GRAND HOTEL QUISISANA 

The town revolves around the PIAZZETTA on the Via Vittorio Emanuele III. This is where many of the exclusive shops are and the funicular railway disembarks. This is not just any old piazzetta, - this is Capri ! The elevation gives the most amazing sea views and there is that extra Capri pulse of well-dressed visitors on the streets. Our drive from the port up the narrow windy roads is always a magical experience, and one never stops pinching oneself as you make your way towards the gorgeous Quisisiana Hotel.  

There is something so proud and reassuring about this beautiful old Grand Hotel. It’s quite a greeting - the beautiful curved arches, gigantic old windows, sand-coloured walls and big balustrade balcony are flanked with a row of flags from around the world.  Entering this “other world” is such a retro experience: Bellboys in white dash back and forth, and the men behind the desks wear impeccably crisp black suits. Its never changed over the years.

The lobby conjures all the grandeur of old Europe: with its huge pendant chandeliers, 19th century bronze cherubs, burgundy rugs, chesterfield sofas and oil painting hanging over the marble lobby.  The look still seems fresh because of the summery white walls and floaty curtains, but we did get a kick out of the nice, old school touches too, like the big brass keys and wooden telephone booths - very Alfred Hitchcock - where you disappear to receive calls. (Done this many times when speaking to the kids back home, its feels like walking back in time)!

There are three or four concierges who rotate, and a few we have known for years like Antonio Desiderio and Enzo Luele. I am always happy to see their warm friendly faces each time we return. The Quisisana is one of those hotels, like the Beverly Hills Hotel in LA, that breed’s fanaticism with its guests. We know somebody from Sydney who has returned here for their 3 week ritual break for the past 20 years !! It has a style and grace and never feels intimidating.

People have been drawn to the elegance of the Quisisana since 1845, when Capri became one of the world’s first tourist resorts for the elite, long before the travel industry hit the masses. 
They have a long illustrious guestlist, attracting the nobility (“from the Savoy family to the Hohenzollern” as they put it), monarchs and tycoons, artists and legendary writers like Ernest Hemingway and Jean Paul Sartre as well as Hollywood stars. For many people the hotel is simply synonymous with Capri.   

It’s a big hotel that can take up to 300 guests, but the beautiful architecture and service is so good that I put my usual phobia about hotel complexes aside - places like this invented how to do it right. There are huge facilities: restaurants, a gym, sauna, Turkish bath and a beauty salon. They must have acquired extra properties to build the grass tennis courts, which are about 200 metres down the road. And the staff ratio is amazing: someone always appears uncannily at your elbow if you need something.

POOL POSITION 

Although for me the pool is not hugely important a thing in Capri because of the incredible sea and and vibrant town life, it is still one of the things I love most about the Quisisana; the pool is an institution here. The enormous pool in fringed with palm trees, statues of lions and wide terraces, and surrounded by the lemon beige, villa style architecture with decorative arches and balconies that add to the charm. 

As with every Capri hotspot it’s all about location. Every day here is like opening night! Everyone wants a front row seat but once a guest has that prime spot, they won’t let it out of their kung fu grip! Between 2-4.00pm (siesta time) some deckchairs free up and like seagulls looking for stray chips, the next guest moves in ! The pool service is incredible: the attendant literally turn the mattress over on the chair, rolls out a fresh new towel and you now own your small piece of real-estate !

SUITE DREAMS 

I dont push my luck here with any upgrades (July/ August – PEAK TIME) as we just don’t expect it here, and its just not going to happen. This is not the kind of hotel that would relax policy let alone in peak season. Frankly, on this last trip I was holding out for anything because they were fully booked, so I grabbed the 550 Euro rooms that came up at the last minute. They were simply, classily decorated and surprisingly spacious. 

I have stayed in the suites before and you don’t really need them here. You can soak up so much fabulous atmosphere in the hotel’s public spaces and still enjoy the amazing location, with all of Capri town just outside the door. As long as you book a room that faces the water you are getting the essential Quisisana experience. There are some very large, expensive “POOL VILLAS” that do not face the water but have great access to the social hub of the hotel pool. Some people prefer them because they never have to leave this area!

On one of our trips, (September 2003) our family was traveling with a nanny as Zoe was only 2 years old. This is when I had to start acting like a Said from Saudi Arabia (sometimes people get confused) and fork out the cashola because I had to accommodate Sheira, myself, the 2 boys, Zoe and our nanny. But the rooms were great, and the memories priceless for the boys. In fact we have fond memories celebrating Josh’s 13th birthday here !

I am not a compromiser. Twenty years ago in Capri, as a traveler just starting out, I walked past this grand old hotel and made a goal that one day I would come back and stay here. It was and still is the best of Capri, and a whole world unto itself that you can just disappear into, right in the heart of town. Certain places in the world command classic luxe, however I am just as happy staying in an authentic little spot for 220 Euros when the chemistry is right for the location, as we did in Greek Island, Folegandros.

When my booking at Quisisana was still in the air I was ready to try LA SCALINATELLA, the sister, boutique hotel with fantastic terrace views. I liked the fresh, white décor with playful design details like unusually curved windows and bright blue furniture as an accent colour. But in the end Quisisana came through; it’s now a running gag that we will always almost book in at La Scalinatella.