From gourmet-report:
MANAGEMENT CONTRACT SIGNED BETWEEN ACQUA MARCIAAND HILTON INTERNATIONAL

Acqua Pia Antica Marcia and Hilton International announced the signing of an 18-year contract for the management of the Molino Stucky in Venice. This new hotel & conference centre complex on the island of La Giudecca, only 5 minutes away from the famed San Marco square in the very centre of Venice, will be completed by 2005.

The new “Molino Stucky Hilton” complex will comprise 380 guest rooms over 8 floors, a Hilton Executive Floor, terrace, tea room, several restaurants, a fitness centre and an exclusive beauty centre. The top floor of this historic building will include an exclusive fine dining restaurant, bar and swimming pool that offers spectacular panoramic views over the old city. The hotel will also include an imposing conference centre spread over an area of more than 7.500 sq. m. that can accommodate 1,500 people.

The Molino Stucky Hilton is set to become one of Venice’s most exclusive hotels, targeted primarily at top level business guests attracted by the conference facilities. The management aims to establish the Molino Stucky as Venice’s leading conference and leisure hotel and a valuable addition to the city’s range of tourism facilities.

Covering an area of 31,000 sq. m., the hotel has been created without altering the facade or the industrial structure of the original mill. The mill was Venice’s first gothic revival building which was always intended to blend harmoniously into the city’s dominant architectural style. This new renovation programme has brought back to life the brainchild of two extraordinarily intuitive 19th century Venetians: the German-born architect, Ernst Wullekopf and the Italian entrepreneur Giovanni Stucky, both committed to creating an industrial structure intimately related to the city.

The Venetian authorities now have plans to construct a tunnel running from the site of the Molino Stucky on the Giudecca Island to the west end of Venice. If built, the tunnel will offer a direct pedestrian link to the hotel, an advantage that no other leading hotel in the island of La Giudecca can offer their guests. In addition, the Marittimo Railway Station lies directly opposite the Giudecca Canal.

This new agreement reinforces Hilton International’s presence in Italy. Hilton is already represented in Milan, Rome (with two hotels, the Rome Cavalieri Hilton and Hilton Rome Airport) and Sorrento. The Molino Stucky introduces Hilton to a city that is one of the most celebrated treasure houses of the western world.

Anthony Harris, CEO of Hilton International, commented: “The agreement with Acqua Marcia represents a unique opportunity for an international chain like ours to gain a foothold through an exquisitely refined complex in the historic centre of Venice. We are delighted that the Hilton flag will soon be seen flying in one of the world’s most prestigious cities. Through this strategic alliance with Acqua Marcia, we look forward to extending our hotel, conference and spa business in Venice as the city has a need for top quality hotel facilities.”

Francesco B. Caltagirone, Chairman of Acqua Pia Antica Marcia, added: “We are particularly pleased to be able to work with such a high profile brand as Hilton International. For our company the rescue of Molino Stucky represents the realisation of a dream. Rescuing a piece of the history that belongs to one of the world’s most fascinating cities is not just a source of enormous pride; our intention being to offer the city one of the biggest and most up-to-date hotel complexes as a way of supporting its tourist industry”.

Acqua Pia Antica Marcia

Founded in 1868, Acqua Pia Antica Marcia SpA collected water and distributed it all over Rome until 1964. Since that time it has gradually been transforming itself into a finance company. After many changes of ownership, the majority holding in the company was acquired by Francesco B. Caltagirone, operating through Gedeam Inc. in 1994. Today, Acqua Pia Antica Marcia, which is quoted on the Milan Stock Exchange, deals in real estate, airport services and the tourist-hotel business.