Rocco Forte Verdura Resort 5*L

Set on 230 hectares and nearly two kilometers of private Mediterranean coastline, west of the Baroque town of Sciacca, the exclusive Rocco Forte Verdura Resort enjoys a favorable location in Southern Sicily between the Greek Temples of Agrigento and Selinunte. Rooms will seem woven subtly into the landscape, in this enchanting place, where you will enjoy a true sense of space and uninterrupted views of the azure waters from your private terrace. The resort is well suited for families and for romantic couples looking for an almost-all-inclusive upscale experience. Famed Italian architect Flavio Albanese conceived the striking stone-and-wood structures that house the guest rooms with warm interiors furnished with deconstructed baldachin beds, custom rattan furniture, and printed fabrics in burnt orange and red. The interiors are lovely, in that suave, contemporary, ethno-chic style patented by Sir Rocco’s designer sister, Olga Polizzi. Rooms and Suites, feature a warm contemporary Sicilian style, with rich earthy colors and much use of natural materials – stone bathroom fixtures, wooden four-poster beds, and Caltagirone ceramic tiles. The spectacular Landscape Suites are spacious beach-facing apartments that blend in with the contours of the grassy hillocks just back from the coast, meanwhile Deluxe Rooms and Junior Suites in the Courtyard section of the hotel, have sea-facing terraces rather than gardens. The resort boasts five bars, where guests can enjoy an aperitif or a post-prandial drink, and four restaurants. La Zagara, is the upscale formal restaurant, while a more jazzy traditional Sicilian trattoria is the Liolà, beneath the Medieval watchtower.  The cute, wooden-decked Amare, on the beachfront, serves the finest local food from pizzas to BBQ-grilled fish and the Buon Giorno serves breakfast every morning, surrounded by sunshine and sparkling sea views. Spreading over 4,000 coolly modernist meters, the Verdura's standalone wellness center is probably the best facility in Sicily; it features four outdoor thalassotherapy pools, and the Kneipp healing and fitness philosophy, based on the five pillars of water, plants, exercise, diet and balance. The spa is specializes in programs that spread over several days, from detox to slimming to anti-aging. Other top facilities are the three Kyle Phillips golf courses, six clay tennis courts and much more.