| THE HOTEL
REGINA ISABELLA AND ITS THERMAL SPRINGS
INDEX
0
) Our visitors’ book
Some “starry” testimonials to the hotel
1
) Ancient resources, centuries of hospitality, wellbeing for today.
History and general introduction
2
) Between sea and sky, five star luxury
The layout and décor of the five star hotel
3
(A) 18 hole golf course, and the sea all around
4
) Mediterranean flavours
The cuisine, a wide choice of healthy alternatives
5
) The springs: a volcanic creation
Italian thermal traditions from Greek beginnings
6
) From earth and water, come thermal muds
7
(T) Fifty treatments, five pathways, one unique choice
A guide to the full range of thermal treatments
8
(T) Exclusive, natural, co-ordinated: “Regina Isabella”
cosmetics
Swiss made for supervised treatment or personal use
9
(S) Meeting venues
The Conference Centre and smaller meeting rooms
10
(I) Ischia, the Mediterranean, the planet
Zoom in on the geographic perspective
11
Isabella Rooms, Facilities, directions
Some “starry” testimonials to the hotel:
Calm sea, tempestuous lovers
Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor were guests of the hotel in 1961
while filming Cleopatra: their relationship was as passionate and stormy
as the characters they played. “Why are those men’s clothes
floating in the bay?” During the night Liz had ejected Richard
from her room and thrown his clothes into the sea: to her this seemed
the perfect way of saying, “From now on, its sweet dreams in your
own suite!”
Incognito,
but only up to a point
“Be sure not to tell anyone I’m here”, insisted William
Holden when he came unannounced to the springs in 1958. But perhaps
he did not expect to be taken quite so literally, as after his visit
he complained to journalists – “Doesn’t anyone on
that island read the papers? Nobody seemed to recognise me.”
Breakfast
is served, sir
“Cappuccino and croissant, breakfast Italian style!” In
1963 Angelo Rizzoli, founder of the hotel, was woken up by an enthusiastic
waiter. Surprise, surprise! Who should it be but his friend, Walter
Chiari, in disguise and playing a practical joke in response to an indiscreet
comment about his recent fling with Ava Gardner.
Lonely
hearts
In the middle of the Swinging Sixties, when he was at the height of
his world wide fame, the distinguished South African cardiac surgeon,
Christian Barnard, pioneer of human transplant operations, came to Ischia
after a recent divorce hoping to mend his own heart. He met and married
a beautiful patient from the Regina Isabella - and this communion of
hearts changed his life!
ANCIENT RESOURCES, CENTURIES OF HOSPITALITY, WELLBEING FOR TODAY
The Hotel
Regina Isabella and its Thermal Springs is like nowhere else in the
world, combining environmental and natural features with a long history
of hospitality to guests, now incorporating modern scientific health
treatments. The thermal springs have a unique tradition, based on the
therapeutic properties of resources derived from the earth, the sea
and the sun, acknowledged over thousands of years as specific to the
Mediterranean Basin. The joys of an Italian holiday, especially one
in the area around Naples, are equally unique and have been widely featured
in literature and films, celebrating the hospitality and good humour
of the region. Totally modern and again unique is the scientific approach
to wellbeing based on a harmonious fusion between thermal treatments
and natural cosmetics.
A destination
for all seasons. The temperate climate, the gentle natural surroundings
and the flexible resources contribute to a season that lasts almost
the whole year round. In summer, the island rejoices in a mosaic of
sound, light and scents; in spring and autumn, its welcome is one of
perfect tranquillity conducive to relaxation and self-renewal; on Ischia
the right time for a regenerating cure is always now.
Style
and history. For half a century the hotel has enjoyed immense prestige
for the legendary quality of the service provided and the total privacy
afforded to its guests. Celebrated clients have in the past included
princes and queens, actors and show business stars; a stay at the Hotel
Regina Isabella is a great new experience, with a timeless pedigree.
