HotelChatter

For a fantasy trip to Sicily, Hotel Signum is the place to rest your (very lucky) head. Our bene writers and photographers stayed at this small hotel on a recent assignment.

"After climbing up narrow streets," recounts Gemma Hart Corsano, our photo director, "we reached the hotel, nestled in a lemon grove. In the evening, we sat on the terrace and watched Stromboli, the active volcano, erupting!"

The family-run hotel is understated yet eclectic; the lovely owner Clara invested much time and creativity into filling the rooms with Sicilian antiques, African momentos and botanical prints. "Signum feels like a real home," says Gemma. "We had privacy, but felt that we were being taken care of; the common areas were comfortable and lived in." The hotel offers many nooks and crannies where you can relax--sun decks, reading rooms--as well as an amazing restaurant and an infinity pool.

And its location on the island of Salina is prime: Gemma Hart Corsano and fellow photographer Andrew Ingalls remember venturing down a winding path to the ocean. After descending the steep steps, they reached a waterfront bar and saw Italians on rafts floating around in the water. "It was amazing," says Gemma, "but it's a workout to get back up!"

[Photo: Sander Groen]

Related Stories:
· Lost in the Aeolians [Bene Magazine]