Porto Ercole is situated on the promontory of Monte Argentario in the very southwest of Tuscany, an area with a long and rich history: cradle of the Italian language and the Rinascimento.In the city bay, lies Ex Cirio, a sardine factory which has been inactive for almost 40 years. The abandoned and decadent old factory impacts one of the best locations in this beautiful Tuscan village by the Mediterranean sea. An idea was born to convert the sardine factory into a hotel, that the city of Porto Ercole and the Monte Argentario commune can be proud of. This will attract new tourists, create new job opportunities and contribute to the development of the local community and the beautiful surroundings.The investment company Qarlbo Srl - owned by the Jonsson Family - acquired the factory and the land around it in 2016 and is currently in the planning stages of the reconversion, with an expected opening in the spring of 2023. Furthermore, Qarlbo Srl is also finalising the acquisition of an existing hotel in Porto Ercole with the plan to renovate it and reopen in the spring of 2022. The vision for the two hotels is to have different (market) positioning and to complement each other to create unique, distinct and special experiences for the guests, in a way that will be defined as understated luxury.Qarlbo's ambition when converting the Ex Cirio factory, renovating the hotel and later running it, is also to make it as sustainable as possible, thus minimizing the environmental impact.