“Art is one of my mother Elsa’s great passions,” says Amelia Attanasio, Brand Manager of the Bellevue Syrene in Sorrento and fifth generation of hoteliers. “When she falls in love with an artist, she invites them to exhibit at the hotel — and sometimes we even end up buying their pieces.” The family’s private collection is impressively extensive: chandeliers by Fiorentino, photographs by Maurizio Galimberti, chairs by Gaetano Pesce, mirrors, inlaid tables, and ethnic furnishings that grandfather Giovanni Russo sourced from around the world. Every object is catalogued. “My mother is convinced that beautiful things should be used, even when they’re precious.” Elsa constantly rearranges furniture, acquires new pieces, and updates fabrics on armchairs and sofas. It means that every time you return to Bellevue Syrene, there is always something new — and at Christmas the hotel becomes a glittering wonderland of decorations.
The Russo Attanasio family has always possessed a strong affinity for art, and with its vast spaces the Bellevue Syrene is the perfect gallery. Last November, they launched a collaboration with the Correale Museum of Sorrento. Their first initiative — hosted for several months — is the restoration of Hunting Scene by the Flemish painter David de Koninck, with guests invited to observe the meticulous work as it happens.
Surrounded by so many remarkable and valuable objects, one might assume that pieces occasionally disappear. Yet they never do. Perhaps because everything feels intrinsically and harmoniously part of its surroundings. Daylight sweeps across the lounge like a spotlight, enhancing in turn an inlay, a painting, a delicate ornament. The beam of light that pours in from Sorrento’s brilliant skies is nothing short of enchanting.
One absolute rule defines the family’s approach to hospitality: everyone must feel at home. And just like in a home, there is the unmistakable mark of the lady of the house, traces of memory in every corner, and always something to nibble — presented on a beautiful table in the pastel-blue and pink lounge. Mornings bring pastries and coffee; later there are tiny pizzas, cherry tomatoes and red wine. And again you wonder if anyone ever takes undue advantage of such an inviting spread. “No, never,” Amelia assures with a radiant smile, flicking back her long blonde hair. “It’s just a little buffet to pass the time. Maybe the husband is ready while the wife is still in the room… instead of getting impatient, he has one of our sweet cherry tomatoes and forgets all about the clock.”
Last November, Bellevue Syrene celebrated 205 years of hospitality. Why 205? Because its bicentenary in 2020 fell in the midst of the pandemic — hardly the moment for a lavish celebration. So they waited for their rightful grand gala, complete with champagne flowing and fireworks lighting up the night sky. The year 2025 will remain memorable for another reason too: the family has inaugurated a second five-star property, the Vetera in Matera — also a member of Relais & Châteaux, like the Bellevue — which now forms the foundation of their new Italian hotel group.
Bellevue Syrene boasts an extraordinary setting — perched 50 metres above the sea — with a view so breathtaking that words never seem quite enough. Lunch is served beneath a portico overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea; aperitif hour unfolds on a terrace seemingly suspended in blue — the colour of serenity, a tonic for the spirit. A Negroni with local gin, toasted almonds and hazelnuts. What could be better?
“Is your family from Sorrento?”
“Yes — proudly so. Although my grandmother, Anita Elizabeth Leigh, was part Danish and part English,” Amelia explains, a hint visible in her fair hair.
It was grandfather Giovanni Russo — now 84 and still sharp as ever — who bought the hotel in 1993. Today, the property is run by his daughter Elsa, with Amelia and her sister Adda by her side, while their father focuses on scouting new acquisitions to expand the group. “We were born into hospitality,” Amelia continues. “My grandmother owned hotels, my grandfather owned hotels — they teamed up, bought more, transformed, sold. The Bellevue was upgraded to a luxury five-star, reducing room count from 80 to 50 — a bold move in Sorrento, where more rooms usually mean more profit.”
Each room is different, including two remarkable suites decorated with 16th-century frescoes. And always, Elsa is at the helm — selecting furnishings and themes to enhance the spaces.
“The hotel dates back to 1820. It was originally the villa of Agrippa Postumus, grandson of Emperor Augustus. Down below, by the sea, you can still see two magnificent Roman nymphaea that once belonged to the estate. When my grandfather bought the hotel in 1993, he also acquired the adjacent Villa Tritone — an exquisitely faithful recreation of a Roman domus, complete with authentic-style frescoes and a colonnaded terrace where guests now enjoy breakfast with the Vesuvius skyline before them.”
For sea access, guests may take the private lift or stroll through the hotel’s own grotto. At the exit, the Roman nymphaea appear once more, along with lively local beach clubs. But the Bellevue Syrene’s own beach club — marked by its cardinal-red umbrellas — remains a secluded refuge. Sun by day, celebrations by night, without ever disturbing the hotel’s tranquillity. Together with neighbouring beach clubs, the Russo family hopes to revitalise the coastal area and create a scenic promenade stretching all the way to the harbour — a dream that may soon become reality. Because this fifth generation of hoteliers is certainly not lacking ideas, energy, or ambition.
