Pellicano Hotels Expands to Umbria With Acquisition of Historic La Badia Estate

Pellicano Hotels, led by CEO and creative director Marie-Louise Sciò, has acquired its fifth property, according to Business of Fashion. Backed by private equity firm Aermont Capital, the move to purchase the 25-room La Badia Estate in Orvieto, Umbria, marks a calculated push inland for the group best known for Il Pellicano, its cult hotel on the Tuscan coast.

The sixth-century Benedictine abbey, recognizable by its striking dodecagonal tower, has long served as a four-star hotel. But under Sciò’s direction, it will undergo a 43 million euro transformation to bring out its character while infusing it with Pellicano’s signature soul. “It’s not about making it like the Pellicano or any of the others—it will have its own life and legs,” she told BoF.

The acquisition opens a new frontier in Umbria—an area still largely untapped by major luxury hotel brands. Orvieto, set atop volcanic cliffs and accessible via direct rail from both Rome and Florence, offers rich Etruscan history, dramatic architecture, and growing appeal among upscale second-home buyers. Yet, as Sciò points out, there’s currently “no luxury hotel group there,” making La Badia a potential category-definer in the region.