Terradamari Resort & Spa Marina di Modica
A subtle balance of design, narrative and brand identity shapes the new Terradamari Resort & Spa, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, in Marina di Modica, the first Tapestry Collection property on the island.
The project is signed by Studio Chiara Caberlon Architetti, and stems from the vision of Raimondo Minardo, a Modica-born entrepreneur with a deep passion for hospitality, who wanted to restore value to his own territory by recovering a ruin abandoned for over thirty years on the Punta Regilione promontory.
The property owner was not looking for just any project, but for a deep dialogue with the surrounding landscape: a design able to tell the most authentic essence of this part of Sicily.
Chiara Caberlon's first site visit takes place in winter, and it is from that season that the project's colour direction is born: not the saturated tones of summer, but the delicate blend of blue, sand and grey that defines the dunes, the light and the sea outside the tourist season. From here, a clean, essential concept takes shape, deliberately steering clear of stereotypes, drawing instead on the dunes of Modica, the shifting light of the sky and the deep breath of the sea.
The project's elegant simplicity speaks of a clean, deep luxury, in constant connection with space, light and sea. Every interior engages in dialogue with the outdoors through a continuous in-and-out interplay, with large windows that keep the sea ever-present.
Ceramic takes centre stage as an imperfect object that shines and reflects light, while colour and reflective materials play a central role in every detail, many of which stem from original sketches by Chiara Caberlon herself. Wood, rattan, ceramics and stone, hand-crafted largely by local labour, bring together a contemporary aesthetic with genuine warmth, combining beauty with everyday ease of management.
Becoming a Tapestry Collection property meant following precise guidelines, starting with a thorough market and competitor analysis requested by Hilton, useful in identifying areas of weakness and strength to build the hotel's positioning around. The result is an authentic experience of the territory, while also reflecting the brand's values: holistic opulence, sustainable sophistication.
Raimondo Minardo, an entrepreneur from Modica whose family owns nine hotels between Modica, Marina di Modica and Rome, tells the story behind Terradamari as a wish to bring new value to the area by restoring abandoned, forgotten buildings. The resort has 39 sea view rooms, two pools, a private beach and a spa spanning a thousand square metres. The architectural vision, signed by Studio Caberlon, highlights the continuity between indoor and outdoor spaces, with materials inspired by the dunes and Mediterranean colours. Minardo explains that he chose to start with a four star property in order to fully understand visitor needs before any future development. General manager Felice Di Donato describes the choice to focus on destination tourism, promoting the surrounding area, from the baroque towns of Modica, Scicli and Noto to the sea, alongside a commitment to working exclusively with local labour. The article also gives space to the resort's energy and water sustainability, and to the A Truvatura restaurant, led by chef Carmelo Buoncuore with consultancy from Accursio Craparo.
— Davide Visiello
Chiara Caberlon and Valentina Piccirillo of Communication Juice together tell the story behind the Terradamari Resort & Spa, the first Tapestry Collection by Hilton in Sicily, born from the wish of Modica-based entrepreneur Raimondo Minardo to restore a ruin abandoned for thirty years at Punta Regilione. Chiara recounts how the first winter site visit inspired the interior's colour palette, drawing on the blue, sand and grey tones of the dunes outside the tourist season. Valentina explains the naming process: Terradamari plays on a Sicilian double meaning between "land to love" and "land seen from the sea", the Ciàtu Spa takes its name from the dialect word for breath, life and love, and the A' Truvatura restaurant evokes the idea of a rediscovered treasure.
— Maria Mele
Hilton signs a franchising agreement with the Minardo Group of Modica for the Terradamari Resort & Spa, backed by a 15 million euro investment budgeted in 2022 for construction. The opening fits within the growth of the Tapestry Collection brand across Europe, which counts more than 135 hotels, alongside recent openings in Crete, Bordeaux and Barcelona. Patrick Fitzgibbon, Senior Vice President Development EMEA at Hilton, highlights the strategic interest in Mediterranean island destinations, and in Sicily in particular, which welcomed more than five million tourists the previous year. The property has 42 rooms with sea view balconies, green walls inspired by the landscape, the A Truvatura restaurant, a beachside grill and the Ciàtu spa with six treatment cabins.
— Nino Amadore
The interior design of the Terradamari Resort & Spa, by the Milan-based studio of Chiara Caberlon, blends tradition and contemporary style in the first Hilton in Sicily, part of the Tapestry Collection. The property has 42 rooms, a spa, an outdoor pool and a gourmet restaurant, with neutral sand and stone tones woven together with touches of deep blue and olive green. The project follows a fully eco-sustainable approach (electric-only systems, solar energy, advanced water resource management) while the restaurant is led by executive chef Carmelo Buoncuore in collaboration with Michelin-starred chef Accursio Craparo.
— Paola Trotta
