THE FACTS ABOUT VILLA LE SCALE

Italy Capri

Just as some people were saying Capri had lost its cachet, with day-trippers outnumbering girls in Pucci and boys on Riva powerboats, along came the glamorous Villa Le Scale to salvage its reputation. This completely restored, seven-bedroom, 19th-century mansion in Anacapri is irresistibly chic. The Italian owner, a well-known antiquarian and art collector, has been meticulous in its execution: the style is inimitably Mediterranean, with breezy white walls, a peacock-blue 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 19th-century maharajas, Turkoman fireplaces, museum-worthy 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 two-bed, two-bath Garden Suite CONTACT Villa Le Scale, via Capodimonte 64, Anacapri, Capri, Italy (00 39 081 838 2190; fax: 838 2796; www.villalescale.com). Doubles from euro 250; Garden suite from euro 700