BETWEEN SEA AND SKY, FIVE STAR LUXURY
On an island overlooking the sea
The Hotel Regina Isabella faces the sea, in the middle of a quiet bay,
amongst rocky outcrops and green Mediterranean pine trees. The main
entrance opens onto the picturesque little square of Santa Restituta,
famous for its church, archaeological museum and quaint antiques and
clothes bazaar.
Historic
interiors
The architecture and furnishings bear witness to a culture that has
always cherished beauty: bright and majestic rooms, in the Mediterranean
style; typical Capodimonte ceramic floors with hand painted Majolica
tiles; furniture in the grand tradition of Neapolitan villas; Murano
glass lamps and chandeliers; murals, paintings and beautifully crafted
tapestries.
Fit for
a king
The accommodation comprises 134 rooms, including 20 suites, all with
air-conditioning, satellite radio and television, mini-bar, direct international
telephone service and fax, on request; the rooms and suites retain their
original flooring with hand painted Majolica tiles, varying in colour
and subject matter from room to room.
Dive straight
in
Three separate swimming pools await our guests: one outside in a raised
position near the beach, fed by filtered seawater and surrounded by
a comfortably equipped solarium: an indoor pool with hypothermal water
for a regenerating dip; and a third pool outside for thalassotherapy
with filtered and heated seawater, perfect for a relaxing swim.
GOLF :
A high-class motor launch plus a 18 hole golf course, and the sea all
around.
An exclusive
cruise
For guests who appreciate the comfort of a personalised service, the
Hotel has at its disposal an elegant motor launch, Itama 38, able to
carry up to ten people in comfort. This service will make the journey
from Naples to Lacco Ameno a delightful cruise, in anticipation of the
discovery or rediscovery of the pleasures of staying at the Regina Isabella
Hotel and Thermal Springs.
From the
blue to the green: golf by the sea
The Regina Isabella Hotel and Thermal Springs, nestling in the enchanting
bay of Lacco Ameno, offer every golf lover the opportunity to enjoy
their favourite sport during their time on Ischia.
Our guests can make use of the new course, "Volturno Golf"
at Castelvolturno, playing 18 holes from a double start, and with a
practice range.
Transfer to the golf course, which is situated on the mainland coast
facing the Island of Ischia, will allow guests the opportunity to enjoy
a sea cruise on board the comfortable Itama 38 motor launch with hostess
service, provided by the Regina Isabella Hotel and Thermal Springs.
A game of golf can be more enjoyable than ever when coupled with the
delights and enchantments of the Archipelago, complementing the passion
for sport with the exhilarating joie de vivre induced by the Mediterranean
warmth and spirit.
MEDITERRANEAN FLAVOURS
A culture of gastronomy
Mediterranean cooking combines the finest ingredients to provide a healthy
and balanced diet. Our chef makes the optimum use of local produce and
ingredients to offer light dishes based on fresh fish, together with
a wonderful variety of vegetables, salads and fruit; in the finest Italian
tradition, matching the preparation of delicious meals with careful
dietary considerations.
A delight
to the eyes, as well as the mouth
Meals are served in two relaxed dining areas, where the beauty of the
surroundings rivals the quality of the food. The elegantly appointed
indoor restaurant Regina Isabella, with its panoramic window facing
the bay, offers traditional and original dishes, often featuring fish,
and boasts a splendid Italian and international wine list. The open
air Sporting Restaurant, overlooking the sea, also serves lunch, with
fresh seafood, typical Neapolitan buffet and special dietary menu.
Sipping
al fresco
Two different bars, each in gloriously natural settings, offer a choice
between cafeteria service, a snack on the cliff terrace or a romantic
aperitif at sunset. The Bar Regina Isabella has a long and special story
to tell – of the international actors and actresses, great scientists
and aristocrats, who have always treasured this magical corner of the
world. Here, as you sip the exclusive cocktails, natural juices and
vintage liqueurs to the nostalgic accompaniment of the resident pianist,
you will enjoy an intensely emotional experience.
