For more than a century, the southern Italian island of Capri has been synonymous with glamorous summers, yacht-filled coves and the ritual of seeing and being seen.
Yet there is a quieter side to the island, perched high above the Piazzetta in Anacapri, where winding lanes, family-run cafes and bougainvillaea-clad villas replace the crowds below – and it’s here that Jumeirah Capri Palace has long made its home.
With the island’s only restaurant to boast two Michelin stars, an ever-evolving contemporary art collection curated with Galleria Continua and exclusive access to Il Riccio – arguably the island’s most coveted beach club – the hotel has become a destination in its own right.
Now it is entering a new chapter, with Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola unveiling five new suites packed with hand-painted Vietri ceramics, burnished terracotta, sculptural oak furniture and sea-blue textiles inspired by Capri’s cliffs, coves and salt-weathered fishing villages.
The history
Jumeirah Capri Palace traces its roots to 1960, when local couple Mario Cacace and Rita Canale opened Hotel Europa Palace alongside their beloved Mariorita boutique, before their son, Tonino, transformed the property into the art-filled retreat it is today.
It is known as the White Artelier – a living gallery where guests drift between works by some of Italy’s most celebrated contemporary artists on their way to breakfast or the pool.
Art appears where you least expect it. A monumental bronze helmet by Mimmo Paladino stands sentinel at the entrance while Arnaldo Pomodoro’s 40-metre Rive dei Mari unfurls like an ancient seabed cast in bronze, Fabrizio Plessi reimagines the Blue Grotto through a weathered fishing boat suspended as sculpture, and beneath the swimming pool, Velasco Vitali’s iridescent mosaic flickers beneath the surface.
Jumeirah took over the property in 2019, reopening it the following year as its first hotel in Italy. Patricia Urquiola’s new Mariorita Suites mark the latest chapter of a story some six decades in the making.
The welcome
From the UAE, the easiest route is flydubai’s direct service from Dubai to Naples, which takes less than seven hours.
From there, the hotel can whisk guests across the Bay of Naples by private boat, which makes for a far more glamorous arrival than joining the ferry queues.
The Marina Grande harbour is a glorious tangle of polished Rivas, arriving ferries and shouting porters darting between mountains of Louis Vuitton suitcases.
But as the road begins to narrow and climb, the souvenir shops and crowds of tourists part to reveal flower-filled gardens and quiet lanes as Capri Town morphs into Anacapri.
Stepping through Jumeirah Capri Palace’s doors brings an even greater sense of calm, thanks to the cool limestone underfoot, gallery-white walls and streaks of Mediterranean light spilling through the lobby.
The neighbourhood
Anacapri may be quieter than Capri Town, but it’s far from sleepy.
The streets around the hotel are well worth a wander, with artisan boutiques, linen shops, sandal makers, ceramic studios and cafes spilling out beneath striped awnings around Piazza Vittoria and Via Giuseppe Orlandi.
Next door is the Monte Solaro chairlift, which glides up to the island’s highest point, while Villa San Michele – the former home of Swedish physician and author Axel Munthe – is a few minutes walk from the lobby.
Yet Capri Town isn’t too far away. Buses and open-top taxis shuttle down in around 10 minutes, with Marina Grande and the Blue Grotto equally easy to reach.
The room
My ultra-spacious, ultra-white Executive Suite, designed by architect Giuliano Dell’Uva, feels unmistakably Caprese, with glossy cobalt blue tiles, crisp navy stripes and softly sculpted white alcoves that echo the island’s whitewashed villas.
I spend many an hour drifting between the suite’s delightfully secluded private plunge pool and the 12-cushion sofa that stretches the length of the room, interrupted only by the recurring temptation of another slice of the impossibly moist torta Caprese that reappears on the table, freshly baked, each morning of my stay.
The most talked-about accommodation is, of course, Patricia Urquiola’s new five-suite Mariorita collection, which layers the crisp white interiors with sculptural furniture, Vietri terracotta and flashes of pigmented blue, opening on to poolside terraces flanked with lemon trees.
The food
Among five bars and restaurants, the standout is L’Olivo – the island’s only two-Michelin-starred restaurant.
Here, chef Andrea Migliaccio distils the flavours of Campania into a seven-course tasting menu (€280, $320).
Tuna belly arrives with spicy tomato, cucumber, citrus and buffalo yoghurt, its richness sharpened by bright bursts of acidity, while tagliolini with red prawns, burrata, sea asparagus and oyster leaf captures the flavours of the Tyrrhenian.
