With still a year to go before welcoming guests, you might as well pencil this in. For the international jet-set who have seen their favourite pastime curtailed by the pandemic, consider making a bolt for the beautiful island of Capri on April 2022. Book your suite at the new Hotel La Palma, a 50-room-and-suite property which debuts on this idyllic island rich with astonishingly blue grottoes, ancient myths, delicious cuisine and the very epitome of la dolce vita.
You’ll then check into a property which stood as Capri’s very first hotel, the Locanda Pagano built in 1822 which attracted a society of artists, poets, writers, painters and musicians. Hotel La Palma represents a partnership between the building’s owners – the highly diversified Reuben Brothers with interests in properties, investments and philanthropy – together with the posh Oetker Collection hotel specialists which offers a portfolio of hotels, estates and villas in Europe, the Caribbean and Brazil.
Naturally, this hotel is to be found in the vibrant Capri Village with its cobblestoned paths, laid-back cafes and restaurants catering to a global elite of celebrities and fashion superstars, just mere steps from the island’s famous square of Piazzetta Umberto 1. From this vantage point, you can gaze into the blue horizon and imagine what it must have been like for the ancient Romans to cast their eyes on such an expanse of the Mediterranean that it is even possible to examine the Earth’s curvature.
The hotel’s interiors, conceived by designer Francis Sultana, is an ode to the original. “As Capri’s first ever hotel – Hotel La Palma opened its doors over 200 years ago – there was a real sense of responsibility to respect its heritage and legacy,” Sultana says. “decided to go the restoration route to preserve that quintessentially Capri style – The shells and stucco mouldings were just so beautiful and where they were lost we remade them, where we had to add new details, we designed them all in keeping with the building’s historical narrative . We have preserved the railings , the facades, and the architecture of the terraces. The locale, of course, plays a huge role throughout the project and I also created new vaulted ceiling in the typical Capri style.”
“I also paid homage to the hotel’s origins as ‘The Artist Hotel’ by commissioning Italian artist Roberto Ruspoli to paint the frescoes in the lobby so it’s very much in harmony with the soul of the hotel. The locals have all been very appreciative of the restoration and renovations and this brings me immense joy to know we created something that keeps Capri’s unique charm and spirt alive. My vision was to create something beautiful and authentic that evokes the glamour of the 1950s Capri and Slim Aarons’ iconic photography and really reinstate Hotel La Palma as the social epicentre of the island.”
Gennaro’s, its restaurant, bar and terrace comes under the culinary direction of Chef Gennaro Esposito who has spent the past 23 years helming the two-Michelin star Torre del Saracino. On the hotel’s rooftop, you will find Bianca, a restaurant which will transport guests to the ‘50s with understated glamour and a laidback vibe. That same mood will be recreated at the hotel’s pool deck and bar, where one can sip on spritzes and cool bellinis. Next door, one finds the Taverna Anema e Core, the famous Capri nightspot which is also owned by the Reuben Brothers.
The adjacent La Palma Beach Club in the Marina Piccola, is where you can spend sun-soaked days enjoying life as it’s meant to be. Charter a yacht to explore the azure waters and return to a lazy lunch of Mediterranean delights, with cocktails to follow an elongated and glorious sunset. Head back for a spa session or take the opportunity to dive into the smorgasbord of cuisine served up by the restaurants on this famous beachfront.
