Hospitality, combining the old and the new

In a comprehensive renovation project carried out in the early 2000s, a seventeenth-century farmhouse set amongst the vineyards and rolling green hills of the Umbrian countryside was converted into a four-star hotel. Located 5 km from the historic centre of Perugia, Relais dell’Olmo underwent further expansion work in 2013 that involved the addition of a guest house designed by Umbrian practice Chiocchini&partners. The two structures — the existing farmhouse and the new guest house — were cleverly linked by a fully glazed tunnel offering views onto the garden, the swimming pool and the solarium area, the true heart of the complex. This latest project increased the number of Classic and Superior rooms from 32 to 52, including 21 Deluxe Rooms, Family Deluxe Rooms and Junior Suites. The restaurant, comprising a main room and a breakfast room, extends in an L-shape around the building, facing onto the swimming pool area through a large, bright window that maintains physical and visual continuity with the outdoor garden.
True to its high-level, luxurious style, the Relais offers a number of rooms equipped with Jacuzzis. Exposed beams on the ceiling and original decorations recall the tradition of old Umbrian farmhouses. The architects added a number of modern amenities to this historical context, including a swimming pool, spa, gym, car park, garage and business area with four meeting rooms, internet access and reception desk. Relais dell’Olmo is located near the most important commercial area of Umbria, which over the years has become a popular destination for managers from large cashmere wool and food companies. Taking account of its excellent geographical position, the owners decided to equip the hotel with the cutting-edge services and the most advanced technologies so as to bring the historic structure up to the times.
In this extension project, architect Stefano Chiocchini chose ceramic tiles from Tagina Ceramiche d’Arte due to their ability to fit in perfectly with the traditional context and the existing historical features. For the restaurant he selected large-format tiles from the Warmstones series in warm tones that blend perfectly with the wood, greenery and colours chosen for the interior and exterior surfaces. In the bathroom there is a predominance of smaller sizes, including 35×53 cm and 29×29 cm tiles and 9.5×53 cm strips from the SI (Space Identity) collection. The colours Green, Brown and Grey on the floor and walls coordinate effectively with the Corian washbasins in colours Bone, Mandarin, Sand and Blue. For the two Suites, Chiocchini chose the Wire Natural collection for interiors and exteriors, developed as a partnership between Tagina and architect Simone Micheli, here selected in the elegant Black and Taupe colours.