Corsica: Where to Stay: Boutique: Hôtel Casadelmar

Hôtel Casadelmar

Opened in 2004, this thirty-four-room retreat is the first hotel to give a sophisticated contemporary polish to the island’s rustic image. Renowned French architect Jean-François Bodin has created a design that is strictly for fans of pure clean lines: a low-slung rectangle of dazzling glass, stone and pale red cedar that merges with the scenery. Guests can take in expansive views of the sea through huge bay windows while relaxing in the white split-level lobby or at the bar decked out with scarlet armchairs by Rietveld, violet cushion stools by Frigerio and hanging Baccarat lights. The rooms are spacious and spare, with Le Corbusier loungers and minimalist but comfy sofas, the whole jazzed up with shimmering fuchsia or pistachio Charles Joffre bedspreads and curtains. Don’t be surprised when a feather-light vanilla panacotta arrives in your room minutes after check-in—under the impeccable direction of Gianluca Bertilaccio, no detail is overlooked. Last summer, the hotel added a wing with 11 large suites, each outfitted with a commodious wooden terrace and offering a sweeping sea vista. If ever you tire of lazing by the infinity-edged heated pool or on the sand at the tiny private cove, explore the spectacular pink rocks and turquoise creeks of the Palombaggia beaches, a short drive away. The hotel also has a spa that features massages au chocolat or with fragrant Corsican rosemary and tangerine-seed essential oils. And it has both a gastronomic restaurant and a more informal beach grill, both of which welcome outside guests, a policy that has made Casadelmar a favorite dining spot for visiting VIPs and the yachting set. Read about the restaurant. Rooms from €340.