Artemisia Domus Giardino

Style

Leaf in peace

Setting

By-the-sea borgo

Maybe it’s not feasible to cavort through Europe for months on end on a Grand Tour these days, but former 16th-century palazzo Artemisia Domus Giardino offers guests a short and seductive fling with the lifestyle – after all, it was one of Naples’ first hotels to host these cultured gadabouts, and the likes of Keats and Queen Marie Clotilde of France have kipped here. Sleek minimalism sets a modern tone, while the past whispers through frescoes, stuccoes and aged stone; a just-for-guests garden feels smugly secretive; and a privately bookable spa adds a dash of poetic romance – all very grand indeed.

Facilities

Rooms

Seven, including four suites.

Checkout

Between 7.30am and 10.30am. Check-in is from 4pm to 9pm; if you're arriving after this, please let the hotel know so they can ensure someone is at reception.

More Details

Rates don’t include the hotel’s Continental breakfast (from €9 a guest).

Also

Unfortunately, the hotel’s antique layout makes it unsuitable for guests with reduced mobility.

Free Internet Access

On-Site Restaurant

Room Service

Spa

At the Hotel

Garden, concierge and free WiFi. In rooms: 43-inch smart TV, minibar, tea-making kit, bathrobes and slippers, and air-conditioning.

Our Favourite Rooms

Rooms – all named after Artemisia Gentileschi paintings – have a modern, minimalist look that fits in rather well with the antique surroundings, with white walls, clean lines and oak herringbone flooring. However, traces of the building’s past remain: an ancient stone vaulted ceiling in Giaele, restored and protected paintings in Althea and Betsabea, aged beams in Anthemis. And, if you want to boost the hotel’s wellness offerings, Assuero, Kenzia and Betsabea all have whirlpool bath tubs for two, and rooms from Giaele and up have space for in-room massages (on request).

Spa

From sipping herbal teas or invigorating juice shots in the garden to ‘ahh’-inducing whirlpool baths and space for massages in most suites, making you feel good is the hotel’s MO. And, tucked into the greenery, the hotel’s spa sanctuary (open 11am to 7pm) is a very romantic prospect, only available to book privately for up to two guests. Slots are an hour at a time, and there’s a sauna and sensory shower, plus a Turkish bath (€50 for a 90-minute session).

Packing Tips

Leave the rubber-duckies at home, bathing here is all about romance. And, bring some Elena Ferrante to quietly flip through in the garden.

Also

The hotel’s garden is designed to stay picturesque come winter too.

Children

Children welcome, but there’s not much to do or any tailored kit onsite. Cots are complimentary for children up to one year old (subject to availability); over-fives are considered adults for pricing and extra beds are available for €30 a night.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

Aperitivi is best served alfresco, don’tcha think? Or step things up a notch by booking a romantic dinner on the hotel’s boat.

Dress Code

Whatever you feel most comfortable serenely swanning about in.

Hotel Restaurant

The hotel mostly serves breakfast (although this does gently nudge you out to try Naples’ culinary delights for the rest of the day), but it's a tempting one of cheeses, cold cuts, cakes, pastries, juices, yoghurts, fruit, eggs cooked to order, and more in the elegant fresco-clad, garden-view 18th-century dining room. Simple lunches and dinners (pizza, spaghetti with clams, grilled fish) are available on request only.

Hotel Bar

Drinks can also be taken in the dining room or alfresco. Alongside aperitivo cocktails there are fine Italian wines, beers and more.

Last Orders

The last meal serving is at 8.30pm. Drinks run from 2pm to 9pm.

Room Service

You can dine in your room from 8.30am till 8pm on request.

Planes

Naples-Capodichino International Airport is a 30-minute drive away from the hotel. Staff can arrange transfers for €45 one-way, or you can take the Alibus to the Garibaldi stop then change to the Acton stop and walk to the hotel.

Trains

It’s easy to connect from Italy’s major cities to Napoli Centrale by train; the hotel is a 20-minute drive away. And your nearest metro stop is the surprisingly artistic Toledo station.

Automobiles

You don’t really need a car in Naples, especially in the historic centre (just bring cobble-friendly footwear), but if you arrive on wheels, the hotel has partnered with a carpark 50 metres from their door (spaces available on request) and garage hire for an extra charge. And the staff can help with scooter or bike hire if you want something zippier to get around on.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

‘See Naples and die’ might be Goethe’s way of doing the city, but Artemisia Domus Giardino’s Roman-rooted Santa Lucia district pulses with life, with pretty cobbled streets and lively eateries just a few blocks from the seafront. Many of those enjoy-before-expiring sites are within easy walking distance of the hotel, such as the 25,000-square-metre Piazza del Plebiscito and the home to Spanish viceroys Palazzo Reale with its lustrous raiment; island-set defensive fortress turned dramatic exhibition and event space Castel dell’Ovo; and formidably turreted (and actually quite antique) Castel Nuovo. Watch operas amid the scarlet and gold grandeur of the Teatro San Carlo (where Stendhal was enraptured – yet again), pick up luxurious souvenirs along the 19th-century shopping arcade Galleria Umberto I (the concierge can arrange for a personal shopper if desired), and see what lies beneath on an archaeologist-led tour of Naples’ underground tunnels. Alternatively, glide along the Gulf on a private motorboat ride, or romantic offshore meal for two, or launch off from Beverello Pier on an island-hopping expedition through Ischia, Procida, Capri, Ventotene, and Ponza. A metro stop might not be among your must-sees, but Toledo station, designed by Spanish architect Óscar Tusquets, has been called the world’s most beautiful, with artworks by William Kentridge and more. Disembark here to explore the Spanish Quarter, or journey out a little further for the spectacular views from hillside ‘hood Vomero, home to Castel Sant’Elmo. Seek out narrow Spaccanapoli to explore traditional artisan workshops, and if you’re visiting at Christmas head to San Gregorio Armeno for uniquely crafted nativity scenes. Dip into past culture at the National Archaeological Museum, palatial Certosa di San Martino and San Severo Chapel; then see future creative talents at Museo PAN. And, the hotel can arrange day trips to Herculaneum and Pompeii, or entertain you onsite, with cookery classes and in-room massages.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .