At Hotel Cala di Volpe in Porto Cervo, luxury is inseparable from place. Sculpted into the Gallura coastline, the celebrated Sardinian retreat turns architecture, colour and craftsmanship into an immersive experience. Its latest visual dialogue with Dolce&Gabbana brings the iconic Carretto Siciliano motif to the pool area, creating a vivid encounter between fashion, design and hospitality.
The result is more than a seasonal decoration. It is a celebration of Italian identity, where the organic character of Hotel Cala di Volpe becomes the stage for Dolce&Gabbana’s expressive language of pattern, ornament and colour.
See also: Hotel Marinedda, Sardinia: A Luxury Escape on the Untamed Costa Rossa
A Hotel Shaped by the Mediterranean Landscape
Originally conceived by French architect Jacques Couëlle in the 1960s, Hotel Cala di Volpe was designed as a sculptural village overlooking the sea. Its curved forms, handcrafted details and softly coloured surfaces appear to emerge naturally from the landscape, reflecting the irregular beauty of Sardinian fishing villages while maintaining the sophistication of a Costa Smeralda destination.
This seamless relationship between architecture and nature defines the hotel’s identity. The bay, Mediterranean vegetation and changing Sardinian light become part of its visual language, while every arch, terrace and organic contour reinforces a sense of relaxed yet highly curated luxury.
Source: ELITE TRAVELER
The Vision Behind the Architecture
The contemporary identity of Hotel Cala di Volpe has been carefully refined by Moinard Bétaille, the Paris-based interior design studio founded by Bruno Moinard and Claire Bétaille. Their renovation preserved Jacques Couëlle’s original artistic vision while updating the interiors through colour, natural materials, local craftsmanship and bespoke details. The studio describes Cala di Volpe as one of its most artistic and challenging projects, with the renovation designed to modernise the guest experience without compromising the hotel’s original character.
Source: Whitewall
A Mediterranean Style with Sculptural Character
The hotel style is deeply rooted in Mediterranean architecture, but it goes far beyond a conventional coastal aesthetic. Curved walls, irregular windows, natural materials, pastel tones, ceramic details and handcrafted furnishings create an atmosphere that feels both rustic and sophisticated.
Rather than imposing itself on the landscape, Cala di Volpe seems to belong to it. Its bohemian spirit, soft colour palette and organic architecture are precisely what make the hotel so distinctive, creating an environment where Sardinian tradition meets effortless Italian glamour.
Source: INTERIOR DESIGN
An Award-Winning Luxury Destination
Hotel Cala di Volpe continues to be recognised as one of Italy’s most prestigious luxury resorts. It has been repeatedly nominated for the World Travel Awards’ Italy’s Leading Luxury Resort, including in 2025 and 2026.
The hotel is also recognised by Forbes Travel Guide, which currently lists it as a Five-Star property, highlighting its highly personalised service, distinctive architecture and refined guest experience.
Source: Forbes Travel Guide
Dining with a Mediterranean Point of View
Gastronomy is an important part of the Cala di Volpe experience. Le Grand sits at the heart of the hotel, overlooking the Mediterranean and focusing on Sardinian and Italian cuisine, while the Cala di Volpe Barbecue offers a more relaxed poolside setting with seafood, local specialities and homemade pasta.
The hotel also hosts Matsuhisa at Cala di Volpe, bringing Nobu Matsuhisa’s Japanese-Peruvian cuisine to the Sardinian coast, alongside other dining and cocktail destinations including Beefbar and the Atrium Bar.
Source: Marriott Bonvoy
Dolce&Gabbana Brings the Carretto Siciliano to Porto Cervo
Against this distinctive setting, Dolce&Gabbana brings the Carretto Siciliano motif to life as a celebration of Italian heritage. Inspired by Sicilian carts, vivid storytelling and artisanal decoration, its bold blues, oranges and reds transform the poolside into a vibrant contemporary canvas.
The intervention extends across sunbeds, towels, cabanas, cushions, drapes and hand-painted objects, creating an open-air interior where pattern and landscape meet. Together, Hotel Cala di Volpe’s sculptural architecture and Dolce&Gabbana’s expressive visual language create an exuberant yet refined celebration of the Italian coast.
Source: Itali Absolutely
Craftsmanship as a Contemporary Luxury
The collaboration reinterprets fatto a mano through hand-painted surfaces and decorative details, turning Italian craftsmanship into an immersive guest experience shaped by colour, touch and movement.
At Hotel Cala di Volpe, this reflects a new vision of luxury hospitality, where fashion becomes architecture and decoration becomes storytelling, transforming the poolside into a vibrant celebration of Mediterranean identity.
Source: TRAVEL + LEISURE
A Vivid Expression of Italian Identity
The Dolce&Gabbana takeover reinforces Hotel Cala di Volpe’s timeless identity, pairing Jacques Couëlle’s organic architecture with the vibrant Carretto Siciliano motif. Together, they create a contemporary vision of Made in Italy, where Sardinian landscape, Sicilian heritage and modern luxury meet.
The contrast between sculptural forms and exuberant patterns celebrates heritage while introducing a sense of movement, intensity and contemporary glamour.
Source: Sandra´s Closet
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