THE BENEFIT OF “MULTIACTIVE” SPRING WATERS FROM THE LAND
OF VOLCANOES
Wellbeing
from the deep
Le Terme della Regina Isabella (Queen Isabella’s thermal springs)
have been known for their therapeutic properties ever since the Greeks
and Romans first devoted themselves to the cult of personal health care.
This unique feature of western civilisation is based on the use of natural
elements like water, rock, air and sun; knowledge of the medicinal values
of plants; and the concept that personal wellbeing depends upon the
rediscovery of a balance with nature, and deriving from it.
Energy
from the earth and the sea
Four thermal springs are used to provide treatments, each possessing
different mineral and thermal characteristics: the Greek Spring, the
Renaissance Spring, the Roman Spring and the Queen’s Spring. While
it is principally contact with volcanic rocks that imparts energy to
the thermal waters, it is the mineral rich earth, with its chlorites
and glauconites, and the proximity of the sea that gives the mud its
high content of vitamins, natural proteins, sea salts and trace elements.
“Multiactive”
waters
Well known since antiquity for their remarkable regenerative and therapeutic
properties, the thermo-mineral springs of Lacco Ameno are “hyperthermal”,
with abundant chlorides, sodium, bicarbonate, sulphides and magnesium.
They are known as “multiactive” waters because of their
numerous beneficial qualities, studied since the early 1900s (when scientific
visitors included Marie Curie, the Nobel prize winner) and endorsed
in a plethora of medical articles.
Proven
effects
The physical benefits are many and well documented: the muds, combined
with spring water, stimulate the metabolism and all the vital functions
of the body, improving circulation and oxygenating the tissues; in addition
to mud treatments and baths, a wide range of massages is available,
from strenuous to gentle and relaxing: closing the circle, from Man
to Man, through Nature.
From earth
and water, come thermal muds
The Synergy
of Multiactive Waters
The muds from Regina Isabella Thermal Springs, gathered in natural caves
on the Island of Ischia, are left to macerate for about six months in
the thermal waters, from which they absorb mineral properties and medicinal
qualities.
Packed with Wellbeing
The mud is applied either to the whole body or partially, covering the
various areas with different techniques for different purposes.
Hot mud is used to treat ailments that affect the bones, muscles and
joints, and also for prevention, while cool muds, expertly mixed with
essential oils and top quality cosmetic products, are ideal for the
treatment of unsightly blemishes present on the face or body.
The Benefits
of Thermal Mud
Mud facemasks with filiform shower produce a relaxing effect and are
ideal for impurities of the skin; spread on the face they have an excellent
purifying action in association with the stimulation of osmotic exchange
processes. Coupled with specific active principles, they encourage rehydration
of the skin for greater softness and elasticity.
Sculpting and toning anti-cellulite compresses exploit the beneficial
properties of the muds, working in harmony with the characteristics
of the thermal waters with which they are blended.
Total
Wellbeing
The muds are recommended for relaxation and overall purification of
the body. Their curative powers are extremely effective in a large range
of conditions: all kinds of joint disorders, post-traumatic rehabilitation,
pre and post pregnancy problems, swellings and inflammations, as well
as a number of dermatological syndromes.
FIFTY TREATMENTS, FIVE PATHWAYS, A UNIQUE CHOICE
An ample
and well-directed range of options. Queen Isabella’s Thermal Springs
have devised an exceptionally wide range of health and beauty treatments,
allowing guests to create their own pathway to recovery and/or relaxation,
as the most effective cure is always one which is unique to the individual,
both inclusive and shared, synergising within a healing programme. Guests
are guided and assisted during their stay by the Director of Healthcare,
and helped to make the appropriate choice between five target paths
by the necessary information package.
