ARTEMISIA DOMUS GIARDINO

Few hotels, in Naples or anywhere else, can match the romance of Artemisia Domus Giardino, a 16th-century palazzo by the Santa Lucia waterfront that’s been lovingly renovated and pressed into service as a contemporary luxury boutique hotel. In typical Italian style the renovation preserves the historical details of the setting, while the décor is free to experiment with period furniture and modern aesthetics alike. And the tranquil seclusion of a grand old house surrounded by gardens is an atmosphere that’s well beyond the reach of a more ordinary urban hotel.

The rooms and suites feature original frescoes, stucco, and stonework, alongside furnishings and fixtures in a contemporary Italian luxury style. They’re all different, owing to the vagaries of the historical structure, but all are cut from the same stylistic cloth; some feature whirlpool baths, others in-room soaking tubs.

Meanwhile the courtyard garden is home to the hotel’s spa, as well as outdoor seating for the restaurant and bar located within the house’s winter garden. The latter is a low-key affair, a welcome alternative to the city’s restaurant scene, but by no means a substitute — for a proper survey of the restaurants and bars of Naples, the hotel’s concierge is happy to act as your guide.