Oh, ye snowbirds, preparing to pack up and head south for the winter. Before you go, here’s a thought: Instead of making for say, Naples, Florida, how about making for another Naples – the original one, in Italy? Now, fair enough, you may not see your way to spending an entire winter on the Neapolitan Riviera – although goodness knows, as writers Oscar Wilde, Stendhal and Elena Ferrante (she of the Naples novels fame) would have all attested, it would certainly be no hardship to do so. But having just returned from what the Italians call “the City of Sun” (and what a recent National Geographic story called “The Land that Winter Forgot”), I can tell you Naples makes a wonderful destination any time but especially out of season, and an ideal choice for a winter vacation when most of the rest of Europe is shivering.
The best way to orient yourself in the city, as with most cities, is to take a bus tour soon after your arrival. In Naples, there are two official “Hop-on Hop-off” tours. Bus A’s route concentrates on the city center, making stops at the cathedral, the university and the catacombs, as well as all the principal palazzos, museums and piazzas along the way. Route B, by contrast, focuses on Naples’ stunning Mediterranean shoreline. On this route, you’ll enjoy jaw-dropping views of the seafront and coastline. Like Bus A, this tour begins at the central Castel dell’Ovo, then takes you along the Riviera di Chiaia and on to Mergellina and the stunning heights of Posillipo, known as the “Balcony of Naples,” from where you can see all the way across to Mount Vesuvius and the island of Capri.
How can you not fall for Naples’ 18th century faded-pastel facades or even its mile-long, fume-choked urban traffic tunnels. themselves dazzling feats of engineering? How can you not gawk at its exquisite squares facing the water and its well laid-out public gardens? Throw in some love songs coming from backstreet cafés, (“O Sole Mio,” the city’s unofficial anthem, has lost none of its pull on the heartstrings), the natural shade of its umbrella pines and its magnificent monuments and you’ll be hooked. Even Naples’ shabbier neighborhoods, often poor and flyblown, will pull you in, Siren-like. Cobbled streets mean rattling bones with every bus, taxi or bicycle ride you take, but I can’t think of another Italian city with this much character or a stronger heartbeat.
There’s another reason, too, one that alone would be enough to tempt you to the Italian south.
Set in Naples’ vibrant Vergini district right in the middle of the old town and opened in 2017, Atelier Inès is an 18th-century palazzo, now operating as a luxury boutique art hotel, inspired by the philosophy of Annibale Oste, an Italian artist and sculptor. And it’s an absolute gem.
Compare and contrast with some of Naples’ older, more “conservative” hotels – because, while captivating in almost every other regard, Naples has never been a particularly great hotel city – and then come running back to this immaculate atelier, where every piece you set eyes on is a work of art. From the light fittings to the mirrors to the door handles to the decorative silver shards hanging from the ceiling above the main stairwell like daggers, this extraordinary place is an absolute feast for the eyes.
Terrazzo floors; white stucco wall reliefs; the spot-lit Braque-like installation in the sumptuous bathroom; all the way down to the heavy silver and emerald napkin holders at breakfast: Everything here is a vision of beauty, but none of it is ever at the expense of comfort or practicality. The firmest deep foam mattress with blanched, white linen sheets also assures what has to be the best night’s sleep along this ravishing stretch of the Mediterranean.
With six bespoke suites, a showroom, a jewelry boutique and a common living area dedicated to art, the atelier also offers creative workshops. Guests can craft their own jewelry here under the tutelage of Vincenzo, Annibale Oste’s son, who runs the hotel with his Tunisian-born wife Inès Sellami (who gives her name to the property).
And then there is breakfast. It is served in the courtyard at wicker tables laid with pink tablecloths, two espaliered lemon trees for shade, an experience you are unlikely to forget. And although the Atelier has no full dining kitchen of its own, it hardly needs one, because just around the corner are, in owner Vicenzo Oste’s words, two of Naples’ best gastronomic experiences, namely Ciro Oliva, an internationally recognized one-Michelin star pizzeria, and Pasticceria Poppella, one of Italy’s finest patisseries.
For art, architecture and a wonderful cucina, this tremendous city – and especially this magical corner of it – is hard to beat. We will always have Florida, ye snowbirds, but Naples, Italy: Ah, that is the treat of a lifetime.
For more, visit atelierinesgallery.com
