There is an Italy that continues to tell its story with elegance, style and innovation. An Italy that does not need to invent anything, because it already has everything: cities of art, breathtaking landscapes, millenary craftsmanship and an unrivalled cultural tradition. It is on this heritage that Arsenale Group is betting, a young entrepreneurial reality founded in 2020 by Paolo Barletta and Nicola Bulgari, to relaunch high-end Made in Italy hospitality through projects capable of uniting past and future.
Barletta, a visionary entrepreneur already known for his investments in tourism and culture, wanted to bring Arsenale a contemporary vision of the Italian lifestyle. It is not a simple return to classic luxury, but an experiential, emotional rewriting accessible in its values and extraordinary in its proposal – a true “hospitality industry” rooted in Made in Italy places and stories.
La Dolce Vita on rails
Arsenale’s flagship project is undoubtedly La Dolce Vita Orient Express, which was born from the collaboration with Accor Group and Trenitalia. This is not a nostalgic remake of the famous international train but a reworking in an Italian key. With a fleet of six luxury trains and eight itineraries crossing Italy from north to south, La Dolce Vita Orient Express accompanies travellers through the wonders of the Italian landscape to discover Made in Italy and its peculiarities.
The real innovation is in the vision: “La Dolce Vita” is not just a travel experience; it is an immersive narrative. The design of the carriages – curated by Dimorestudio – recalls the refined atmospheres of the 1960s, while each route offers cuisine inspired by the region, prepared by starred chefs. The slow, sustainable, sensory journey is transformed into a continuous celebration of Italian living.
And so the train becomes a moving catwalk, on which flavours, landscapes, art and forgotten stories parade. An operation that does not just entertain, but actively promotes lesser-known destinations, generating economic and cultural spin-offs in the places involved.
Outstanding hotels: international luxury speaks Italian
The train is just one of the many tracks on which the Arsenale idea travels. In fact, the company is developing a network of high-end hotels and resorts thanks to partnerships with the most prestigious international hotel brands: Bulgari, Orient Express Hotels, Soho House, Rosewood, and Nobu.
The projects, carried out and in progress, involve six iconic hotels in five cities, not only tourist destinations, but symbolic places of elegance that Arsenale intends to recount in a contemporary language. The aim is not to open luxury hotels in the classical sense, but to create true cultural hubs, connected to the urban fabric and open to a curious and sophisticated international public. These structures are part of a broader design, which aims to reposition Italy as the world’s leading destination for those seeking authenticity and beauty, not homologation.
From Rome to Riyadh: the new Made in Italy Renaissance
The Arsenale model does not stop at national borders. Thanks to Italian know-how and the ability to create highly customised experiences, the group has also launched luxury rail projects in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates.
The approach remains the same: enhancing local history, reinterpreting it with Italian taste and creativity, offering a form of hospitality that is both spectacular and respectful. In a world where tourism is changing – moving from quantity to quality – the experience Arsenale offers appears as a compass for a new Italian Renaissance.
A cultural challenge before the economic one
Arsenale Group is not just a successful start-up in the hospitality sector. It exemplifies how business can be done in Italy, starting from the country’s values and historical skills. Craftsmanship, landscape, hospitality, and culture are elements too often left on the margins of industrial policies, but which can generate sustainable economic value.
The challenge is clear: to bring Made in Italy luxury back to the centre of the international scene, not as a simulacrum of the past but as a modern, dynamic, open vision. This challenge speaks to a global audience from a heart firmly planted in Italian soil.
Arsenale is not just building hotels or trains: it is building imagery. In doing so, it tells of an unprecedented Italy that is not afraid to show itself for what it is: beautiful, contradictory, welcoming, and profoundly contemporary. In an age when everything runs fast, betting on slow travel and a luxury that rhymes with authenticity could be the real revolution.
Learn about other extraordinary Italian companies in the world of hospitalty and tourism.