There’s a buzz in Costa Smeralda. A quick refresher: discovered, loved, and purchased in 1962 by Karim Aga Khan IV, this land of pink granite, white beaches, and stunning sea (it can compete with both the Caribbean and the Maldives) was brought together into a consortium and developed with sustainability principles that feel like they were written today. A committee of extraordinary architects — Antonio Simon Mossa, Jacques Couelle, Michele Busiri Vici, and Luigi Vietti — not only created an unmistakable Mediterranean style but were also entrusted with protecting the area from exploitation and senseless development. The Aga Khan’s model was a blessing for the entire Gallura region, which in record time became a destination for the international jet set.
But times change — and tastes, too — and with the new millennium this part of northern Sardinia fell prey to a nouveau riche kind of tourism that drove away stars, aristocrats, and intellectuals. Those who returned no longer recognized the atmosphere: they either retreated into private villas or simply chose different beaches. Yet here, aligning with an Italy that has topped luxury tourism rankings for years (source: Virtuoso Luxe Report 2025), there’s now a list of major openings promising to restore Costa Smeralda to its former glory within a few seasons. The historic hotels Romazzino and Pitrizza are already undergoing transformation: the former has become Belmond, the latter will be Cheval Blanc — both part of the LVMH portfolio. In 2026, Mandarin Oriental will arrive in Porto Cervo, and likely a Rocco Forte beach resort will open in Liscia di Vacca. Beyond the boundaries of the Consortium, but still in Gallura, on August 11th the W Sardinia opened, the first step in a larger redevelopment of the Poltu Quatu village that will continue for another three years. Fasano — the Brazilian group known for lifestyle restaurants and resorts — has also just announced its first European opening in Porto San Paolo: for now a beach club (currently invitation-only, open to everyone next year), and the hotel will follow in 2029.
The good news is that among these world-famous brands, there are also new Italian players who have chosen a soft opening ahead of the official 2026 debut. In mid-July, the first guests arrived at La Tiara di Cervo, the residential complex by Alfonso Dolce — brother of Domenico and CEO of Dolce & Gabbana — under the management of Aldo Melpignano, who with Borgo Egnazia created a model of family-style hospitality with international-level success. On July 10th, in San Pantaleo, La Suèra debuted — the first project by Sauro Mambrini, who sold the sportswear brand Champion Europe and invested in hospitality.
The small hotel, just steps from the lively piazza of aperitifs and boutiques, welcomes guests with a lobby full of books on Sardinian culture and a rooftop overlooking the rose-tinted granite peaks that inspired the building’s façade color. Meanwhile, work has begun on La Sasima — a former agriturismo reborn as a hotel with private villas set on a three-hectare estate — while the third wellness resort will take a bit more time to complete.
In this landscape targeting the ultra-wealthy global market, one wonders if we Italians might end up like Alberto Sordi and his wife Erminia in the film Le Coppie (1970): grotesque fish out of water in the Costa Smeralda of its golden age. Luckily, the answer is no. It takes only a short detour to find refuge in local hospitality: less Zuma and more Frades (the excellent Sardinian restaurant by the Paddeu brothers), less Nikki Beach and more Ritual (the historic club with its organic architecture). There are charming small hotels like Gallicantu Stazzo Retreat and Albero Capovolto where you feel at home, and unpretentious beach shacks like Santaluz on a golden shoreline with its beautiful sea. Because, just like its millennia-old Domus de Janas — recently named a UNESCO World Heritage Site — Gallura is for everyone.
*published on IlSole24Ore