Reviewed Friday, April 19, 2019

While old-school Italian seaside destinations such as Capri and Portofino can seem stuck, the Maremma's light is shining brighter. At the heart of this stretch of long beaches backed by rolling olive and wine country is Orbetello, a laid-back town in Grosseto with something of a Spanish feel, scenically on an isthmus in a coastal lagoon. And at the heart of Orbetello is Casa Iris, this rising destination's first truly chic place to stay. With the help of Giorgia Cerulli, the interiors eye behind Rome's G-Rough hotel, owners James Valeri and Matthew Adams have created a one-off design a brilliant blend of Art Deco, mid-century modern and Seventies eclecticism in furniture and fittings picked up in shops, fairs and markets across Italy. And it's perfectly in keeping with the meticulous spirit of Casa Iris that Valeri and Adams should have asked a specialist who worked on the Sistine Chapel to restore the apartment's frescoes, which date from the 18th to early 20th centuries. But what makes Casa Iris really special is that it is essentially a three-bedroom family apartment with a powder-blue kitchen where breakfast is served, starring home-made jams from the garden of the Valeri family's Monte Argentario house. Staying here doesn't feel remotely like checking into a hotel. It feels like being allowed inside one of Italy's most stylish private homes. FLASH POINT Get involved in Orbetello's post-beach aperitivo scene with some persuasive nibbles at Baraka on Via Gioberti. ...More