Auberge Resorts Collection has announced the appointment of Francesco Ascani as General Manager of Collegio alla Querce, Auberge Resorts Collection.
Poised to open in late 2024, Collegio alla Querce will join Auberge Resort Collection’s extraordinary portfolio of 27 one-of-a-kind hotels, resorts and residences worldwide, marking an exciting step in the brand’s thoughtful expansion into Europe.
Located in a charming hillside neighbourhood of Florence, Collegio alla Querce Auberge will be hotel brand’s third European property, joining 13th century château, Domaine des Etangs, Auberge Resorts Collection in the Charente region of the French countryside, and Grace Hotel, Auberge Resorts Collection, the stunning boutique clifftop resort in Santorini, Greece.
Ascani, whose career in luxury hospitality spans almost three decades, joins the Auberge team ahead of the greatly-anticipated launch of Collegio alla Querce Auberge. Born and raised in Rome, Ascani has a wealth of experience in luxury hospitality within the Italian market, having completed leadership roles at Rocco Forte’s Hotel de Russie in Rome, Villa Agrippina a Gran Melia Hotel in Rome and Chia Laguna Resort in Sardinia. During his time with Melia, he led the pre-opening strategy and launching phases of the new property, placing him in fantastic stead to support the opening of Collegio alla Querce Auberge. Ascani most recently served as the General Manager and Chief Operating Officer of Borgo Pignano, a position held since 2020, after which the hotel was awarded “The Green Michelin Star” in 2023 and named amongst Conde Nast Traveler’s Readers Choice Awards.
“I am thrilled to join the Auberge team ahead of one of Europe’s most exciting and hotly-anticipated hotel openings in recent years. As a longtime admirer of the brand, it is truly an honor to lead the Collegio alla Querce team as we prepare to open its doors later this year” said Francesco Ascani.
Craig Reid, president and CEO at Auberge Resorts Collection, said: “We are delighted to have Francesco join the Auberge Resorts Collection family. Francesco is a true connoisseur of world-class hospitality in Italy, and I am confident that he will expertly lead the team as we launch Collegio alla Querce later this year.”
Upon its debut, guests will be welcomed to Collegio alla Querce Auberge, a former cultural institution and much-loved boarding school, that Auberge Resorts Collection has transformed into a luxurious 83-room hotel with 66 guest rooms, 16 suites and a 2,300-square-foot signature Quercia Suite with rooftop pool, as well as an impeccably restored original chapel and theatre, a conservatory lounge, a bar and two restaurants. Surrounded by old growth cyprus and soaring oak trees, the resort’s grounds also boast the Baroque Garden and the tiered Terrazza Gardens, which house the resort’s pool, event lawn and garden restaurant. Unparalleled views can be found at all corners of the resort offering cityscape views of the Florentine landmark, The Duomo to one side and the rolling hills of Tuscany to the other.
