Luxuriate In Style At This 5-Star Capri Retreat
Punta Tragara’s Etro penthouse suite is the only one in the world created by the iconic Italian design house.
Positioned on the western cliff of the island of Capri on the Amalfi Coast, Punta Tragara is renowned for its iconic swimming pool made famous by photographer Slim Aarons. Originally designed as a private and extremely luxe Mediterranean Villa in the 1920s by legendary architect Le Corbusier, the super-stylish boutique luxury hotel towers over the famous Faraglioni rocks.
With just Just 44 rooms and one-of-a-kind luxury suites, including a penthouse designed by the Italian fashion icon Etro in 2022, the hotel is seems to be sculpted out of living rock with its terraced terracotta façade and lush landscaping. Part of Manfredi Fine Hotels Collection and a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH), Punta Tragara boasts the only Michelin-starred restaurant on Capri, helmed by a new young chef, among its many attractions.
The hotel’s interesting history adds luster to its luxurious charms. During World War II the property served as headquarters for the American Command and played host to many famous guests including General Eisenhower and Sir Winston Churchill. In 1968, the Italian aristocrat Count Manfredi purchased the villa and transformed into a five- star luxury hotel while preserving its original architectural details. And in the early 1970s Slim Aarons visited and took some of his most famous photographs there, cementing its privileged position among the jet set.
Following the most recent renovations in 2022, the gorgeous hotel is more than ever “an elegant retreat, full of charisma and character,” as Manfredi puts it. The suites are like miniature museums, blending traditional materials like marble, plaster and stone with contemporary design flair. The 5th-floor Art Suite at 700 sq. ft. has incredible views over the Faraglioni rocks from its enormous terrace. Of especial interest is the eye-popping master bath room with its soaking tub seemingly suspended over the sea.
Even more impressive, at 970-sq.-ft., is the Etro Pagaso penthouse suite, the only Etro-designed suite in the world. Founded in Milan in 1968, it is one of the most famous Italian luxury design houses, less commercial and more exclusive than most. In 2022 they created this jewel box of a suite, designed to be “an oasis of beauty and unrivaled discretion.” All fabrics and furnishings are exclusive Etro designs and incorporate many of the house’s signature motifs, and of course the bath is fully stocked with Etro products as well.
As the hotel outs it, “A maelstrom of beauty refreshes the huge living area adjoining the bedroom and its circular bed, sweeping into the breathtaking light-filled bathroom with central shower and bathtub.” And of course the suite has an enormous terrace with 180-degree views of the sea and Capri, also completely custom furnished by Etro with numerous lounging, seating and al fresco dining areas.
Punta Tragara offers two food and beverage venues for its guests, and, when available, visitors as well, including Le Monzù, the only Michelin-starred restaurant on Capri; plus a Pool Bar and Gin Club, serving more casual fare during the day. With unrivaled views of Capri and much more inventive and refined cuisine than you’ll find elsewhere on the island, Le Monzu more than lives up to the serious gastronomic standards of Manfredi Fine Hotels Collection.
Le Monzú, led by an accomplished new chef, Antonio Pedana, who is just 30 years old, offers a mouthwatering Mediterranean culinary journey. “With meticulous attention paid to the quality of locally sourced increased ingredients, menus reflect the creativity of Neapolitan cuisine paired with the beauty and cultural culinary heritage of Capri,” the hotel says. Flavors are delicate and presentations impeccable without being precious or pretentious.
Chef Pedana’s menu specialties include octopus ragù served on mezzipaccheri pasta; “pasta mista” with a mix of 14 different hand-selected pasta shapes and served with blue lobster, potatoes and smoked provola from the Lattari Mountains; anchovy and eggplant tartlet served with shavings of summer truffle; and fresh crumb-crusted snapper seasoned with indigenous herbs from Capri.
The name “Le Monzù” derives from the French word “Monsieur” and was used by noble Neapolitan families between the 13th and 19th centuries to address their private chefs, the hotel relates. In addition to Chef Pedana’s gourmet dining options, the restaurant offers one of the most prestigious wine lists on the Amalfi coast, featuring more than 400 labels from all over the world housed in its cavernous cellars.
The Slim Aarons-style Punta Tragara Club, with its pergola draped in wisteria and other flowering vines, encompasses the outdoor terrace, poolside café, and gin bar, offering a completely different way to enjoy Chef Pedana’s culinary arts while enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. Lighter fare is on offer during the day here, and long, lazy lunches with the pool on one side and the sea on the other are de rigeur, preferably with a bottle of your favorite wine.
The terrace, one of the highest points on Capri and therefore boasting the best views, is the ideal spot for an aperitivo, and choice tables and sofa are in high demand during the dramatic sunsets. It’s all designed to focus on the glorious “spectacle of nature” as it unfolds and shifts with the light, and the nighttime panoramas are no less spectacular, especially when all the superyachts in the harbor turn on their lights.
The hotel’s GILI Beauty & Wellness Area offers “intense and high-performance spa treatments utilizing the most advanced products, including incorporating elements from the surrounding landscape such as sea salt and algae.” Exclusive massage and treatments performed by beauty and wellness experts are designed to “create a deep synergy between the body care and spiritual well-being.”
Located near pool area, the 2,650-sq.-ft spa is also home to a private fitness area equipped with state-of-the-art Technogym machines—the same brand favored by Ferrari’s Formula One team—for workouts with impressive sea views. The ease of going from pool to suite to bar to spa and back again makes it sometimes difficult to want to leave the property at all.
Guests of Punta Tragara have the use of two picturesque swimming pools, the original one with the terraced terracotta benches made famous by Slim Aarons, which is heated, and the more traditional pool adjacent to the bar and sun lounging area. Outfitted with comfortable sun beds, the main pool is surrounded by lush gardens while the terraced pool faces the bay of Marina Piccola.
The Manfredi Fine Hotels Collection is the only Italian-owned Collection of its kind, and the portfolio’s five-star boutique properties such as Punta Tragara “epitomize la dolce vita with distinctive style, unique locations and breathtaking views.” You’ll want to make a reservation as soon as possible, because with only 44 rooms this jewel on Capri can fill up fast.
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