Exterior View - Le Sirenuse. Photography by Roberto Salomone. Courtesy of Le Sirenuse.
November 10, 2020 (Positano, Italy) – Pursuing its engagement in representing clients bridging art, design and architecture, A R T Communication + Brand Consultancy proudly announces its partnership with iconic Italian hotel Le Sirenuse in Positano. Founded in 1951, Le Sirenuse has grown from a family summer home into a 58-room resort now considered one of Italy’s leading seaside luxury hotels.
Le Sirenuse opened in the 1950s when four Neapolitan siblings, Aldo, Paolo, Anna and Franco Sersale, turned their family summer home into a charming boutique hotel overlooking the bay of Positano. A gem that cleaves to the hillside in one of the Amalfi Coast’s most alluring towns, the hotel soon drew the attention of locals and international visitors alike. It quickly grew into an internationally celebrated and awarded icon, all the while loyally retaining the intimate, cultured atmosphere of a private home, rooted in the impeccable taste of art connoisseur Franco Sersale which came to define Le Sirenuse’s signature style.
Reminiscent of a glamorous bygone era, each of the 58 rooms and suites has a character of its own, yet share the hotel’s inimitable cachet, in which whitewashed walls, traditional vaulted ceilings and ceramic tiles handmade by local artisans pose alongside century-old antiques and works of art from the family’s private collection. Bestowed with private balconies or terraces, the rooms are immersed in the town’s natural and historical fabric – looking over the iconic church dome and the vibrant colorful houses – while the view extends onto the Mediterranean Sea and the Li Galli islands, legendary home to the sirens from which the hotel takes its name.
Exterior View of Aldo’s Cocktail Bar. Photography by Roberto Salomone. Courtesy of Le Sirenuse.
A subtle combination of storied discretion and pared-down modernity, the hotel is also home to the reputed La Sponda restaurant where fresh local produce finds its way into seasonal recipes that exalt the culinary traditions of Naples and of the Amalfi Coast. A stylish raft over Positano and its expansive seascape, Aldo’s Cocktail Bar & Seafood Grill distils the dolce vita spirit in a selection of vintage champagnes, wines and expertly mixed cocktails. Once one of the lounges of the Sersale family house, the Don’t Worry Bar nests at the heart of Le Sirenuse. Without forfeiting its secluded cachet, it was redesigned and renamed in 2020 in homage to Martin Creed’s eponymous site-specific neon installation. Tucked away a few doors up from the hotel on a panoramic al fresco terrace, Franco’s Bar pays homage to Franco Sersale, seasoned traveler, bon vivant and art collector, who was behind much of Le Sirenuse’s aesthetics as it stands today. A witting convergence of daring contemporary artists and local artisans, the bar revisits the golden age of fine cocktails and quality champagne in a place which, soon after opening in 2015, became Le Sirenuse’s second foothold in, and gift to, the town of Positano.
Stepping away from the Moorish architecture and décor prevalent in the hotel, Italian architect Gae Aulenti is behind Le Sirenuse Spa – an informed design fusing teak wood, white marble and stainless steel into a modern, essential space. With sauna, bio sauna, granite steam bath and new-for-2020 Ice Room, it seamlessly opens onto the terrace swimming pool, endowing guests with a peaceful and meditative retreat.
Treasuring the heritage of his late father, a noted aesthete whose unerring eye for Neapolitan Baroque art, Suzani rugs from Central Asia and antique furniture is today an indelible part of the hotel, Antonio Sersale and his wife Carla have pursued Franco Sersale’s collecting tradition. Celebrating this legacy and projecting it into the future, they launched Artists at Le Sirenuse in 2015, an ongoing art initiative in collaboration with British curator Silka Rittson-Thomas in which a site-specific work is commissioned from a contemporary artist whose oeuvre is felt to share affinities with Le Sirenuse’s ethos and spirit of place. The chosen artist is first invited to stay at the hotel to absorb inspirations and discuss approaches, after which the creative part of the process begins. Since its founding, Artists at Le Sirenuse has hosted leading international artists of the calibre of Martin Creed, Stanley Whitney, Matt Connors, Rita Ackermann and Caragh Thuring. Extending a commitment to creativity, the initiative is a witness to the hotel’s longstanding artistic legacy.
Interior View - Le Sirenuse. Photography by Roberto Salomone. Courtesy of Le Sirenuse.
A timeless ode to their Amalfi Coast home’s original essence, understated elegance and dolce vita flair, the hotel has remained a family affair. Second-generation co-owner Antonio Sersale looks after the day-to-day running, while his wife Carla Sersale is behind fashion line Le Sirenuse Positano, available online and at the two Emporio Sirenuse boutiques that face the hotel’s entrance. Opened in 1990, the Emporio Sirenuse boutique took shape when Carla Sersale came together with her niece, designer and creative director Viola Parrocchetti, to channel the style and design heritage of Positano and the Amalfi Coast in refreshing new ways. Today, this flourishing brand presents regular Women’s and Men’s collections, and recently launched a Home Collection featuring a line of lifestyle accessories designed by Luke Edward Hall and other maverick creatives. The brand has since garnered a loyal following worldwide and is distributed by leading international retailers including, amongst others MATCHESFASHION, Bergdorf Goodman, Net-à-Porter, Aerin, Kirna Zabete, Ounass, Harrods and Luisa Via Roma.
A member of the Leading Hotels of the World since 1970, Le Sirenuse is open for seven months each year, from the end of March until late October.