A Study In Pattern, Shape + Textures // Capo La Gala Hotel

I'm a big believer that vacations should feel transportive and break from the mundane so that our bodies and minds can rest, refresh and find renewed strength and vigor before we go hurling ourselves back into the chaos of our everyday once again. At least once in this life - if we're lucky enough, I also believe we should travel to the edge of the world to take that vacation.

Here's one to put on your bucket list.

The beautiful and mysterious Amalfi Coast, with its jagged profile jutting out into the deep blue sea, hosts many beautiful hotels that would certainly make a once in a lifetime vacation all that it should be. But the otherworldly and meticulously designed Capo La Gala Hotel and Spa would most definitely take it to the next level. 

First impressions beg the feeling that the hotel and coastline want to absorb you and take you out of your world and into theirs. The crisp, shapely lines of the hotel lobby [exterior top / interior below] amidst all that rock are a stabilizing and calming influence for guests who walk through those doors.

Inside, hotel guests are greeted to a surprising bit of nautical prep. As is typical in Southern Italy, patterns come into play through floors and tiles here.  

Sleek wood accents keep it modern and grounded in the bathroom and give a focal point amidst all the pattern. Tile in other rooms is tinted to blend with the colors of the sea residing right outside the window. I like the power the wide tile profile imparts in the bath below. It makes perfect sense to me given that the whole hotel is built firmly into the cliffs.  

The use of glossy paint throughout the hotel is surely intended to capture additional light and reflect the adjacent waters, while louvered doors allow the sounds and scents of the sea to infuse each room. 

More strength and power is exuded through scale and texture used in the onsite restaurant's design. Such luxury at first seems a contrast to the rough stone walls. But it's all easily integrated through the use of other natural elements like the wood bar, woven furniture and lighting fixtures constructed of natural materials.

The architect and designers of this hotel obviously understood the majesty of the Amalfi Coast. It's clear their plan was calculated to compliment their surroundings, not rival it - not an easy feat by any means. Lined with that signature rock and potted trees, the hotel facade successfully blends seamlessly and tranquilly into the cliffside backdrop. It's be difficult to imagine all the color and pattern that keeps things from being too serious just inside those doors.

Images from Smith Hotels and Capo La Gala hotel website. Originally designed by 1950's Architect Savarense and upgraded under the recent ownership of Enzo Acampora and his wife Marite.

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