After talking with Borgo Santandrea co-owner and Common Supervisor Maurizio Orlacchio, we recalled an vital quote from none aside from Aristotle that has hanging applicability for any aspiring visionary, hotelier or traveler trying to immerse themselves in true authenticity: “No nice thoughts has ever existed with no contact of insanity.”
This isn’t to say that Orlacchio is mad; that’s not what Aristotle meant. As a substitute, given the terrain of the gloriously jagged cliffs of the Amalfi Coast the place Borgo Santandrea resides – and when mixed with the necessity for historic constructing preservation whereas additionally looking for to invent the native design aesthetic with a mode unto its personal – an proprietor or developer would certainly must be completely possessed and fixated with their imaginative and prescient as a way to make such a wide ranging and timeless property a actuality!
In different phrases, the Aristotelian view of luxurious growth would content material {that a} regular human would give up earlier than they obtained began. Solely an important thoughts would see such a frightening lodge undertaking by means of to opening.
Because it stands in the present day, Borgo Santandrea is an ultraluxury resort some 10 minutes’ drive from the city of Amalfi in southern Italy, comprising 29 masterfully constructed rooms and 16 suites. Opened in July 2021, it quickly discovered its approach onto final 12 months’s World’s 50 Greatest Lodges record, amongst different accolades. That’s an unimaginable feat, particularly while you take into context that the Amalfi Coast is already a hotbed for a few of the most charmingly romantic luxurious inns on the planet.
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The place this property shines as brilliant because the azure shoreline it straddles is in its facilities and services, therein giving its friends all of the options one would anticipate from luxurious lodging in Southern Italy, however innumerable alternatives for distinctive experiences.
For restaurant presentation, up high is Alici for wonderful eating, a non-public wine cellar and the rooftop Plumbago Bar. But whereas the primary constructing sits 90 meters above the ocean floor, Borgo Santandrea however has trellised backyard walkways prolonged all the way in which right down to the non-public seashore the place friends can discover the resort’s Seaside Membership with the adjoining Ristorante Marinella. From the Seaside Membership, friends may be squired out on a jetty to one of many resort’s two luxurious yachts – a Pardo 50 and a Saxdor 320 – for bucket-list boating excursions alongside the coast and round Capri.
As a ultimate be aware earlier than diving into the interview, what’s vital for everybody is to by no means conflate innovation with know-how. In case you look carefully, you’ll see that unbiased inns and small teams are bastions of innovation by means of their patronage of intrepid cooks, artists and native craftsmen who collectively cocreate a way of place and transport friends right into a magical storytelling surroundings.
For Borgo Santandrea, that is ‘midcentury meets Mediterranean’ tone that pervades each side of operations and serving to to provide the lodge what can finest be described as a ‘soul’. With this in thoughts, let’s hear from Orlacchio to find out how he and his companions crafted this Amalfi gem.
What distinguishes the perfect of the perfect inns on the planet is commonly described as ‘soul’. To this finish, what would you say is Borgo Santandrea’s soul?
On the middle of what we do is the assumption in treating individuals nicely so that everybody concerned – each friends and workers – could have an unforgettable expertise. At Borgo Santandrea, we merely purpose to host friends as we might host visiting household or pals, paying shut consideration to the small print that domesticate a way of house. I consider that our ‘soul’ is the care we take to construct a luxurious house on the Amalfi Coast.
Despite the fact that it solely opened some 4 years in the past, Borgo Santandrea however has an unimaginable story that goes again to the Sixties on the very least. In case you may spotlight one single second from the lodge’s historical past that’s emblematic of Amalfi hospitality, what wouldn’t it be?
Simply think about: the bay the place we’re situated was, again within the Sixties and 70s, a real haven for the worldwide jet set. Its pure form made it, and nonetheless makes it, the proper hideaway for the celebs of the time, providing privateness magnificence, and easy class removed from the attain of the very first paparazzi.
Legendary figures akin to Sofia Loren, Jackie Kennedy, Gianni Agnelli and Aristotle Onassis had been frequent guests to this stretch of coast, every forsaking a hint of glamour that also lingers within the ambiance.
Villa Ponti, the non-public residences of Mario D’Urso, Villa Chandon and Villa Agnelli served because the backdrop for enchanting summer time gatherings, the place allure and class got here collectively in unforgettable evenings that formed the social historical past of the Amalfi Coast.
After which there’s the well-known Pasta alla Jacqueline, created at 4am at La Tonnarella after a glowing evening at Villa Ponti. A spontaneous and joyful dish, it completely captures the spirit of the golden age of Mediterranean glamour, lighthearted, refined and stuffed with character.
A outstanding development of late is the worldwide acclaim and embrace of unbiased, family-owned and family-operated luxurious inns. As a co-owner and normal supervisor, how do you’re employed with different members of each households to determine on the perfect path ahead whereas staying true to Borgo Santandrea’s soul?
When a real friendship lies on the basis of a enterprise relationship, every part turns into less complicated and extra pure.
My brother and I are lucky to have companions just like the De Siano household – individuals we’ve got recognized for over 30 years – with whom we share not solely belief but additionally a remarkably related background. Each of our households started with two of Ischia’s historic properties (considered one of three idyllic islands within the Bay of Naples), Villa Svizzera and Villa Teresa, and the spirit of dedication and sacrifice has all the time been in our DNA. Even in the present day, with Borgo Santandrea standing among the many most interesting expressions of luxurious hospitality, we by no means lose sight of the place we got here from.
