Verdura Golf & Spa Resort

Tested by
travel expert
Joanna

Individual ratings for Verdura Golf & Spa Resort

Location
Sprawling stand-alone resort directly by the sea in south-west Sicily, extending over 230 hectares of land. 15 km from the port of Sciaccia and 40 km from the valley of Greek temples in Agrigento.
Ambience
A starkly modern interpretation of the Sicilian soul. Together with Olga Polizzi, the Head of Design of the Rocco Forte Hotel, the architect Flavio Albanese created an accomplished combination of the three natural elements sand, stone, and wood.
Infrastructure
A 45-hole golf complex, a driving range, a golf academy, a club house including a pro shop, 3 restaurants, 3 bars, boutique stores, a 60-metre outdoor pool, a spa on 4,000 sqm including 4 large thalasso outdoor pools, indoor pool, sauna, steam room, treatment rooms, and a café, a large gym, a running track, 6 tennis courts, a kids club, while also offering the complimentary use of bicycles.
Culinary
The "Buon Giorno" restaurant offers a large breakfast buffet, while aspirational Mediterranean cuisine is served at the "La Zagara" restaurant, and seafood by the poolside at the "Amare." The trattoria "Liolà" includes a pizza parlour in the old tower.
Rooms
203 rooms and suites spread across several buildings and mansions, done in the simple splendour of an "ethnic chic" style. All rooms and suites come with four-poster beds, sea view, balcony or dedicated seating in the garden. Even the rooms of the lowest category have a living area of 40\_sqm. The finest place to stay, however, is in the first row directly by the golf course – with the beach just two fairways away.
Service
Highly competent and solicitous staff at the club house and spa. Elsewhere, not everything works quite as smoothly.

Verdura Golf & Spa Resort Hotel, Sciacca

It was in the south-west of Sicily, largely ignored by tourists, that Sir Rocco Forte opened his first resort in 2009. Between the sea and the valley plain along the river that lend its name to the resort, he created a superlative golf and spa resort probably without equal anywhere in the Mediterranean. "The art of simple luxury" reads the maxim of Rocco Forte Hotels, and it has been implemented to perfection here on Sicily. The indoor and outdoor areas, done in earthy colours, are a joy not just to architects and design fetishists. Golfers, for instance, are enchanted most by the 18-hole championship course designed by Californian golf architect Kyle Phillips. Standing in one of the deep pot bunkers will make you feel like you are playing a Scottish-style links course. But the view of the olive grove and the Bay of Sciaccia will quickly remind you of where you are. It is truly hard to say which of the two golf courses is more spectacular: both "East" and "West" are aspirational and well worth playing more than once. Our advice is to bring some extra time to Verdura in order to get to explore the spa, the sea, and the surrounding area. This is the perfect place for ambitious golfers and for couples who do not both play golf.
Price range €€€
Two exciting 18-hole championship courses against a magnificent scenic backdrop are a real treat for aspirational golfers. The greens and fairways are always in impeccable state, even in midsummer.
The estate is very expansive, and there are no underground connections. Depending on where you are staying, you may have quite a ways to walk in your bathrobe to get to the spa. While this presents no problem in the summertime, it may become a bit of nuisance on days when the Mistral is blowing.

Location: Sciacca | Sicily

Verdura Golf & Spa Resort
Strada Statale 115, Km 131 · 92019 Sciacca

verduraresort.com
reservations.verdura@roccofortehotels.com

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