Thanks to its history, the Due Torri Hotel has always been a benchmark for hospitality in Verona. Originally known as the Palazzo dell'Aquila, the Palace of the Eagle, in the 13^th century t was used as a guest quarters by the Della Scala family, the lords of Verona. In the 17^th century it served as an inn and in the middle of the 19^th it was transformed into the Grand Hotel Imperiale. It is still acknolwedged as the pride of the city. 

 

When it comes to hosting crowned heads, the 5-star Due Torri is second to none in Verona – and always has been. Consulting the guest books and checking local news chronicles, we find that its guests have included the likes of King Louis XVII, Napoleon III, Vittorio Emanuele II, Emperor Joseph II and his brother Archduke Maximilian, Charles IV King of Spain, Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria and Field Marshal Radetzky. Not to mention the whole Greek royal family, the Shah of Persia Reza Pahlevi, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. Whether just for one night or for longer, the palazzo has always proved fit for every occasion, welcoming heads of state and illustrious rulers. Between these four walls and in the luxury rooms, all of them have experienced the hospitality of Verona. 

 

Though most of these ruling families have disappeared, this tradition of hospitality has continued into the 21st century. One of the last such guests was His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Sovereign of Dubai. In June 2011 the Sheikh was preparing to come to Italy to take part in an equestrian event, the Garda Endurance Lifestyle, a 20 kilometres or so outside Verona. The Due Torri Hotel promised to offer him the best accommodation possible but it needed a new suite to do so. It was thus that the Presidential Suite Santa Anastasia was specially built for him and completed just in time for his arrival. The Sheikh landed at Verona’s Catullo airport as planned with his fleet of private planes. He and his delegation – eminent members of his government, members of the royal family, the diplomatic staff of the United Arab Emirates ambassador in Rome, his personal brigade de cuisine and general staff – occupied 60 rooms.

 

The staff at the Due Torri Hotel was ready to offer every form of assistance and complied with every request – even the most bizarre. The Sheikh, for example, asked for an inordinate number of bottles of superior French mineral water. Not for him and not for his staff: no, he needed the water to wash the manes of his precious Arab thoroughbreds. 

 

Remaining as a memory of those unforgettable days is the Presidential Suite Sant’Anastasia – 100 square metres decorated in the Empire style – overlooking Sant’Anastasia. The ideal place to feel like a sheikh for a day.