Hotel Cala di Volpe, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Costa Smeralda

Hotel Cala di Volpe curves around its namesake bay outside Porto Cervo, occupying one of the most celebrated stretches of northeastern Sardinia and placing the emerald water of Costa Smeralda at the center of the stay.

Jacques Couëlle conceived the hotel in the 1960s as a sculpted Mediterranean village rather than a conventional resort. Its 121 rooms and suites use whitewashed walls, hand-painted furniture, colorful tile and private terraces to keep the design rooted in Sardinian craft.

The strongest suites expand dramatically in both scale and privacy, culminating in the Harrods Penthouse with multiple bedrooms, expansive terraces and a far more contemporary interpretation of the hotel’s organic architecture.

Leisure is unusually complete: one of the Mediterranean’s largest saltwater pools sits beside the bay, a private beach is reached by a short hotel boat, and the Shiseido Spa brings Japanese treatment rituals to the resort. Tennis, padel and water sports add further depth.

Cala di Volpe is best for travelers who want Costa Smeralda at its most iconic and social, especially guests who see architecture, beach life and old-school Mediterranean glamour as inseparable parts of the experience.