The W Hotels recently organised their first Italian Tour, touching on their three Italian outlets: Florence, Rome and the most recent, Sardegna Poltu Quatu. With a select group, we were invited not only to live the hotels themselves but also to experience some gems in each destinations from food to culture, history and art. The tour was organised in parallel with the opening party of W Sardegna Poltu Quatu, an up and coming part of the island that we believe is rivalling the renowned Porto Cervo, but with a more quiet luxury approach.
The tour began in Florence, with a stroll through the current Rothko exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi, pasta-filled lunches at Coco Lezzone and Trattoria Sant’Agostino, a visit of the newly launched Gucci Storia at Palazzo Gucci and a private tour of the Gucci Archives, the last being an experience beyond the ordinary that even most locals don’t have access to.
The W Florence is somewhat one of those hotels you simply feel good in. Designed by the architectural studio AvroKO, the property was a white canvas that transformed into a playful ode to the city. The hotel comprises 119 rooms, including 16 suites and a Penthouse overlooking the Duomo, each one playing with bold graphics, marble and dramatic lighting drawn from Renaissance architecture. Dining is covered by two distinct outlets, Akira Back and Tratto, offering equally compelling but very different experiences, from Japanese-Korean fusion to a more contemporary, Italian, sharing-style cuisine. The latest endeavour is the opening of Zefiro rooftop, a brilliant terrace for sunset aperitivo and late-night cocktails overlooking Santa Maria Novella.
From Firenze, we took a 1.5hr train down to Italy’s grand capital, Rome. Temperatures were scorching but this didn’t stop us from exploring some fabulous cultural sites and, of course, savoured antipasti, primi‘s and lots of tiramisù. Among the itinerary, one of the things that stuck with us was a guided visit of Palazzo Colonna, still the private residence of the noble Colonna family, one of Rome’s oldest and most influential dynasties, whose roots trace back to the Middle Ages. At its heart lies the breathtaking Great Hall, a Baroque gallery longer than the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, its vaulted ceiling ablaze with frescoes celebrating the victory of Lepanto, in which the family’s own Marcantonio II Colonna played a central role. For the food, Ristorante Nino dal 1934, just a few steps from the Spanish Steps, is a traditional Italian restaurant, with its neon “Nino” sign glowing above the door and a pasta selection that will have your mouth watering before the dishes even arrive. Although not typically Roman, it’s somewhere you can try if you’re bored of carbonara and amatriciana (if that’s even possible). For lunch we also visited Dal Bolognese, an institution in both Rome and Milan that brings typical Emilia Romagna dishes to the two cities. In fact, the tagliatelle al ragù are a must.
The W Rome is just off a little street from Viale Veneto, a five-minute walk from Piazza di Spagna. Opening back in 2021, the hotel is spread between two 19th century buildings that were restored and reimagined by the Meyer Davis studio, honouring the historic details protected by Italy’s Fine Arts authority while infusing the spaces with W’s signature spirit of innovative, unmistakably social design. While the rooftop is reserved for a pool and sun-loungers to enjoy in the warmer days, the ground floor hosts Giano, a restaurant helmed by Michelin starred chef Ciccio Sultano, where signature Sicilian flavours take center-stage.
The last leg of the trip (and perhaps the most exciting because this entailed being the first visitors of the brand new W Sardinia Poltu Quatu) was in the fabulous Sardegna. This island, for those who may not know much about it, is a constant discovery. From the wilder side of Gallura to the ever-so-chic Costa Smeralda, quaint villages such as San Pantaleo or the city of Alghero to, of course, the capoluogo Cagliari. But let’s talk specifically about Poltu Quatu, home to the W hotel. This destination, whose name translates to “the hidden port”, is a small village built in the 1980s near Porto Cervo is and, after recent, notable investments, has become the place to be. There’s a charming little piazzetta surrounded by notable restaurants including Iyo, Carnissage and Le Specialità.
There’s a confidence to the architecture at W Sardinia Poltu Quatu: sun-bleached pastels, hand-worked stone and timber, and small tactile flourishes nod to the island’s ancient craft traditions, all filtered through a design language that feels resolutely of-the-moment courtesy of Meyer Davis Studio. Of the 154 rooms and suites, some open onto the marina, others onto the pool, while the restaurant, Tanit, presides over the village below with its refined take on Sardinian seafood. But it’s the Dolce Room that lingers in memory: an immersive, almost theatrical dessert space where pastry chef Fabrizio Fiorani showcases his delectable pastries and cakes. Round off the sugar high at the equally well-equipped gym, before setting sail for a day among the granite islets of the La Maddalena archipelago.
Among the activities across the two days, standouts included lunch in a traditional Sardinian farm in Monticanaglia where we also took part in a cooking class signed Le Cesarine, making local Gnocchetti Sardi (and of course savouring them). The second, after a magical day on the boat across La Maddalena archipelago, we stopped at La Scogliera for a sea-food based lunch – a must order are the seafood paccheri.