Each determination is made collectively, overtly mentioned with full transparency, and in the end resolved by means of mutual understanding. As a result of, as I mentioned, when the muse of a partnership is constructed on one thing deeper than enterprise, even essentially the most advanced selections grow to be far simpler to navigate.
Constructing a ‘vertical heaven’ on the Amalfi Coast undoubtedly got here with quite a few complications throughout the 4 12 months development interval – a problem solely exacerbated by the pandemic. And regardless of its steep elevation, Borgo Santandrea is accessible! What setbacks did you face on this course of?
To really perceive what we’ve got completed, we should begin from the start. We arrived on the Amalfi Coast as full outsiders, but with a really clear imaginative and prescient of what we needed to create. We had been lucky to search out extraordinary native craftsmen and professionals who not solely embraced the undertaking however grew to become genuinely captivated with it.
After all, the journey was removed from simple. There have been moments when development got here to a halt, producing inevitable tensions and uncertainty. Then got here the pandemic, which not solely turned everybody’s lives the wrong way up however in our case severely slowed down the availability chain and general progress.
But even in these most making an attempt moments, we by no means deviated even a centimeter from our imaginative and prescient. I prefer to name it a type of ‘lucid insanity’, the sort that comes from the will to put in writing a significant chapter in one of many world’s most celebrated locations. A spot the place, for over 50 years, a unprecedented focus of iconic inns has outlined and represented the very essence of Italian excellence.
The lodge follows a thematic mantra of ‘Midcentury meets Mediterranean’ however, as you’ve remarked, like so many elements of luxurious hospitality this comes right down to obsessing over all of the littlest particulars.
I’ve all the time discovered the intersection of midcentury and Mediterranean design visually fascinating, and at Borgo Santandrea, that dialogue is delivered to life with distinctive consideration to element. We labored with native artisans to create 31 distinctive forms of handmade, hand-painted tiles – each impressed by Pompeii and midcentury Italian structure. As nicely, the interiors are a considerate steadiness of classic finds and custom-designed items, mixing the refined strains of midcentury design with the heat and soul of the Amalfi Coast.
Talking of design, the Amalfi Coast has a world-renowned aesthetic, recognized for its mix of laidback coastal furnishings with vibrant pops of colour.
We embrace the Amalfi Coast’s aesthetic and heritage by integrating native supplies and colours into our design. Our interiors function white Italian marble from Puglia, Veneto and Tuscany, hand-blown glass lamps from Venice, and all all through, hues that remind friends of the ocean.
Borgo Santandrea has got down to appeal to a youthful demographic of prosperous friends than its neighboring inns. What property options, positioning efforts or business methods have helped you to carve out this area of interest and develop model fairness in such a brief period of time since opening?
At Borgo Santandrea, we have a tendency to draw one of many youngest, most design-savvy crowds on the Amalfi Coast, and that’s no coincidence. Our model of luxurious is a little bit completely different: it’s much less about formality, and extra about authenticity, stunning design and significant, private experiences. Individuals don’t need the identical five-star lodge keep they’ve had earlier than; they need one thing that feels particular. And that’s what we’re all about.
We’re fortunate to have one of many solely non-public seashores on the coast, plus three eating places led by Michelin-starred Chef Crescenzo Scotti. Friends can have a laid-back seafood lunch down by the water or a multi-course dinner overlooking the ocean. There’s additionally non-public boat journeys, wellness experiences and little adventures to close by cities like Ravello and Amalfi.
And our suites are thoughtfully designed with a mix of midcentury type and native touches really feel extra like a dream condominium than a lodge room. Our partnerships with Relais & Châteaux and Virtuoso have helped us attain a brand new wave of vacationers, too. Friends who care about design, discovery and having an actual connection to the place they’re.
Onsite horticulture is a selected ardour of ours as a result of it’s a triple win: it boosts sustainability, the standard elements improve visitor wellness and, maybe above all, such gardens might help to inform the story of the native individuals in a significant approach. What recommendation would you give for different hoteliers and properties trying to construct a backyard or full-scale agricultural operation?
My recommendation can be to associate with native gardeners, farmers and artisans from the beginning. At Borgo Santandrea, our terraced gardens aren’t simply stunning; they mirror the wealthy horticultural heritage of the Amalfi Coast. We’ve labored carefully with native consultants to plant native species like citrus timber, rosemary, lavender and bougainvillea, which not solely thrive within the panorama but additionally carry deep regional significance.
These parts transcend aesthetics. Our lemons and herbs make their approach into signature cocktails and seasonal dishes on the eating places. Native botanicals are utilized in our spa remedies and infused into the visitor expertise at each touchpoint. While you embrace what grows naturally and construct relationships with those that know the land finest, you create one thing that feels actually rooted in place and that’s the place the magic is.
The rest you need to add?
I consider it’s important to work hand-in-hand with the area people throughout each side of lodge operations. Whether or not it’s making design selections or choosing the vegetation for our gardens, native companions have supplied invaluable perception and experience. Our objective is all the time the identical: to create an distinctive expertise for our friends whereas additionally making a significant contribution to the neighborhood round us.
