Property Spotlight: Villa Igiea, a Rocco Forte Property

My family and I were traveling for four days without luggage when we arrived at Villa Igiea. The attendants that helped us out of the car didn't flinch or make us feel bad that we looked like a wreck and were traveling with plastic bags, even though Villlag Igiea is a 5-star destination for refined travelers. Instead, they asked what they could do to assist us and make us comfortable. When I shared with reception that we had just received a call that the airport had delivered our bags to our last destination - 2 hrs east- there was no hesitation and we were told that they would send a driver to collect the bags and deliver them to our room. Four hours later and just in time for dinner, our bags were delivered to our suite as promised and we could dress for dinner.

Also upon check-in, we were notified that we were upgraded to a family suite. The family suite is expansive and made up of 2 bedrooms, two luxurious tubbed bathrooms with separate showers, and a family room in between the bedrooms. Each room including the family room, featured double French doors that led out to a private terrace. The Terrace led to a lush garden path which took us straight to the pool overlooking the gulf.

The food at Alicetta Pool Bar was light and delicious. It's there that we had their lobster over linguine with a thirst quenching watermelon, burrata cheese, mint and pistachio salad. Afterwards, I met up with Angelo for a historical, architectural, and design tour of this Belle Epoque-era Palazzo that has been updated so beautifully in the past two years. While it feels fresh from a design standpoint, the hotel room fabrics, materials and paint colors pay homage to the original frescos of this grand turn-of-the-century palazzo. I was shown a grand suite with a turret where Kind George the VI once stayed.

My husband and I enjoyed creative and sophisticated signature cocktails at Terrazza Bar, which is famously featured in the second season of The White Lotus. The spa was small and serene, and I had a lovely facial with the natural products made by Irene Forte, while my teens enjoyed the well-equipped gym. Both the spa and gym are housed in a separate building on the campus but not very far from the main building. We enjoyed a delicious dinner at Florio Restaurant where the staff is on point and fluently caters to every patrons' wants and needs. My purse even had its own perch and the pianist played classic Italian tunes, while once in a while accompanying the waiters as they charmingly sang happy birthday in Italian to a few celebrating guests, including me.

One night for dinner, the concierge made a reservation for us at the private yacht club inn walking distance from Villa Igiea. When we arrived, the Maitre D immediately greeted us, who addressed us by name, and said he was waiting for our arrival. We enjoyed freshly caught seafood including amazing salted cod prepared table side along with fresh lemony pasta and other fantastic dishes. It was a beautiful evening as we watched the sunset over the yacht filled gulf with the magnificent Villa Igiea twinkling in the night sky.

I highly recommend Villa Igiea for any special occasion. It's the ultimate in luxury, sophistication, and service. I'm now having visions of my daughter's wedding (many years from now) in their opulent Louis XVI-style ballroom. In all seriousness, anyone who is ready to be pampered and treated like royalty should highly consider spending time at Villa Igiea.

I highly recommend Villa Igiea for any special occasion. It's the ultimate in luxury, sophistication and service. I'm now having visions of my daughter's wedding (many years from now) in their opulent Louis XVI-style ballroom. In all seriousness, anyone who is ready to be pampered and treated like royalty should highly consider spending time at Villa Igiea.

This trip report is part of our ongoing series on travel to Italy. In need of further inspiration? Check out Amanda Lister’s guide, A Relaxing Getaway to Ischia, Italy.