Industry Interview: Carla Sersale
Carla Sersale, Le Sirenuse, and Positano need no introduction. The Milan-born designer-turned- hotelier and her husband Antonio have been at the helm of the Amalfi Coast’s most iconic hotel for nearly 30 years. Calling Positano the “quintessential Mediterranean village,” Sersale tells us about her glamorous life on the coast, her work as a designer, and her vision for the hotel’s future.
Tell us the story of you and Antonio. What is your life like at Le Sirenuse?
I was born in Milan, but I met Antonio in New York City and moved to Positano with him. We’ve now been living the glamorous Sirenuse life for 28 years. Positano embodies the quintessential Mediterranean village charm – the Amalfi Coast and Capri are probably the most beautiful places on earth. The world comes to stay in our hotel, and we are very lucky to meet many extraordinary people and share the joy of our views with them.
You married into a hotel family, over the years how has your influence at Le Sirenuse evolved?
My husband and I have been married for almost 30 years – 28 of them spent at Le Sirenuse. We’ve loved every minute of it. My husband Antonio is the decision maker at the hotel and I am in charge of the stores, and now, the fashion brand which I have created. I guess we’ve influenced one another over the years, as couples do, but I would not even know which decisions I pushed Antonio to make and which ones he’s convinced me of making.
Tell us more about your fashion brand and Emporio Sirenuse.
I launched Le Sirenuse, Positano collection in the summer of 2013. I went to Mumbai where my niece, Viola Parrocchetti, was experimenting with fashion and we designed it together. We created caftans and silk dresses inspired by the colors of Positano and the patterns of Central Asia’s suzani textiles. The brand is now available at MatchesFashion.com, Bergdorf Goodman, Kirna Zabete, Aerin, Ounass and others. We also sell online at EmporioSirenuse.com.
If we wanted to shop like you, where would we go?
I love shopping in Rome. Some of my favorite places are Degli Effetti, De Clerq e De Clerq, C.U.C.I.N.A, Lisa Corti, Eau d’Italie, Massimo Maria Melis, Fabio Salini, Lucia Odescalchi, Volpetti, Galleria Lorcan O’Neill, and Alberto di Castro.
What does your perfect day and night in Positano look like?
The morning would start with breakfast on Le Sirenuse terrace (our breakfast is fabulous). Then I’d head out to sea on our Riva Aquarama speedboat, which is a small vintage jewel. After a swim in the sea around Li Galli islands or along the coast, I’d head to lunch at Lo Scoglio or Da Adolfo. Lunch would end just in time for a siesta back at Le Sirenuse, followed by cocktails at our Champagne and Oyster Bar (now called Aldo’s Bar) or at our newest venture: Franco’s Bar. Of course, the night ends with dinner at La Sponda.
What's a secret about the hotel that people don't take advantage of?
Maybe not everyone knows that if you stay for a minimum of three nights in a junior suite or suite, a sunset champagne sail on the Riva Aquarama is included in your stay.
“The world comes to stay in our hotel, and we are very lucky to meet many extraordinary people and share the joy of our views with them.”
How do you keep the hotel’s iconic style feeling fresh?
We keep renovating and maintaining the place as you would your own home. One exciting new project is our contemporary art acquisition program. Our knowledgeable curator, Silka Rittson-Thomas, commissions a new piece for us every year. All the works are site specific, thought-out and made for us. The new “Don’t Worry” neon hanging from the bar’s vault was last year’s acquisition. It was made for us by the talented Martin Creed. The large yellow ceramic fountain sculpture on the terrace of Franco’s Bar is by Giuseppe Ducrot. Then we have the graffiti mirrors in the Franco’s Bar bathrooms, which were done by Karl Holmqvist. There’s an Alex Israel mural in the hall, we have three paintings by Stanley Whitney, and a dyptique by Rita Ackermann. I also love the installation by Matt Connors that consists of different color panels applied to the columns in the restaurant. This year’s artist will be Caragh Thuring – we hope to unveil her work soon.
When you’re not at Le Sirenuse, you and Antonio have embarked on some intrepid adventures. What’s on your list for the upcoming years?
We have been to the top of Kilimanjaro, gone trekking in the Mustang valley of Nepal, tried to climb to Cotopaxi Volcano in Ecuador (and failed to get to the top), and walked the Tigrai region of Ethiopia. These were really fantastic holidays that we shared with some of our most treasured friends from Britain. Once we are able to travel again, a North Pole expedition aborad a small ship is on our list!
So many of your guests return year after year. What destinations do you return to over and over again?
New York and Miami. We love America! Antonio and I met in New York and we always love to return. Since we opened a restaurant in Miami in 2017, we also bought a house there. Miami is different from New York but is a very cosmopolitan metropolis and is blessed with year-round summer weather, natural beauty, and gorgeous islands, bridges, and waterways.
What do you envision for the future of Le Sirenuse, especially in light of COVID-19?
I expect the world will be a different place after this global lockdown. I think people’s habits will change, much like they did after 9/11. Le Sirenuse, though, will do everything it possibly can to remain what it’s always been: a welcoming place for our friends to return.
