The king of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz, took a luxurious 15-day vacation in Italy at the Grand Hotel Principe di Piemonte in Viareggio, a majestic 5-star luxury property in front of the sea.
The 88-year-old man, who was named king of Saudi Arabia in 2015, was accompanied by his wives, grandchildren and a large service staff. More than 300 bags were taken in the property, while a group of bodyguards were responsible for 24-hour surveillance of every floor of the hotel. The Grand Hotel Principe di Piemonte's in-house staff also therefore had to observe strict protocols for access to the rooms, with prior identification and an absolute ban on carrying smartphones and any electronic devices.
King Salman requested that 41 rooms of the 80 on the property be reserved for him and the entire third and fourth floors of the hotel were assigned to princesses and servants. In addition, the King obtained exclusive use of the rooftop and the kitchen, where his personal staff worked.
The Saudi monarch stayed in the presidential suite on the second floor: over 1600ft with a living room, private kitchen and three bathrooms, designed by Italian fashion designer Stefano Ricci, with black and white references declined through precious materials, such as marbles, silk and precious woods finished in wax.
The Grand Hotel Principe di Piemonte had to change the layout of some spaces of the property to accommodate the King. The ground floor, next to the lobby, has been transformed in a children's play area, while the adjacent Butterfly Room - usually used for meetings and conferences - was set up as a private dining room.
King Salman also asked to taste the dishes cooked by multi-starred Italian chef Giuseppe Mancino, who was joined by a trusted Arab tester assigned to follow the preparation of each dish.
Several activities were also organized during the luxurious vacation of the Saudi monarch, such as horseback riding on the beach for children with dedicated instructors and a show cooking on the sea-view terrace to learn about the techniques of making Italian ice cream.
This is not the first time that the Grand Hotel Principe di Piemonte in Viareggio has hosted prominent international political figures. A few weeks earlier it was the turn of the President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, who was accompanied to the facility by a state representative.
