Verdura Resort has always drawn its character from its surroundings – the wide sweep of Sicily's south-western coastline, the olive groves and macchia mediterranea stretching back from the shore, the quality of a landscape that shifts hour by hour with the sun. When Paolo Moschino and Philip Vergeylen, working closely with Olga Polizzi, began designing the resort's new collection of sea-facing suites and rooms, that relationship between interior and place was where they started.
The landscape, as the designers describe it, acted as "the primary architect for the internal flow." Lounge areas and bedrooms face the sea without interruption, visual barriers kept to a minimum, so that the Mediterranean horizon becomes a constant presence, a continuation of the living space rather than something viewed from within it. Earthy, desaturated tones and matte finishes draw the warmth of the sun into the room. The ambition was to create somewhere that feels like "a contemporary Sicilian home – expansive and deeply private."
That sense of privacy extends well beyond the interiors. Each suite opens onto a generous terrace where the Sicilian coast arranges itself around you — private pools for those who want the water close, shaded dining areas, hammocks positioned to make the most of the views. The layout gives guests room to find their own rhythm: somewhere to gather over a long lunch, a quiet corner for the afternoon, a place to watch the sun slip behind the horizon, giving way to an expanse of inky, star-scattered sky. As Moschino and Vergeylen put it: a place to decompress, effortlessly and immediately.
The materials tell their own story. Woven rattan, honed Travertine and limestone, artisanal tiles, stripe motifs drawn from Mediterranean craft traditions, linen and textured cotton that move with the coastal air. Each element carries "the raw, organic materiality of Sicily, reinterpreted through a clean, modern lens." The island's ceramic heritage, its basketry traditions, its geology are woven throughout the rooms with an ease that speaks of genuine familiarity.
Each Forte Suite has its own personality, each reflecting “a distinct facet of the Sicilian spirit". The Mimosa Suite, for instance, takes its energy from Verdura Resort's own gardens, ochre accents and floral motifs, creating an overall warm and luminous quality. The Peonia Suite has a quieter, more considered mood, coral and ochre tones composing what Moschino and Vergeylen describe as "an elegant, feminine sanctuary." The Acacia Suite turns toward the countryside beyond the shoreline, deep greens and warm woodwork pulling the olive groves directly into the living space.
Throughout, commissioned works by Spanish artist Cristina Mena add depth and warmth, her abstract compositions in volcanic ochres, terracottas and charcoal that sit in natural dialogue with the geometric precision of the bespoke furniture. In one suite, a striking eggshell red library unit echoes the resort's modernist lines; in another, the built-in bar in honed Light Emperador marble brings quiet refinement.
These elegant suites have been designed to be lived, to feel more than at home in, to feel utterly taken care of. A quality that sits at the heart of our Suites & Beyond programme, where artistry in every detail gives way to experiences that feel genuinely personal.
As the day draws on, the suites shift in mood. Carefully layered lighting takes over from the sun, drawing warmth into the room and creating a “warm, cocooning atmosphere”. The same spaces that spend their daylight hours in conversation with the sea turn more intimate as evening arrives. It is this ability to hold multiple moods that gives the new suites at Verdura Resort their particular quality, the sense that the world outside has receded, and that everything you need is already here.
Explore Verdura Resort's new rooms and suites. For personalised benefits and exclusive cultural experiences, discover Suites & Beyond.
You may also like
Inside the Donna Franca Suite at Villa Igiea
Vivacious, glamorous, powerful. Few figures encapsulate the effortless grandeur of the Belle Époque quite like Donna Franca, our Sicilian muse. Famed for her petite frame, thick dark hair and an exquisite fashion sense that has endured for over a century, Franca was the epitome of an era that placed beauty and high fashion at its forefront.
Verdura’s Private Villas: Living the Sicilian Way
Sicily is “the key to everything”, or so wrote Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in his works, Italian Journey. Throughout history, the largest island in the Mediterranean has captivated travellers as a land of myth, natural beauty and ancient memory. Shaped by Greek colonies, Emirates of Crete, Roman Provinces, Norman Kingdoms and Spanish rule, Sicily holds the imprint of civilisations past. Woven into its landscapes, their presence remains with its buildings, ruins and along the pretty coastal paths that follow its shores.
Slow Travel – The Beauty of Standing Still
Travel expert Amanda Hyde, who has written for Condé Nast Traveller and The Telegraph, explores the art of slow travel across southern Italy.