Luxury Vacations: There's a hotel for nearly every luxury traveler, no matter what your style is. Whether you prefer to spend time with Mother Nature in peace and quiet, like to get pampered in a luxury resort, or rather sail away in your private yacht - everything is possible. If you have difficulties choosing from these different styles; the recently opened Faro di Cape Spartivento combines them all.
In 1856, the Italian Navy built a lighthouse on the most southern point of Sardinia, Italy, and named it Faro di Cape Spartivento. The lighthouse accommodated the family of the lighthouse keeper until the navy didn't need it anymore, in the mid 1980s. Nature took control of the area, but when a smart hotelier came across the lighthouse in the early 2000s, the old atmosphere started to come back. He turned the lighthouse into a luxury guests house, keeping its charm and its original nature.
The hotel, which has a 3000 square meters back garden, is surrounded by a still wild and unspoiled nature. Overlooking the sea on a cliff, the lighthouse is only reachable by a dirt road, which is closed to the public.
After passing the large crystal entrance door, you end up in a 120 square meters hall, embellished with precious red glass Murano chandelliers. A cast iron spiral staircase goes down to the cellar (once an old underground tank) and a stone spiral staircase leads upstairs, where a tea room with fireplace and a huge old chest used as a library reside.
Because of the limited space, and to make sure that the lighthouse can breathe charm and luxury, Faro di Cape Spartivento only offers a total of 10 beds. Two 35m2 suites have sea view, and are furnished in modern total white style with round suspended beds. The two other suites have a breath taking hill view, and are divided into two areas: the living area (with sofa and LCD TV) and the sleeping area (one of the suites is furnished with a bed in Provencal style, the other with a wrought iron four-poster bed).
Additionally, the lighthouse offers a mini-apartment located in an annexe building. It's a two-level suite on an area of 50m2, and includes a living area on the ground floor and a sleeping area on the first floor. The apartment's flagship is a large glass window on the roof: an opened window to the starry sky.
Faro di Cape Spartivento is also an excellent choice for ecologic travelers, as solar panels heat the water, and the hotel also has a phyto-purification waste water system, which reuses the used water for the garden.
As you can see, some hotels are simply capable of pleasuring all types of luxury travelers.
Paolo Rossi
JustLuxe Contributor
CharmingSardinia.com
Erika commented on November 6, 2009
The Faro of Capo Spartivento is a real gem of the south-west Sardinia. Few hundreds metres from it you will find one of the most beautiful beaches of the mediterranean sea called "Su Giudeu" Beach. The area is surrounded by top class Villas as well which can be rented at very reasonable prices all year round. see the portfolio of Villas in Sardinia at: www.exploresardinia.it