Tuscany, Anyone?

On an underpraised slice of the Italian coast, a local hotelier has breathed new life into a mid-century hot spot.

- Words: Mark Ellwood Photography: Manfredi Gioacchini

SARA MAESTRELLI HAD passed the building regularly since she was a child. It was next door to Tennis Roma, a racket club in the charming Tuscan beach resort of Forte dei Marmi, where she has played every summer since she was old enough to swing. For decades, her family has owned and operated one of this town's finest five-star hotels, Villa Roma Imperiale. By contrast, the structure near the courts had, over time, become run-down. Previously a lively hotel, it was now nearly abandoned. Pigeons had taken up residence on the crumbling walls and there was a rusty car sitting in the overgrown garden. But Maestrelli couldn't shake her fascination with the place and, after several attempts, reached an agreement with the owners, who lived on the first floor, to buy it in May 2021. This spring, following four years of thoughtful upgrades, she'll welcome guests back to her 18-key adults-only reimagining of Pensione America (from about US$1,865).