Hotel Costantinopoli 104

Naples, once Europe’s largest city, still sprawls—though long since surpassed in size, it remains a jumble of piazzas, ancient churches and winding streets. In the middle of all of this, in the heart of the Centro Storico, lies an 18th-century neoclassical house, and within, the Hotel Costantinopoli 104, a smart contemporary hotel whose bold lines and spare interiors are the perfect foil for the gilded splendor of the villa’s architecture.

Perhaps most delightful is the central courtyard garden, featuring one of just a very few swimming pools in historic Naples. A Liberty style stained glass window is the centerpiece of the building’s facade, and looks out into the courtyard, as do most of the guest rooms.

The Italians don’t see a contradiction between bold and simple modern interiors and ornate historic detail, but rather a complementary relationship. Like Naples itself, this place is a rich mixture of periods and styles. Rooms are furnished in bright white walls and vivid solid colored furnishings, without a hint of the rapidly tiring minimal style so popular elsewhere. Suites, appropriately, are a bit more ornate, featuring original architectural details like the occasional stone archway, as well as modern conveniences like sunken baths.

As for leisure, old Naples is a wonder to wander on foot, and the Archaeological Museum is close by, as are a wealth of cathedrals and churches. Shoppers are in paradise as well, as these historic streets, even in the old town, are lined with any number of designer boutiques.