Executive Travel, a Lincoln-based travel agency, has purchased a 31-room boutique hotel in Montone, Italy.
Montone is a small village in the Province of Perugia in the Italian region Umbria, located about 20 miles north of Perugia — which is north of Rome and southeast of Florence.
According to Steve Glenn, the founder and chairman of Executive Travel, Italy has become a popular travel destination for cooperate clients looking for retreat/meeting destinations. He tells KLIN News the price to hold meetings domestically “has gone wacko.”
“You can actually have your meeting at our hotel 25% cheaper than having it at a major hotel in San Antonio, Chicago, or Miami, for example,” said Glenn. “Can you believe it?.. It makes no sense… But that’s one of the reasons we bought it: The value proposition for business meetings, incentives.”
Executive Travel is in the process of remodeling ‘Hotel Fortebraccio‘ from a three-star hotel into a four-star destination. Glenn says the small village in which their hotel resides provides a more authentic trip for tourists.
“They want to feel the real Italy. They don’t want to be the tourist people. Of course, you got to go to Rome and Florence and see all that stuff, but then they want to go to the little towns and eat where nobody speaks English, get the real feel of Italy,” said Glenn. “Italy has this pizzazz, this factor that is magical. So we said, how do we take the magic of Italy, apply it to the Midwest, and give people a big smile on their face?”
Executive Travel also acquired the nearby luxury Villa Destino, which Glenn says will be perfect for events like weddings and family reunions. Renovations on the hotel are projected to take about 6-months.
Glenn is co-host of KLIN’s flagship travel show Executive Travel Talk. Each week, him and his brother Paul, delve into the hottest destinations, offering insights into what’s trending and what’s not, ensuring that you stay ahead of the curve when planning your next adventure. You can hear Executive Travel Talk live every Saturday from 10 to 11 AM on KLIN 1400 AM & 99.3 FM, or listen to the podcast version here.