The Pathway
to Wellbeing-Spa. Between Earth and Water, restore the body’s
natural equilibrium, according to the well-known SPA principle, Salus
per Aquam (thermal muds with shower, “thermal spring” bath,
ozonetherapy, underwater shower, hydromassage, circulatory massage,
for prevention and cure).
The Pathway to Relaxation. Between East and West, rediscover the essential
locus of identity, with Body and Mind Balance, the modern relaxation
technique that marries Eastern philosophy with Western medicine (holistic
treatments, craniosacral therapy, reiki, tutored relaxation, five Tibetan
exercises).
The Pathway to Beauty. Between Nature and Science, return harmony to
the figure, through the integrated use of cosmetic products, manual
techniques and new generation apparatus (for the face - mud packs, ultra
fine showers, manual and mechanical draining, massage, anti-ageing,
moisturising, sebo balancing and exfoliation treatments; for the body
– bioexfoliations with mud and thermal showers, firming and sculpting,
slim-up programmes, vascular stimulation in Kneipp tubs).
The Gymnastic Pathway. Between Activity and Repose, release the body’s
energy from captivity, with a personalised programme of activities according
to age and fitness level, under the guidance of professional personal
trainers (using isotonic, isometric and isokinetic apparatus; circuit
training, cardiofitness, total body work, GAG and functional rebalancing,
personalised body building, swimming and thalassotherapy).
The Pathway to Recuperation. With experience and patience, revive forgotten
resources with the guidance of expert rehabilitation and post-traumatic
recuperation therapists: rebuild the out of condition body even in cases
of impairment and/or handicap (hydrokinesis, acquagym, water physio,
rehabilitation and medical gymnastics; massotherapy, corrective and
re-educational kinesiology, Feldenkrais and physical therapies; analgesic
electrotherapy, ionoforesis, ultrasonics and laser).
UNIQUE DISCOVERIES, FROM SCIENCE AND EXPERIENCE
Exclusive,
natural, integrated: the cosmetic range “Le Terme della Regina
Isabella”
From the clinical and scientific experience obtained at Queen Isabella’s
Thermal Springs, a range of natural Biocosmetics, based on thermal macro
and trace elements, of “multiactive waters” and pure extracts
of Mediterranean plants: these innovative and 100% natural formulas
are the fruit of research in the most respected of Swiss laboratories;
the superior quality of the creams, masks and lotions ensures immediate
and long lasting benefits; both in combination with thermal treatments
and for personal use.
“Multivitamin” face creams have been developed to cleanse
and protect the skin, rich in nutritional and moisturising properties,
categorised by method of application and skin type; body creams and
muds rich in trace elements to nourish, tone and moisturise the skin
also provide minerals to combat blemishes and effect a slimming action;
specifically for men, an anti-ageing face cream rich in protective substances
with UVA and UVB filters, supplies in-depth, non-greasy moisture, an
after-shave with positive moisturising action.
The “Euphysys” Programme
The active agents in medicinal herbs can bring great benefits to the
human body, provided that the course of treatment is individually devised,
continuous and carried out for a reasonable length of time. The “Euphysis”
programme has been created at Queen Isabella’s Thermal Springs
to fulfil these requirements. Resulting from revolutionary research
at the French phytoaromatherapy laboratories, the programme benefits
from an innovative Galenic formula, both concentrated and highly effective:
the Monoassociazione®. This formula of purest concentrated extracts,
each activated by its own essential oil or by a synergistic essential
oil, is made up of “biogranules”, tiny balls containing
homogenous components and characteristics with their nucleus at the
edge. This is the ideal way to transmit the medicinal properties of
plants to the body, as they remain richer in active principles and more
powerful – above all, 100% natural.
MEETING VENUES: SERVICE AND CONFERENCE CENTRE
Service and Conference Centre
The Hotel Regina Isabella possesses a modern and well-equipped Conference
Centre for meetings and professional conventions, with a capacity for
up to 500 people. The Centre boasts the most sophisticated audio-visual
technology: projectors, overhead projectors, audio and video tape systems,
simultaneous translation, and hostess service.
