Artemisia Domus Giardino
Leaf in peace
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
10.30am, but flexible, subject to availability. Check-in is from 2.30pm to 8.30pm.
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. .
