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Villa Marina, perched on a hill overlooking the sea and Capri’s beautiful port, takes our title as one of the top hotels on the island. Capri has been popular with visitors since the early 1950s, so you can imagine the plethora of options when choosing a luxury property to hang your hat during your time here. But, not all of the luxury hotel options on the island are created equal. Some rise to the occasion and some meet an “okay” standard at best. Villa Marina rises above all of this to truly stand out as a place that offers not only the most incredibly idyllic setting for a stay on the island, but service and amenities that will leave you truly impressed and comfortable throughout your stay.
The hotel is a haven set just off a winding road, which takes you from Capri’s port into the center of the village. This advantageous location is a perfect medium to offer guests easy access for days of shopping around town or boating through the crystal blue waters, which have made the island so famous. Entering the main drive, you instantly feel a sense of peace and get the feeling that you are now in the hands of the staff whose intention it is to help you relax and enjoy your surroundings.
Entering the hotel’s intimate lobby, you’re welcomed by the reception staff. Bags are whisked away to your room and you’re offered assorted snacks and a welcome cocktail made from sparkling white wine and lemons, which seem to grow everywhere on this island. After an easy check-in you’re led through lush and colorful gardens up a small hill and into the main building which houses most of the 21 rooms and suites, the guest lounge, Ziqu Restaurant and a spa with indoor swimming pool. Up a short elevator ride and the room welcomes you with a spacious interior and a terrace, which looks out over the property and across the azure Mediterranean.
My room, which was named Krupp after the artist who spent time on the island (all of the rooms are named after artists who have ties to the island), was large with ample closets, high ceilings, a queen-sized bed dressed in crisp white linens and glass shelves with books for me to peruse throughout my stay. The rooms are filled with items that belonged to these various artists, which offers guests an immediate and intimate relationship with the island. My room was quite comfortable, to say the least, and I appreciated the ample closet space and marble bathroom.
Villa Marina offers guests a full-service spa, Spa Stai, with indoor pool, fitness area, Turkish bath, sauna and various treatments inspired by the Mediterranean region. The outdoor pool is a respite for tired feet, soar from walking through Capri’s hilly terrain. The blue and white tile mosaic on the bottom of the pool is representative of tile work found in the Amalfi region. You can also relax with an iced tea in the hotel’s extensive gardens with wafts of lemon, thyme and rose enveloping the air around you. If your itinerary is more active, the concierge will arrange trips into the village with the hotel’s courtesy shuttle or help you plan a day hiking to Villa Jovis or boating around the island.
What is special and resonate about Villa Marina is that they seem to make all the important ingredients involved in a “luxury” stay come together seamlessly for their guests. It’s not an easy task and many hotels only succeed at a few. But, here, it’s evident that they have a formula that works, and it’s all headed by Director of Operations, Stefano Ruocco. My recommendation is to make Villa Marina your “home away from home” while in Capri. The only problem you’ll have during your stay is when it’s time to pack your bags and checkout – leaving their little paradise behind isn’t easy to do.
