After another season of growth, the Baja Sardinia resort is preparing a program inspired by Sardinian culture and longevity. Herbs harvested in the park, herbal teas, treatments, and cuisine are at the heart of a project that aims to transform wellness into an experience rooted in the local area.
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What if luxury, instead of constantly adding something new, tried to recover what we risk losing? The knowledge preserved by those who have lived in a region for a long time, the properties attributed to the herbs of the Mediterranean scrub, the relationship between what we eat and how we experience time: these are the elements that give shape to Vita Longa, the project 7Pines Resort Sardinia is working on for the upcoming season. The idea is ambitious: to look to Sardinian culture for the elements needed to rethink the wellness experience, without reducing it to a series of quick, hit-and-run treatments or a collection of technological gadgets.
This news comes after a particularly successful season for the Baja Sardinia resort. But, in the view of director Vito Spalluto, this strong performance isn’t a milestone on which to rest: it’s the foundation that allows us to invest in new initiatives and raise the bar even higher. “The secret, when things are going well, isn’t to sit back, but to keep pushing forward,” he says. “At that moment, you’re not just keeping up—you’re truly pulling ahead.”
Vita Longa: Longevity According to Sardinia
The project’s name evokes “vita longa,” an expression inspired by the quality of life in Sardinia—one of the world’s Blue Zones, one of five geographic areas on the planet characterized by an extraordinary concentration of centenarians and a life expectancy significantly higher than the global average. Longevity is understood as a cultural context: the island offers a wealth of knowledge, customs, and traditions that the resort aims to explore in order to develop new wellness-focused activities.
The spa manager is already exploring the property’s approximately 15-hectare grounds alongside the chef, searching for herbs to use in developing infusions and formulations for spa treatments. This work draws on the knowledge of local centenarians, who are consulted to gain deeper insight into the traditional uses of certain plants. This research is expected to yield infusions and ingredients that can also be transformed into essential oils for the spa’s signature treatments.
This is a project still in the works, and that is precisely why it will be interesting to follow its progress: which plants will be selected, how will they be processed, and how will they be incorporated into wellness rituals? The resort has not yet presented the final program, nor has it announced the new partner that will collaborate on the initiative. However, events dedicated to longevity, featuring industry experts, are already planned.
Well-being also starts at the table
In the Vita Longa project, the spa will not be a separate entity from the kitchen. “Longevity starts with food,” notes the director, pointing to a connection that could become one of the cornerstones of the initiative. The chef’s involvement in sourcing herbs is already an early sign of this integration: well-being is viewed as a combination of experiences that include treatments, nutrition, and daily habits. This perspective opens up interesting possibilities for the resort’s culinary offerings as well: not just adding a few local ingredients or a healthy dish to the menu, but exploring the relationship between ingredients, food culture, and lifestyle.
The culinary research will also take another, more limited but particularly concrete turn: “We harvested olives on our resort grounds for the first time and are creating ‘Capogiro’ olive oil,” he explains. The chef is working with an olive mill to identify the best formula; the product will be available exclusively to restaurant guests, in limited quantities. This project isn’t intended to build a new large-scale commercial line, but rather as a way to bring a product into the restaurant that is literally grown right here on the resort grounds. “Our work is deeply rooted in the local area,” the director emphasizes.
Spazio’s offerings will also expand next season. The pizzeria by Franco Pepe—recently awarded 3 Spicchi by Gambero Rosso—will be joined by a trattoria concept curated by Chef D’Ambrosio, featuring a simpler menu—whether contemporary or traditional—to offer guests an alternative to pizza. There are also plans for new additions to Cone Club and new partnerships in the culinary and fitness sectors.
A record-breaking season, but this isn’t the end goal
The financial results explain the sense of confidence with which the resort is preparing for the upcoming season. “In terms of overall revenue, we’re up 15% compared to last year,” reports the director. Room revenue increased by about 16%, while food and beverage revenue grew by 14%. Total revenue also exceeded the projected budget—which was already considered ambitious—by 8%. “Rooms have never been a problem on the Costa Smeralda; for hotels, perhaps, the hardest part is selling dining services”, he observes. This year, the various dining venues not only surpassed the previous season’s results but also exceeded financial projections. The director considers this result particularly significant because it was achieved through culinary offerings with a strong identity, without relying exclusively on international brands.
Capogiro recorded a 45% increase in revenue compared to the previous year, following the award of a Michelin star. The average was 30–40 covers per day, with approximately 60–65% of the clientele consisting of guests from outside the resort. “The Michelin star gave our visibility a boost, but beyond the publicity surrounding the restaurant, it has generated incredible word-of-mouth, and there’s significant appreciation for our style of cooking,” says the director. Among the most interesting signs is the return of guests: “There were guests who came and tried the first gourmet menu; after three days, they came back to try the second one, and then returned again for the vegetarian menu.”
To describe Capogiro’s current moment, the director chooses a cinematic metaphor: “It’s like those movies that appeal to both critics and audiences. There are movies that only critics like and blockbusters that only audiences like; then there are those that everyone agrees on. Right now, Capogiro is a movie that everyone agrees on.” Spazio, the pizzeria associated with Franco Pepe, and Cone Club also contributed to the success. Growth, therefore, isn’t focused exclusively on the guest rooms or the fine-dining restaurant: it involves various services, catering to different audiences and consumption occasions.
After a successful season, 7Pines Resort Sardinia isn’t just aiming to replicate those results. The goal is to build something that has meaning beyond the stay itself: an experience that invites guests to view Sardinian culture as a living resource, to be explored and interpreted with care.
7Pines Resort Sardinia
Loc. Li, Via Mucchi Bianchi, 07021 Baja Sardinia SS
Phone: 0789 177 5000