Rooms, from grand to intimate
Apart from the Conference Centre, the hotel also contains five appropriately
equipped rooms available with capacities for 30 to 150 guests: Sala
Azzurra, Sala Pinetina, Sala delle Carte, Sala delle Ginestre and Sala
delle Bougainvillae.
A holiday that is the perfect reward or incentive
The Hotel Regina Isabella and its Thermal Springs is an ideal location
for corporate gatherings, designed to combine motivation and incentives.
The luxury of a five star hotel; a thermal resort run by qualified professionals
and offering innovative treatments; Ischia, an island at the heart of
the Mediterranean; all these factors ensure the success of company events
investing in the most precious of all assets: people.
Corporate programmes
The Hotel and Springs are fully prepared to run company programmes,
for large groups or individuals. After personal fitness checks, periods
of collective activity (stretching, nature walks, thalassotherapy, supervised
relaxation) can alternate with individual attention, combining thousands
of years of experience in thermal treatments with the rich heritage
of Oriental wisdom or the most advanced beauty applications. All this
with just one objective: to treat the whole person in order to re-awaken
lost energy and direct him or her to a state of total relaxation.
ISCHIA, THE MEDITERRANEAN, THE PLANET
A natural choice
In a global context, the Mediterranean is not only the obvious first
choice for climate, unpolluted sea, sunshine and archaeology - but also
for human warmth, culture and vitality. Within the Mediterranean itself,
the islands in the Gulf of Naples are universally renowned for their
spectacular naturally environment, their artistic heritage and for their
fusion of the traditional with the cosmopolitan.
Once a volcano
Ischia, the biggest of these islands, just 10 km. from the mainland,
has most successfully retained its traditional appeal. Volcanic in origin,
inhabited since the Bronze Age, it was the first island off Southern
Italy to be colonised by the Greeks in the 8th Century BC, then called
Pithecusa. Today it is divided into six communities: Ischia, the main
centre, Forio, Barano, Casamicciola Terme, Lacco Ameno and Serrara Fontana.
Lacco Ameno, as pleasant as its name
Ischia - known as the Green Island on account of its rampant Mediterranean
vegetation – or the Island of Good Health, on account of its thermal
springs - is not short of fascinations. Lacco Ameno (site of the hotel)
offers enchanting scenery, long coastal walks in search of ancient volcanic
“fumarole”, or gentle strolls through woods of arbutus,
carob and pine. An excursion to Monte Epomeo will be rewarded by a spectacular
panoramic view of the entire Gulf of Naples. The Museum of Archaeology
in the picturesque little square of Santa Restituta contains a very
fine collection of discoveries from the Bronze and Classical Ages.
ISABELLA
Services
and Practical Information
ISABELLA
Services
and Practical Information
The rooms
Standard: all double, overlooking the gardens, decorated in pastel shades,
air-conditioned and providing a high standard of comfort
Superior: all double, with sea view, recently refurbished.
Junior Suite: double rooms with elegant small sitting room, facing the
gardens and the Gulf of Naples; the luxury category double rooms offer
either one or two bathrooms with sea view.
Suite: generous size, with sea view, two or three bathrooms, elegant
sitting room with its own private and picturesque balcony projecting
over the rocky bay.
How to
reach us
By Car: leave the motorway and join the Naples ring road, following
signs towards Pozzuoli as far as the Via Campana exit; from here follow
the signs to the port of Pozzuoli (for Pozzuoli and Caremar car ferries.)
By Air: from the Napoli Capodichino airport, proceed to Molo Beverello
(for Lauro and Caremar ferry) or to the port of Mergellina ( for Lauro
and Snav hydrofoils), taking a taxi or regular bus service; the shuttle
bus only operates between the airport and Molo Beverello
By Rail: from the station, take a taxi, tram or bus (from the Piazza
Municipio stop) to Molo Beverello, a distance of about 2 km.
|
