La Roqqa

This harborside boutique hotel has been reimagined by its owners to deliver classic Italian design glamour and a home base for exploring Tuscany’s coast.

• The rooftop lounge and Scirocco restaurant with wonderful harbor views and delicious food
• The Isolotto beach club with its teak loungers on the edge of the Mediterranean
• The corner suites with large outside terraces

The coastal Tuscan town of Porto Ercole has been synonymous with seaside glamour Italian style for decades, thanks to the Hotel Il Pellicano and the scores of stylish Italians who have homes in Tuscany’s Monte Argentario region. It attracts a parade of sleek sailboats and yachts and their sunkissed crews, but has not offered much more to visitors until now. A 1950s-era cliffside hotel just above the harbor has been thoroughly renovated within and its owners have brought chef Francesco Ferretti, a famous regional chef to the rooftop restaurant Scirocco. They have also launched the sexy Isolotto Beach Club, on the water outside of town, so hotel guests can spend the day on chaise lounges by the sea. The six-story hotel has 55 rooms and a design flair that evokes a 1960s Italian aesthetic with terrazzo floors, a sinuous staircase, woven leather and vintage and custom furniture. The colors of the Maremma—coastal Tuscany—inspired the design team of Milan-based Palomba Serafini Associati, who incorporated local crafts in the public spaces and rooms. Each guest floor features rooms in a different color of the region, from terra cotta and olive green to Mediterranean blue. 

This is not a resort in the traditional sense because it has no grounds or pool other than the access by complimentary shuttle bus to the Isolotto Beach Club. Rather it is a harborside hotel for those who are seeking a comfortable place to sleep and dine only since they would rather explore the region than hang out at a resort. The Massimo and Filippo suites offer the most space and large terraces. Other rooms are quite small, though they do all have balconies or terraces. None have have bathtubs, but guests will find wonderful smelling Ortigia bath products from Sicily in their showers and vanities. There is also a 300-square-meter penthouse apartment on the top floor with three bedrooms and four terraces. The property is open April 1 through October, and the owners hope that with a chic new hotel option in the town of Porto Ercole, more people will discover the natural beauty of the region and the town may attract some buzzier shops and restaurants. The positive impact of the property on the community is already being felt from the owner’s commitment to sustainable practices, including working with L’Orto Giusto, a nearby social cooperative that employs young people with disabilities, to harvest many of the vegetables used in its restaurants. 

Those looking to spend a night or more on the Tuscan coast who don’t need the full amenities of a hotel like Il Pellicano, which is right up the road.

Note from an Indagare member in 2023:

“It's hard to give La Roqqa a fair review, because it was so new. We were one of just a few rooms being used, so the hotel was very empty. The staff were incredibly nice from the first moment... It's difficult for me to imagine how this hotel can charge as much as they do. Similar cost to Il Pellicano, but no spa, no pool, no beach on property, etc. There is a beach club a few hundred meters away, and it's fine but not so special. And, they wanted 90 to 120 euro per bed on top of what we'd already paid for the room. We had a good lunch there, but we didn't hang at the beach club. We went to the club next door which was more casual and had better access to the sea... for now La Roqqa is just rooms and a small terrace restaurant, rather than a full experience.

Pros for La Roqqa: Staff was very nice. It overlooks the port, so if someone wants fast access to their boat in the harbor, then La Roqqa could be a good option. It's close to port restaurants which we like. Il Pellicano is great for honeymooners, etc. who want full luxury all in one place... but we like going off property to explore towns, restaurants...

Con: Too expensive for what it offers.”