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No one can dispute Capri's great charms: wildflower-carpeted cliffs that look out over secluded coves, swims in the pristine aquamarine sea, and evening strolls along cobblestoned streets and through small piazzas that remain unchanged since Jackie O took her daily passeggiata here. The downside: day-trippers from Naples and large cruise ships that can make the place feel like an Italian Disney World. The trick is to book a hotel where you can comfortably stay put only to emerge in the afternoon, when the crowds have thinned.
Two new properties provide just that kind of refuge. This summer, the luxe 50-room Hotel La Palma opens in an early-19th-century building that's been reimagined by Roman architect Francesco Delogu and designer Francis Sultana. It's also the first Italian property from Oetker Collection (which owns the likes of Antibes's Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc and Le Bristol Paris), which gives the venture serious hospitality chops. Located near Piazza Umberto I, the main square, the hotel has two restaurants led by Michelin-starred chef Gennaro Esposito, including a stylish alfresco option; a beach club (a rarity in Italy); and a pool and spa for additional on-site diversion.
The more intimate Il Capri Hotel, opening in July, is a former neo-Gothic palazzo that couple Arnaud Lacombe and Graziella Buontempo have painstakingly transformed into 21 rooms with a lovely rooftop pool. The entertainment factor is high: an all-day restaurant with sweeping views over the Tyrrhenian, an aperitivo bar set on a rooftop terrace, and the much-anticipated Rumore, the hotel's subterranean nightclub. That's a whole lot to look forward to on an island that trades on looking backward. Rooms at Hotel La Palma from $910; Il Capri Hotel from $535.
This article appeared in the July/August 2022 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine here.
