The little island of Capri is home to a gorgeous collection of boutique boltholes and exclusive hideaways frequented by an annual parade of Hollywood A-listers and European jetsetters. But few holds as much cachet as Hotel La Palma, the first hotel ever to open its doors on the island. Recently acquired by the Reuben Brothers, the hotel will reopen in April 2022 as part of the Oetker Collection, just in time to celebrate the 200-year anniversary since it welcomed its first guests to the island.
A team of top architectural and design firms have been drafted in to oversee the rebirth of the hotel, with Rome-based Delogu Architects overseeing the transformation of the 50 guestrooms and suites, and New York-based Tihany Design charged with reimagining the restaurant, pool, spa and beach club.
Local chef Gennaro Esposito, who has run his own two-Michelin starred restaurant in the mainland town of Vico Equense for the last 23 years, is taking the helm at the hotel’s signature restaurant Gennaro’s, which promises a menu of classic Italian cuisine in an informal setting that harks back to the Capri vibe of the 1950s. Esposito will also oversee the menu at new rooftop restaurant and bar Bianca, and the La Palma Beach Club.
Located a short drive from the hotel at Marina Piccola on Capri’s southern coast, La Palma Beach Club sits on a sun-drenched spot just in front of the three towering rock formations that rise up from the Mediterranean to form Capri’s iconic Faraglioni. Night and day, the beach club is destined to become a major draw for well-heeled visitors from across the island and the flotilla of superyachts that are often moored offshore.
As well as a new pool deck and pool bar, the hotel will also retain ownership of La Taverna Anema e Core, a legendary nightspot where a who’s who of Capri socialites gather each evening to celebrate the end of another day in paradise.
