As Oetker Collection readies to unveil Geneva’s The Woodward (which made our list of the year’s most anticipated new hotels) this spring, the company announced yesterday that its next opening will be Capri’s storied Hotel La Palma in April 2022.
Hotel La Palma’s history runs deep — built in 1822, it is the first and oldest hotel on the Italian island. In its heyday, it drew the likes of Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, Grace Kelly, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Brigitte Bardot.
Oetker — whose properties include Forbes Travel Guide Five-Stars Jumby Bay Island, a private Antigua paradise, and The Lanesborough, a stately London manor — hopes to recapture its classic allure.
“Honestly, I cannot think of anything more exciting than opening a beautiful masterpiece hotel in one of the most sought-after and glamorous destinations in the whole world,” says Timo Gruenert, Oetker Collection’s CEO. “The hotel will pay homage to la dolce vita, and we will make sure that it is going to be right at the epicenter of Capri’s vibrant social scene.”
Here are some of the reasons to be excited about Oetker’s 11th hotel and its first in Italy:
The Design
Hotel La Palma enlisted Rome-based Delogu Architects to revamp the rooms and lobby, and New York-based Tihany Design undertook reimagining the restaurant, pool and spa.
Among the updates, the hotel will reconfigure its 80 accommodations into 32 rooms and 18 suites to provide for more space. Each one will have a balcony or terrace. Some of the original features will remain, like the arched windows and domed ceilings, and the spaces will sport bright pops of color like terra cotta, lime and ocean blue as well as Mediterranean patterns.
The Restaurant
Following the pandemic’s dominant culinary trend, comfort food will be on the menu at the hotel’s Gennaro’s restaurant. Chef Gennaro Esposito, who helmed the heralded Torre del Saracino in the Sorrento Coast’s Vico Equense for the last 23 years, will evoke 1950s Capri with unfussy, authentic Italian cuisine.
The restaurant will sit next door to one of Capri’s most famous nightclubs, Taverna Anema e Core, so expect a relaxed, festive mood among revelers carbo-loading for the evening ahead.
The Rooftop
Esposito also will oversee the culinary offerings at rooftop restaurant and bar Bianca. With views of the water and Capri Village, Bianca will be a hot spot where you can catch the sunset with an Aperol spritz and linger into the wee hours.
The Beach Club
Beach clubs reign in Capri, so of course, the hotel had to create its own. A short drive to Capri’s southern coast, La Palma Beach Club will reside in the lovely Marina Piccola. The Tihany-designed club will welcome all (not just those staying at the hotel) to soak up the sun, savor long lunches from Esposito and sip sundowners.
The Other Offerings
For those who don’t feel like trekking to the beach club, the hotel will have a new pool deck. You also can unwind at the spa, which will be outfitted with three treatment rooms (including a couples suite), a sauna, a steam bath and ice shower, a relaxation area and a gym. Plus, there will be three onsite boutiques to help you dress the part for your Italian escape.
