contact: info@bownsbest.com
contact: info@bownsbest.com
There are grand hotels and there are Grand Hotels. The Quisisana is definitely one of the latter. I have been visiting it for years, because I love Grand Hotels. And I love Capri - just like the ancient Romans. They looked upon the isle of Capri and were captivated by its charms. They built exquisite villas so that they could gaze across its rocks into the bluest of blue seas. Centuries later, in 1845, a doctor from
Scotland, George Sidney Clark, realised that his patients would also benefit from this place’s happy combination of sunshine, warmth and beauty. He built a clinic and called it ‘Quisisana’, which means ‘here one heals’. Twenty years later the clinic became an hotel. As time went by, more and more persons of means and taste began to make the crossing from Naples to enjoy its luxurious hospitality. Here Jean
Paul Sartre thought his existentialist thoughts and Ernest Hemingway day-dreamed about bullfights. In 1981 the property was purchased by a native Capri family, and since then members of the Morgano clan have lavished extravagant care and attention on their prize.
Arriving at Capri when you are staying at the Quisisana is itself a small adventure. At the quayside you are met by a porter from the hotel. He takes your cases, and then you walk over to the funicular railway for the ascent up the cliff – having been directed first to buy a ticket from the office to the right of the quay. You could take a taxi, but the ride on the railway is cheaper and more interesting and it takes you
closer to the hotel (for the island has many restrictions on motor cars). Then it is a leisurely stroll through the Piazzetta – the tiny, buzzing heart of Capri – past the jewellery and fashion shops, round the corner and there it is... the immaculate façade of the Quisisana, looming up with the sort of imperious grace normally confined to the gothic cathedrals of France. (Incidentally, I could use that word ‘immaculate’
repeatedly of the Quisisana. The hotel exterior is painted every year without fail, and its interior receives constant but discreet attention from a battalion of craftsmen.) And the Quisisana has the perfect location in Capri for lotus-eaters like me.
As I entered on this visit, my eye was caught by the standards fluttering overhead. I was pleased to observe that they included the Papal flag. Inside, the marble floor, the crystal chandeliers, the sweeping staircase, the inviting sofas, the oil paintings and the pieces of fine antique furniture speak the message in unison: you are now in a proper grand hotel. As always, there were lots of smartly dressed members of staff to ease the progress to my billet.
Room 125 was a Junior Suite. (Check the rates for specific dates on the hotel website.) In its hallway were doors to the bathroom and the bed-sitting room. The former boasted two wash basins, a tub with a jacuzzi facility, a separate shower, a loo, a bidet, lots of large, fluffy, white towels and the beautifully packaged Quisi toiletries. (The hotel has a famous spa and is justifiably proud of its Quisi range of beauty
products.) The bed-sitting room I measured out at around 21 feet by 12 feet. Its sleeping and sitting areas were separated by a round arch. The pristine whiteness of its walls and of its blue and white floor tiles was matched by the white upholstery of the sofa. There were two televisions, of course. Within the fitted wardrobes was a private safe. Through a sliding door of plate glass was my own terrace, about 25 feet in length, equipped with chairs and loungers. From here I could gaze through trees of pine and palm at the merging shades of blue of the sea and the sky. My moments of most exquisite pleasure were had when I woke each morning, touched a switch by my bedside and caused the electric blinds to rise gently to reveal another day of sunshine and beauty.
But there was a problem. My ailing back required seating higher and firmer than that provided by the sofa. In many establishments I would have been in difficulties. But not at the Quisisana. A quick call to the Reception desk and a few minutes later a handsome armchair (a blue fauteuil) - perfect for my posture - had been installed. You see why there are capital letters in ‘Grand Hotel’.
Early each day, down in the large breakfast room next to the gardens, I enjoyed the kind of breaking of the fast you would expect. Sitting on a white armchair, with white napery before me and members of staff, smart in their cream waistcoats, all around - the canned music having been extinguished at my request - I enjoyed the sublime quietness and serenity which should accompany breakfast. I tucked into
fresh pineapple and melon, slices of various tarts, mushrooms on toast, crisp bacon and baby plum tomatoes, and bowls of Allbran with strawberries. All these comestibles were secured from the extensive buffet and all were of the highest quality. To my table were brought pots of coffee, dishes of ice cubes and my concluding cappuccino. My days at the Quisisana began very well indeed.
Whenever I stay here, I am always impressed by the excellence of the members of the hotel staff. They are smartly dressed, courteous, efficient and friendly. Indeed, anyone who wishes to know how a grand hotel should be managed should come here and observe them at work. The General Manager, Mr Adalberto Cuomo, deserves high praise for keeping standards at the Quisisana so wonderfully high. Such
standards mark out the great hotels. Mr Cuomo heads a wonderful team, and my photograph shows me with one of them: Mr Aldo D’Enrico, the Food & Beverage Manager.
My days on Capri are usually spent quietly, with gentle outings to the Marina Piccola (where, according to the Noël Coward song, English ladies of a certain age used to find excitement – “In a bar on the Piccola Marina / Life called to Mrs Wentworth-Brewster”) and Anacapri (from which I decline to find my own excitement by taking the terrifying chair-lift to the very top of the island). But I find there is much to be said for staying within the carefully tended grounds of the Quisisana. Everything is at hand. Even - were I to lapse into my thespian manqué persona - a stage is available, for the hotel has its own Art Déco theatre, designed in 1929 by Giò Ponti.
Dinner is served at the Colombaia Restaurant, next to the swimming pool. The weather being beautifully warm, I was able to occupy one of the outside tables, with views out to the sea. As always, Mr d’Enrico was on hand to ensure that all went well. Executive Chef Stefano Mazzone, of a Sicilian family, offers a straightforward menu, with dishes which are marked by skilful execution and robust, satisfying flavours. The highlights of my meals were a fine seafood risotto, excellent prosciutto with melon and a lovely chateaubriand with béarnaise sauce. And the pudding trolley had truly indulgent cakes.
You will drink well at the Quisisana, for Mr D’Enrico has constructed a most interesting wine list. Its 500+ offerings come from all over the world, but Italy and France dominate. Prices run from 29€ for a white from Campania to 5,540€ for 1996 Krug Clos d’Ambonnay champagne (with 2014, 2015 and 2016 Romanée-Coni attracting the discreet phrase, “price on request”). Other bottles to catch my eye were: Krug Grande Cuvée (375€), 1997 Ornellaia (1,100€), 2000 Margaux (2,275€), 2000 Haut Brion (1,935€), 2001 Latour (1,320€) and 1997 Yquem (480€, half). And I always like to see a German sweet wine on a list – here 2002 Silvaner Eiswein, Louis Guntrum (120€). From my own drinking, I must recommend to you a supremely impressive red from Puglia, a gem of dense black fruit and residual sweetness: the 2013 Sessantanni primitivo (a snip at just 56€).
The Quisisana is an hotel of the old sort: comfortable, spacious, majestic, luxurious, beautifully furnished, diligently maintained and ideally located. It is famous and it deserves to be famous. Without doubt, the Quisisana is one of the Grand Hotels.
Via Camarelle 2, Capri 80073, Italy.
Telephone +39 081 8370 788
Fax +39 081 8376 080
Email: info@quisisana.com
Open from March to the end of October
Check the hotel website for the rates for specific dates