Pellicano Hotels has acquired its fifth property, La Badia Estate in Orvieto, Italy.

Situated in a former Benedictine Abbey with roots going back to the 6th century, the property stands out in the Umbrian landscape due to its medieval twelve-sided tower and ancient stone fortifications. Since the 1960s, the estate has operated as a four-star hotel with a swimming pool, tennis court and restaurant.

The property is now set for a sweeping renovation aimed at “blowing off the dust and making this hotel live,” Pellicano Hotels chief executive and creative director Marie-Louise Sciò said.

Il Pellicano, the niche hotel group’s founding property in Porto Ercole, has long been a hideaway of the international jet set: photographed by Slim Aarons and frequented by Jackie Kennedy, Gianni Agnelli and Sophia Loren. Since being acquired by Sciò’s father Roberto in 1979, the hotel has continued to attract figures from fashion and culture while preserving a relaxed, unique atmosphere.

As international hotel groups continue to snap up — and typically standardise — iconic properties, Marie-Louise Sciò has worked to scale Il Pellicano’s take on hospitality rather than selling out. Pellicano merged operations with the family’s other hotel, La Posta Vecchia, in Ladispoli (on the coast near Rome), and acquired a third property on the island of Ischia, Mezzatorre, in 2019.

The company raised around €200 million by selling a minority stake to Aermont Capital in 2023 with ambitions to open another 5 to 7 new hotels. Last year the group bought a location in Tuscany, La Suvera, with plans to reopen in 2026. 2024 revenues of €37.4 million grew nearly 10 percent year-on-year.

In Orvieto, Pellicano will invest more than €43 million to acquire and restore La Badia Estate, marking “a compelling new chapter in Pellicano Hotels’ mission to uncover Italy’s most unexpected and authentic destinations, far from the well-trodden tourist routes,” the group said.

Italy’s central Umbria region, known for its verdant valleys and medieval hilltop towns, has attracted increased investment and attention in recent years from both domestic and international visitors. Orvieto has shown particular appeal for secondary homes and vacationers, as it exemplifies the region with its Medieval architecture and Etruscan ruins while remaining more accessible than other hilltop cities. (It’s located just a few minutes from the highway from Florence to Rome.)

La Badia Estate will be familiar to some reality television fans as the set of Lisa Vanderpump’s “Vanderpump Villa” season 2, which aired this spring.

“There’s a lot of excitement bubbling, but it’s still off the main circuit. There’s no luxury hotel group there,” Sciò said. Renovating La Badia’s 25 rooms will be about “bringing its inherent qualities out… It’s not about making it like the Pellicano or any of the others — it will have its own life and legs.”

While Pellicano Group aims to rival leading Italian hospitality brands like Cipriani and Saint Ambroeus, expansion needs to be managed carefully to preserve its signature mix of luxury service with a “human and family approach.” Sciò’s taste and curation, from interior design to food and merch, to the events and people the property targets, remains a key ingredient.

“This is what differentiates us from bigger groups, and people want to travel in that manner in the luxury space — they’re looking for places that aren’t cookie cutter,” Sciò said. “We have to be consistent about finding properties that have that uniqueness, then bringing the way we do hospitality to the table. I have to spend a lot of time there, in the hotels, because I know exactly how I want people to feel in the space.”