A refurbished hotel with a view of the horizon

Strategically positioned on the tuff cliffs of Sant’Agnello in the town of Sorrento, Hotel Mediterraneo is surrounded by the greenery and scents of a typical Sorrentine garden of palm and citrus trees and offers a panoramic view over the bay of Naples and the islands. The four-star hotel boasts a hospitality tradition dating back more than a century and recently underwent extensive restyling by THDP, a London-based architecture and interior design firm specialising in the hospitality sector. The concept requested by the client «breaks away from the rules of traditional local hospitality design to create a relaxed, residential atmosphere in the hotel’s public areas and guest rooms», the architects explain. As well as designing a new restaurant, the project involved completely restyling the 60 guest rooms, divided into the categories Family, Classic and Deluxe as well as «4 junior suites that were created by converting the 8 existing rooms with uninterrupted sea views», states the project description from THDP. In keeping with the building’s Art Nouveau architecture, the interior design adopts a classic style together with contemporary furniture and local craft objects. The dominant colour is sea blue, coupled with paler tones typical of seaside residences. Every element is meticulously designed to offer guests a unique and unforgettable experience, as in the deluxe rooms where the beds are positioned facing the balconies so as to offer a sea view. Due to the height of the building, the horizon is located halfway between the sun and the sky, so «we recreated it by designing a blue band on the lower part of the wall and a lighter colour above. This gives guests the sensation of floating», say the architects from THDP. The bathrooms maintain the same levels of elegance and have atmospheres that vary according to the different types of room, largely created through the choice of ceramic tiles. Collections from Marca Corona were chosen for the bathrooms in the suites, which stand out for their timeless design and shades of blue: Stonecloud in the colour blue for the floors, «inspired by lava from Mount Vesuvius and the dark colour of the sea», and the Ossidi series for the walls, in a rhomboid format and in matt blue, matt white and glossy blue colours to evoke the mosaics and decorations of the houses of ancient Pompeii. The outdoor terraces, where guests can admire the view of the sea and the surrounding landscape, are also paved with retro style Ossidi cement tiles. In the bathrooms of the modern Classic and Deluxe rooms, the walls are tiled with Marca Corona’s Motif Extra and Motif surfaces in the Calacatta Gold version, a marble effect tile with golden accents that creates a sensation of luxury and sophistication in keeping with the tradition of Hotel Mediterraneo.