Later comes melting Genovese-style cheek with candele pasta and sweet red onion sauce before the restaurant signs off with its “goodnight touch” – a warm fried zeppola filled with vanilla cream.
For a completely opposite vibe, Il Riccio is the hotel’s celebrated beach club restaurant beside the Blue Grotto, reached by shuttle from the lobby.
It’s Capri at its most intoxicating: crisp white parasols fluttering in the sea breeze, impossibly blue water lapping beneath the terrace, linen shirts and languid lunches perched over the sea.
The menu runs the full gamut from glistening crudi and shellfish towers to lobster linguine and the catch of the day, although there are enough vegetable-led pastas and local specialities to keep non-seafood eaters more than happy.
Then there’s the Temptation Room, Il Riccio’s famous dessert chamber, where guests are invited to wander among cakes, pastries and gelato before surrendering to whatever looks most impossible to resist.
Back at the hotel, indoor-to-outdoor Bar degli Artisti serves a classic menu ranging from bruschetta topped with oxheart tomatoes, oregano and basil (€18) to braised aubergine with provolone (€22), ravioli capresi with vine tomato and basil (€40), rigatoni alla Nerano with courgette, basil and Provolone del Monaco (€32), and a surprisingly good vegetarian club sandwich (€36).
The newest addition is Zuma Capri, bringing the internationally acclaimed Japanese restaurant’s robata grills, immaculate sushi and high-octane cocktails to the rooftop in what is sure to be one of the island’s hottest reservations this season.
The breakfast scene
Breakfast is served in L’Olivo, where freshly baked madeleines, sfogliatella, home-made torta Caprese and local cheeses compete for attention with juices and healthier dishes curated by the Capri Medical Spa team – though the pastry counter has a habit of winning.
Breakfast is drizzled with L’Oro di Capri olive oil, pressed from olives gathered in private gardens and small groves across Anacapri.
Hotel facilities
The pool is the hotel’s sparkling centrepiece – and a work of art in its own right. Beneath the water, Italian artist Velasco Vitali’s shimmering mosaic turns the floor into a shifting blue-and-white artwork, catching the light as the surface ripples above it.
Elsewhere, facilities include concierge and app-based e-butler services, plus complimentary shuttles to Capri harbour, Il Riccio – where hotel guests enjoy complimentary sunbeds, subject to availability – and selected restaurants around the island.
Spa and wellness
The hotel is home to the renowned Capri Medical Spa, which boasts an indoor pool, sauna, steam room, LED therapy, facials, massages and programmes that go far beyond the usual holiday pampering.
Its signature is the Leg School, a patented treatment developed by Professor Francesco Canonaco that has earned something of a cult following among regular Capri visitors.
It begins with cooling medicated mud painted on to the legs, followed by mineral-rich bandages before guests pad barefoot along a Kneipp hydrotherapy path of alternating warm and cold water to stimulate circulation and encourage lymphatic drainage.
It may not sound especially glamorous, but after a day spent tackling Capri’s steep staircases, cobbled lanes and seemingly endless inclines, it’s wonderfully restorative.
Family-friendly factor
Children are welcome, and the hotel offers interconnecting room options for families and groups.
Accessibility and sustainability
There are entrance ramps, and staff can help with room adjustments, including temporary ramps and allocating guests close to lifts.
On the sustainable front, in the kitchens, the emphasis is on seasonal, traceable produce and certified sustainable seafood, with imported dishes removed from menus in favour of ingredients that better reflect the waters and farms of Campania.
Imported slippers have been replaced by handcrafted sandals made by local artisans and refillable ceramic bathroom dispensers are handmade on the Amalfi Coast.
The service
Capri rewards good planning, and the staff at Jumeirah Capri Palace know both the hotel and the island inside out – something that comes in handy in a destination where a good recommendation can make all the difference between an unforgettable afternoon and an overpriced tourist trap.
The front desk, together with the app-based e-butler service, deftly co-ordinates everything from harbour transfers and boat departures to restaurant reservations, Il Riccio sunbeds, spa appointments and shuttles between the hotel, beach club and marina.
The verdict
Jumeirah Capri Palace proves that the best way to experience Capri is from above. With the island’s only two-Michelin-starred restaurant, a museum-worthy art collection, a serious spa and privileged access to Il Riccio, it remains one of Anacapri’s defining hotels.
This review was conducted at the invitation of the hotel and reflects hotel standards during this time. Services may change in the future.
