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VILLA LE SCALE - Capri
Just as some people were saying Capri had lost its cachet, with daytrippers
outnumbering girls in Pucci and boys on Riva powerboats, along came the glamorous
Villa Le Scale to salvage its reputation. This completely restored, sevenbedroom,
19thcentury mansion in Anacapri is irresistibly chic. The Italian owner, a
wellknown antiquarian and art collector, has been meticulous in its execution:
the style is inimitably Mediterranean, with breezy white walls, a peacockblue
pool and terraced gardens shaded by twisted vines. Ensuite bathrooms feature
hammams in marble and gold, and in the Garden Suite there is a freestanding
tub cut from a single block of stone. The interiors are an eclectic mix of
valuable artefacts (a real hazard if you're travelling with children), including
table ornaments commissioned by 19thcentury maharajas, Turkoman fireplaces,
museumworthy paintings and Murano chandeliers. The staff, overseen by an experienced
hotel manager, wear starched white uniforms and look after you well, but don't
expect a concierge desk: Villa Le Scale is run more like a private home than
a hotel. You will struggle to find another hotel on the island with such personal
charm, or with such privacy (Ville Le Scale is just off the main square in
Anacapri). WHEN TO GO September, when the summer rush is over but the island
is still warm and buzzing ROOM TO BOOK The twobed, twobath Garden Suite Villa
Le Scale, via Capodimonte 64, Anacapri, Capri, Italy (0039 081 8382190; fax:
838 2796; www. vilalescale.com). Doubles from €250; Garden suite from €700.
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