Review of the Romeo Hotel in Naples

By the time we arrive at the harbourfront Romeo Napoli we witness the full gamut of southern Italian volatility. Tempers and summer temperatures are running high. As we walk off the train from Rome at the eternally scruffy Napoli Centrale, the human crush is overwhelming – passengers jostling passengers, carabinieri shouting at taxi drivers, taxi drivers shouting at everyone.

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We’re surrounded by expressive gesticulation and unbridled cursing. The avenues outside the station quickly narrow and congeal into the city’s characteristic alleys lined with haphazardly parked Vespas and flapping laundry, and jammed with drivers hellbent on ploughing through this obstacle course.

By contrast, our taxi driver is garrulous and polite – charming, even – as he navigates the maelstrom. When we arrive at Romeo’s glassy ocean-blue facade scored by horizontal steel “waves”, the hotel’s air-conditioned calm, hand towels and unflappable staff at check-in are medicinal.

There’s nothing calm, however, about the hotel’s interior aesthetic. As much a contemporary art gallery as a luxe hotel, Romeo is among the best places in the city to witness the energy and diversity of Neapolitan contemporary art. Every public and private space – from the spa and the games room to guestrooms and corridors – features canvases, photographs, sculptures and installations, many by Naples’ most influential artists and several international names.

The lobby, in particular, is packed with assertive artworks – among them sculptures by acclaimed local artist Christian Leperino – and some rather odd artefacts: Edo-era samurai armour, a glossy red baby grand piano, wall-mounted designer chairs, a collection of Hermes ceramics. The effect is hyperactive rather than restful.

The view out the front is even more arresting. Across a busy arterial road is the medieval Castel Nuovo juxtaposed with a gritty tract of industrial harbour frontage undergoing reconstruction ahead of 2027’s America’s Cup. Beyond is the glorious aquamarine Bay of Naples, bookended by Capri on the right horizon and the mesmerising peaks of Vesuvius and Mount Somma on the left. In the foreground and within walking distance is the main ferry terminal heaving with travellers on their way to the islands of Capri or Ischia, or further afield to the Amalfi Coast.

This entire portside panorama is visible from the hotel’s 10th-floor rooftop, featuring a glamorous, glass-walled infinity pool and sunbeds on which equally glamorous guests lounge and order Krug and cocktails (old Speedos will definitely not do here).

Those seeking more privacy can retreat to the clubby cigar room, with fully stocked humidors and complimentary cigars for guests. Or book ahead for daily access to the basement, neon-lit La Spa Sisley Paris featuring a salt room, several saunas and jacuzzi, a steam room, a chromotherapy lounge, and – a first for us – a Kneipp walk, in which we’re urged to wade (gingerly) through a shallow pool filled with smooth river stones.

With views like this, you’ll want to book a harbour-facing room or suite. Pull back the drapes, settle in a sleek Don’do by Poltrona Frau rocking chair, and watch ferries dash back and forth. Light from the bay and from illuminated glass benchtops in the room bounces off the bed-head mirror and etched sliding-glass panels encasing the bathroom. All this light serves to leaven the heaviness of dark lacquered timber floors and joinery. Several suites have rock-star accessories: private saunas, steam rooms, gyms, there’s even a Zen garden in one suite.

A stand-out a la carte breakfast is served in the hotel’s ninth-floor fine-diner, Il Ristorante Alain Ducasse, with polished service and peerless views of the bay through floor-to-ceiling windows. Expect exemplary salume, sfogliatelle and the freshest mozzarella (buffalo, of course) with Vesuvius views. Can’t tear yourself away from the panorama? Gather at the pool terrace for lunch, and linger for aperitivi. And for dinner there’s highly refined Mediterranean fare at the Michelin-starred Ducasse restaurant.

Romeo’s port-side location makes for quick getaways to Capri, Ischia and the Amalfi Coast. It’s also close to two metro subway stops and easy walking distance to the city’s historical centre. The most walkable of nearby neighbourhoods is Chiaia, which has some of the city’s best shopping and nightlife. The must-see National Archaeological Museum of Naples is a 20-minute walk.

Romeo Napoli’s combination of Neapolitan glamour, dress-circle views and proximity to key attractions is unbeatable.

Rooms from €555 a night ($906) including breakfast and daily access to La Spa Sisley Paris. Romeo Napoli is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Via Cristoforo Colombo, 45, Naples, Italy. See slh.com, theromeocollection.com

Within the hotel’s streetfront garden of sculptural succulents and cacti, is a magnificent 478-year-old bonsai olive tree. In its own way, it’s just as artful as the striking scarlet screen print by Andy Warhol hanging behind the reception desk, a limited-edition print in his 1985 series of volcanic Vesuvius canvases.

I defy anyone to operate the overly complicated shower fitting without coaching. (At check-in, a staff member offers a showerhead tutorial, which confirms my suspicion I’m not the only guest to struggle with it.)

The writer stayed courtesy of Romeo Napoli.

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