Some companies tell a country’s story through their products. And then there are organisations that tell that story through their venues, their hospitality and the way they make people feel at home. This is certainly true of ITI Hotels, an Italian hotel group whose history dates back to 1921 and which, over more than a century, has accompanied the evolution of Italian hospitality and contributed significantly to putting Sardinia – and, in particular, the Costa Smeralda – on the international tourism map.
Made in Italy hospitality since 1921
It all began in 1921, when the company Esercizi Alberghieri Affini was founded in Rome, the forerunner of what would become the ITI Hotels Group. Its historic headquarters were at 12 Piazza Montecitorio, within the Hotel Milano, a building that was later completely refurbished to become the present-day Colonna Palace Hotel, which remains one of the group’s flagship properties in the capital to this day.
Antonio Corbeddu and the Sardinian turning point
A key milestone in the group’s history came in 1975, when the Sardinian entrepreneur Antonio Corbeddu took over the ITI Hotels Group. Originally from Orosei, Corbeddu had started his career in residential construction as early as the 1950s, before becoming inextricably linked to the development of tourism on the Costa Smeralda during the years of the major transformation spearheaded by the Aga Khan.
Thanks to its entrepreneurial vision, which successfully combined quality, continuity and respect for the local area, the group has developed an integrated model that encompasses site selection, design, financing, construction and management of the facilities, with a focus on quality and control that has now become a hallmark of Made in Italy hospitality.
The founding of ITI Marina Hotels & Resorts
ITI Marina Hotels & Resorts was founded in 1978 with its first hotel, the Hotel Maria Rosaria in Orosei. This marked the start of a period of expansion that would see ITI Marina become one of Sardinia’s leading hotel groups, with properties spread along the island’s most picturesque coastlines and designed with discretion to blend seamlessly into the beauty of the landscape and the environment. These are not merely hotels in Sardinia, but places designed to harmonise comfort, nature and style. This approach foreshadows a vision that is very much in vogue today: creating value by drawing on an understanding of the local area and developing a broader experience centred around the accommodation itself.
The years of growth: from Sardinia to the world
Over the following decades, the ITI Hotels Group gradually expanded its scope of operations, investing also in the tourism and residential sectors. At the same time, its international expansion took the brand beyond national borders. This expansion did not dilute its original identity: on the contrary, it brought a concept of hospitality – based on personality, care and an authentic relationship with the guest – across borders. Today, the group comprises 30 owned properties offering around 10,000 beds, spread along the east coast of Sardinia – particularly on the Costa Smeralda – as well as in Rome, Búzios in Brazil, Antigua in the Caribbean, and in the United States, between Miami and Washington.
A group that is over a century old
In 2021, the Group celebrated its centenary, a significant milestone for a company that has spanned very different eras: from 1920s Italy to the economic boom, from the emergence of mass tourism to Sardinia’s rise to international prominence, right up to contemporary tourism. The anniversary was celebrated with the ‘1921–2021 Chent’annos!’ campaign, written in three languages — Italian, English and Sardinian — to highlight the company’s dual roots: its national identity as part of the ‘Made in Italy’ tradition and its cultural identity, deeply linked to Sardinian culture. A new chapter in the Group’s history began in early 2026 with Antonio Corbeddu’s passing at 93.
Well done to everyone who promotes Italian hospitality around the world!
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