The “Oscars” of the beach club industry were awarded on Thursday, May 7th in Milan, during the Gran Galà dei Beach Club d’Italia at the Excelsior Gallia Hotel for the official launch of the third edition of “Guida ai migliori beach club d’Italia” (Morellini editore), by Andrea Guolo and Tiziana Di Masi, the first guide dedicated to the world of beach resorts.

For the first time, the prestigious award for best beach club in Italy has been divided by price range, according to the positioning of beach clubs between luxury, premium and accessible. Winning “ex aequo” the title of Best Luxury Beach Club Italia 2026 (over 200 euros per day) are Alpemare (Forte dei Marmi, owned by Andrea Bocelli and Veronica Berti) and Lido Villeggiatura, beach club of Belmond Villa Sant’Andrea (Taormina). For Alpemare this is the third consecutive win, after the absolute victory in 2024 and 2025, the second already shared with Lido Villeggiatura. Standing out in the premium range (50-200 euros) is Tivoli Portopiccolo in Sistiana (Trieste), beach resort (open to external guests) of the hotel and resort of the same name. Among accessible price beach clubs (under 50 euros), Sand D’oro in Scanzano Jonico (Basilicata) prevails, managed by Lucanian entrepreneur Giuseppe Ferrara. The “first time” in the guide for lake beach clubs also gave rise to the attribution of the award for best Italian freshwater beach club, which goes to Riviera Lake in Garda, property of the Rana family.

Best Premium Beach club 2 Tivoli Portopiccolo — The Best Premium Beach Club award to Tivoli Portopiccolo

In addition to the absolute winner, awards divided by category were assigned. Prevailing in dining, winning the Cà Maiol Award – Best beach restaurant Italia 2026, is La Dogana by Enoteca La Torre in Capalbio (Tuscany). The San Greg by Feudi di San Gregorio Award for best design went to Puravita in Pachino (Sicily), managed by the Rapisarda family. The quality and sustainability award sponsored by Audit People was won by Altamarea in Cattolica. The most innovative beach award branded by Spiagge.it was assigned to Bagni Fiore in Paraggi (Liguria). Novelty of the year 2026 (award given to a new opening from the previous season) is the title won by Singita Miracle Beach Argentario in Albinia (Tuscany), fourth beach club launched by the group of the same name already present in Fregene, Marina di Ravenna and Malta. Finally, two special awards were given to Le Cinque Vele in Marina di Pescoluse (Puglia) for best business strategy and to Lido Tahiti in Palmi (Calabria) as the beach club most loved by the public, at the end of a contest that took place on Instagram among beach clubs selected by the authors.

The third edition of the Gran Galà dei Beach Club d’Italia was characterized by a discussion on the industry’s novelties and issues, opened with the presentation and commentary of research results conducted for the occasion by the Research Office of PwC Italia and presented by Erika Andreetta, Partner PwC Italia, Emea Fashion & Luxury Leader. The study highlighted that beach tourism represents one of the most relevant sectors of the Italian economy, with a multiplier effect that for every euro generated by sea tourism produces 1.9 on the overall economy. Over 42 million tourists choose our country’s coasts every year, which has 7,352 establishments and added value equal to 28.3 billion euros. The data shows a structural transformation in demand: the importance of experience, service quality and sustainability is growing, determining factors for 64% of respondents, particularly in the premium segment, increasingly close to value logics typical of the luxury world. The traveler is more mature, a quarter of trips is already generated by over 65s, and increasingly digital, with 62% using artificial intelligence tools in vacation planning. The analysis highlights how the beach sector can transform into an integrated ecosystem of services, strongly connected to dining, wellness and hospitality, helping to reduce seasonality and strengthen the ability of Italian coasts to intercept more stable and high-value national and international demand for the territories. Following, communication expert Pasquo Cicchini (Community) spoke about managing the critical issues that characterize the beach sector during peak season; the founder of design studio Planum, Alessandro Checchin, about managing the Bolkestein directive as an opportunity to start urban regeneration projects in agreement with local authorities; Alessandro Berton, entrepreneur in the beach world, to tell the case history of Cbc Beach Club in Jesolo Lido.