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The Grand Tour – enchanting Italy, the most extraordinary places to visit and the most unique hotels to experience

The Grand Tour

HIP HOTELS

The Grand Tour – enchanting Italy, the most extraordinary places to visit and the most unique hotels to experience.

Beginning in the late 16th century, it became fashionable for the aristocracy to visit Italy, from Venice to Florence and above all Rome, as the culmination of their classical education. The Italy of today still remains a romantic destination, which HIP Hotels idyllically captures in a unique, limited edition book where readers are transported to the most inspiring and unique properties of the country; absorbing their infinite culture, majestic beauty, unique designs and charming stories. 
 HIP Hotels, the globally prestigious travel brand, have worked tirelessly. They have scoured Italy to bring the ultimate travellers’ encyclopaedia into one single volume. This book is a celebration of Italy’s hidden gems, so that we may all experience it first hand. Living, breathing, sleeping and admiring the Italy that has inspired travellers to visit her for centuries: this is what this book is all about, the glorious beauty of Italy.


Herbert Ypma, the world famous travel photographer, has lent his discerning eye to the project, together with Fiorenza Lago, a writer with an infinite passion for her home country, who together have captured the essence of the Italy of our dreams. Since the first HIP Hotels City book in 1999, and the other 13 titles that followed, travel connoisseurs have been waiting for HIP’s next journey. With The Grand Tour now available at £45, it will become the most invaluable, luxury, coffee table book.

This first book of the new HIP series is an object to covet: its 582 pages reach the height of a horizontal sea-scape photograph taken with a smartphone, and it holds all the same emotions of the first expression of a Grand Tour, coined back in 1697, in Richard Lassel’s book, “A Voyage Through Italy.”

“HIP Hotels proposes a distinct way of travel that draws inspiration from the famous Grand Tour and is presented in a new, enriching manner. The hotels are all unique, selected by HIP Hotels for this emotional journey, created to experience their essence, philosophy, history and beauty.” Raffaele Costa, HIP Hotels Chairman.


NOTE TO EDITORS: HIP Hotels is still one of the most recognised travel brands boasting a portfolio of the world’s most desirable hotels, known as Highly Individual Places; hotels we all want to find. A remote ancient monastery in Umbria, a hotel on a par with a 007 film location in Marmaris, or a private villa on a wild Greek island. The relaunch of HIP is based on the potential for the business worldwide. Hotels that are selected share the HIP signature and their marketing portals. Hotels worldwide, once they are accepted into the HIP portfolio, gain a “stamp” of approval, giving the properties a USP for being unique, highly individual and interesting places with a story to tell, and a culture to share.

The Grand Tour is Published by
 HIP Hotels. Copyright © HIP Media Group LTD. HIP Hotels is a registered trademark of HIP Media Group LTD.

Project Coordinator: Gianpaolo Alfano

Text and storytelling: Fiorenza Lago 

Layout: Herbert Ypma 

Photography: Herbert Ypma, Emanuele Rambaldi
Design: Iana Ianakieva, Nick Otway
Printed and bound in Italy. 

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN: 978-0-9935577-0-5
Price: £ 45
Attachments: The Grand Tour digital journey

For further information, images or destination support: RMG PR & Events Ltd
Rosalind Milani Gallieni / Samantha Gabriel
Email: Samantha@rmgandco.com|Tel: +44 (0) 20 7731 6155