Amazon parrot. Ocama can set up private bird watching excursions in the area, and guests can spot many birds just sitting on their private deck.