The Romazzino (Rosemary, in the Gallurese dialect) hotel was built in 1964-65 by the British Rank group, the one of the future joint venture with Xerox. The design was by the architect Michele Busiri Vici, who worked on several villas in Costa Smeralda for H.H. the Aga Khan, including the nearby “Romazzine”. The style is synonymous with this celebrity architect: organic lines, pointed arches, whitewashed plaster contrasting with the intense blues of the bay which the hotel exclusively dominates: the view of the horizon from the lobby terrace is unique.
The lobby is a miniature masterpiece of this “Mediterranean” style: seating built into the walls, secluded spaces with rounded edges that allow for privacy and relaxation, bold and refined use of ceramics, fabrics with motifs and colours typical of the most seductive Sardinian iconography. It encapsulates the spirit of the beginnings of the Costa Smeralda, of holidays in different, original settings, but rich in references to the host land.
Between 2011 and 2013, the Romazzino renewed its offering with six new villas with private pools and hotel services. Architectural supervision of the project was assigned to Gian Carlo Busiri Vici, while the interior design was entrusted to Joan Behnke and Associates, a leading Los Angeles firm, with the support of Berenice Porto Cervo. Although decidedly contemporary, the interiors retain that classic flavour of beach holidays that the hotel embodies to perfection.
And the beach, after all, is one of the most beautiful on the coast, in addition to which the hotel also offers two new swimming pools, one of which is saltwater, and a wellness centre. Modern comforts in a structure with enough retro charm to seduce Belmond, one of today’s most stylish brands in the world of luxury hotels.
ABOUT BELMOND
Belmond is an international hotel group with 44 properties offering world-class hospitality and experiences. From the Cipriani in Venice – the first hotel to become a Belmond in 1976 – to the Simplon Orient Express (yes, the one from the Agatha Christie novel), to boating holidays on the rivers of France and Burma, to safaris in Africa.
Since 2015 Roeland Vos has managed the group, a former manager of the Starwood group which the original C.I.G.A. hotels of the Costa Smeralda – including the Romazzino – were also part of for ten happy years. In 2018 LVMH announced the acquisition of Belmond for $3.2 billion.
PARTY TIME
Would you believe it? In the 1970s, the Romazzino thrived as an unexpected party destination. Themed parties, held once a week in high season at the beach house, were unmissable occasions for guests and external visitors alike.
Times perhaps less sophisticated than today: no shoes required, just a barbecue that was always lit, music, the curiosity to meet new people, and so on until dawn.
