RockStar Hotels, a Hand-Selected Collection of Boutique European Properties

It answers the demand for a trusted single platform, www.rockstar-hotels.com, where travelers can find and book smaller properties that are authentic to their locales and promise unforgettable experiences.

The RockStar difference is that its team of experts – seasoned hoteliers and world travelers – have combed foreign destinations to identify those hotels that meet its high standards in service, décor and amenities. Those that qualify are invited to join RockStar Hotels. Another critical difference is that RockStar executives revisit the hotels in their portfolio every 90 days to ensure that they remain high quality.

The fast-growing company already has 40 hotels representing nearly 3,000 rooms in its collection, including iconic names like Armani Hotel Milano, Hotel Alfonso XIII and Mykonos Blu Grecotel Exclusive Resort. These are smaller hotels with soul, style and interesting backstories that appeal to the new breed of traveler wary of the proliferation of hotel brands and eager to feel part of the local culture.

The brainchild of president and CEO Robert Santucci, a veteran of such brands as Marriott and Starwood, RockStar Hotels is designed to expose deserving, smaller hotels to travelers looking for the same. In the words of Santucci, “My father invited each of his children to visit Europe when we turned 14. I was the only one who jumped at the offer -- and so began my love affair with travel. The more I’ve traveled, the more I’ve embraced the thrill of happening upon a hidden jewel of a hotel. I have wanted, for some time, to make it easy for others to find those jewels and the memories that come with them.”

The RockStar Hotels site is noteworthy for its ease of navigation. The handpicked hotels for each destination appear on a single page, eliminating the endless scrolling that can deter even the most determined online shopper. What’s more, each hotel is introduced with a story rather than a description. Spoiler alert: the story doesn’t start and end with the reader’s first visit to the site. He or she will have to return each month to follow its twists and turns and its relevance to the particular hotel where the story is set.

If RockStar puts the fun and romance back into the search for wonderful hotel experiences, it also makes its target audience, at no additional cost, feel like rock stars via special perks. These include free upgrades, early check-in/late check-out when available, and complimentary amenities. Plans are in place to offer further unique benefits to those who book through RockStar Hotels.

“We know,” Santucci added, “that traveling today can be challenging. We have chosen hotels that intuit the mood of the guest the moment he or she appears at their entrance. The hotels in our portfolio are committed to anticipating the needs of the guest and delivering their own special brand of hospitality. Guests are assured of that no matter what RockStar hotel they book.”

RockStar is launching with 40 standout hotels: in Croatia, Adriana Hvar Spa Hotel in Hvar, Hotel Navis in Opatija, and Hotel Park and Hotel Vestibul Palace in Split; in Czech Republic, Aria Hotel and Golden Well Hotel in Prague; in France, Hotel Vernet, Le Roch Hotel and Spa Paris and St. James Paris in Paris; in Greece, New Hotel in Athens; Cape Sounio Grecotel Exclusive Resort in Sounio; Amirandes Grecotel Exclusive Resort in Heraklon, Isle of Crete; Belvedere Hotel Mykonos and Belvedere Villas, Mykonos Blu Grecotel Exclusive Resort and Kivotos Hotel in Myknonos; and The Margi in Vouliagmeni; in Italy, Meliá Villa Capri Hotel and Spa in Anna Capri; Villa Cordevigo Wine Relais in Cavaion Veronese; Armani Hotel Milano, The Gray, ME Milan il Duca and Townhouse Galleria Milan in Milan; Aleph Hotel Rome, Gran Melia Rome, Hotel Majestic Roma and Hotel Palazzo Manfredi in Rome; Palazzo Barbarigo in Venice; in Portugal, Internacional Design Hotel, Memmo Alfama Hotel, Pousada de Lisboa and Velverde Hotel in Lisbon; and in Spain, Majestic Hotel and Spa, Mercer Hotel Barcelona, Omm and El Palace Barcelona in Barcelona; Barcelo Emperatriz, Gran Melia Palacio los Duques and Totem Madrid in Madrid; and Hotel Alfonso XIII and Hotel Mercer Sevilla in Seville.