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Cala di Volpe Hotel, on the island of Sardinia, boasts Europe’s most expensive three-bedroom presidential suite: $32,750. Cala di Volpe Hotel is all terracotta shades outside, with a white stucco interior that artfully blends traditional rustic with contemporary dashes, sporting curvy corridors, swirly staircases, modern sculptures and stained glass. Jacques Couelle’s expressive architecture dominates its beauty characteristic of Costa Smeralda. The reception area is cool, almost cave-like, and the atmosphere feels hushed and superbly exclusive. Overlooking a cove of lapping turquoise waters, it’s the sort of place where time takes a break. There’s a huge pool and a private beach reachable by a private boat service. Tennis courts and a fitness center complement the relaxing areas, just in case you feel like swinging a racket or hitting the weights. The nearby Pevero Golf Club is stunning. The hotel’s culinary offerings feature indigenous ingredients from Sardinia’s best producers, as well as international classic dishes to please
gourmands from all over the world. Costa Smeralda was established in 1962 when the first hotels, Hotel Cervo and Hotel Cala di Volpe, were built. Hotel Pitrizza opened its doors in 1963 and Hotel Romazzino in 1965. This marked the start of a whole new era for the Costa Smeralda: members of the international nobility, Hollywood celebrities and business leaders began pouring in, turning it into a chic, jet-set destination, a natural paradise just a two-hour flight from mainland Europe. Fifty years later, the Costa Smeralda remains an incomparably beautiful corner of unspoiled Sardinia. Now world-renowned for the exceptional standard of its hospitality, it is a second home to the international jet-set, who fill the lobbies, suites, swimming pools and private beaches of four of the world’s most prestigious hotels. Featuring artistically arranged porticos, juniper wood doors, arches and steps, Hotel Cala di Volpe was designed in the style of a traditional fishing village, and remains the Mediterranean’s most glamorous hideaway.
Hotel Pitrizza, on the other hand, is a triumph of understated sophistication, a haven where space, in the form of gardens that separate its villas om the private beach, is the real luxury. It boasts a selection of exclusive suites guaranteed to meet the needs of even the most discerning guests. Hotel Romazzino’s own white stucco lines are reminiscent of those of a traditional Mediterranean village and blend effortlessly with the expansive white beach that separates it from the famous emerald sea. Last but not least, Hotel Cervo remains the very living, beating heart of the village of Porto Cervo. It brilliantly combines beach life and chic glamour, thanks to its famous Tennis Club, five restaurants and special partnership with the Pevero Golf Club, which is also open all year round. Luxury and simplicity, sea and glamour, privacy and jet-set socializing: in the attraction of opposites lies the secret to the enduring success of the glittering Costa Smeralda. page 57