Masterminded by Design Maestro Stefano Ricci

‘I wish I could have spoken to Michelangelo,’ chuckles Florentine design mastermind Stefano Ricci. The legendary designer is unveiling what might be the most unprecedented project of his lifetime – the rebirth of one of the world’s most exquisite natural settings into a luxury vacation idyll. Stefano’s Renaissance masterpiece? The interiors of the beguiling Sindalah Yacht Club – the jewel of the pioneering new island destination off the coast of NEOM, known as Sindalah. In the warm waters of the Red Sea, Sindalah will not only shape the future of luxury travel but also create an entirely new season on the world’s yachting circuit. At the heart of it all, the Sindalah Yacht Club is poised to welcome yachts as they glide in from the Mediterranean – less than a day’s sail away.  

‘My life has been centered by incredible traveling, a dream of adventure and love for family and my mission,’ says the iconic designer from his headquarters in Fiesole, a leafy suburb of Florence. His eyes shimmer with excitement as he describes the almost fairytale-like island – located 2,500 miles away from Florence on Saudi Arabia’s northwest coast. Unmatched in style and design, Sindalah is unlike anything seen before, bringing Italy’s inimitable glamour and enduring appeal to these enigmatic shores. It’s this appeal that will cement Sindalah Yacht Club as the epitome of exclusivity, a new hideaway for the world’s elite – and it’s a journey five years in the making. For the interiors, there was no greater person for the task than Ricci and his family’s legacy.

Home to a marina, a terrace pool, sleek lounge and restaurant, the Sindalah Yacht Club is the embodiment of timeless allure. Inspired by outstanding natural beauty, with the flair of Italian free-thinking, art and craftsmanship, it echoes the revolutionary spirit of 15^th century Tuscany. ‘I had the opportunity to visit Sindalah for the first time in 2019, and it was love at first sight,’ reveals Stefano’s son, Filippo Ricci, creative director and a key mind in crafting what is sure to be deemed the world’s most impeccable waterside experience. ‘I was mesmerized by the intense blue’, he muses, a blue he’d not even witnessed at the great Italian yachting ports of Porto Cervo, Portofino and Capri.

The shade is now at the heart of the Ricci family’s interior design, a whimsical yet bold take on Stefano Ricci’s signature color – and emblematic of the soothing and restorative hues guests will experience – from the pristine sea, teeming with marine life and coral, to the brilliant skies. ‘This blue is the guideline for the whole island, and in the Sindalah Yacht Club, you can see how Italian master craftsmanship has been used to deliver something never seen before with the interiors,’ adds Stefano’s son and chief executive Niccolò Ricci. ‘Our signature walnut became Sindalah Blue, our Florentine limestone became white marble from Carrara. The result is magic, creating a continuity between the landscape and Yacht Club itself,’ adds Filippo. In sumptuous Stefano Ricci style, crocodile leather adds a seductive appeal, a nod to 1950s La Dolce Vita and the glamorous screen sirens of yesteryear.

‘I returned to Florence and discussed the project with my family, and I immediately told them how remarkable this would be. This was a vision of the future,’ adds Filippo. ‘My father and I knew how every single detail could be unique and how to make the interiors of the Sindalah Yacht Club one of the luxury highlights of the world. I entered Sindalah because the project is 30 years ahead of the rest of the world, ‘ adds Stefano, intrigued by Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and, with it, the creative spirit and foresight bringing these new tourism projects to life.

In a short time, this groundbreaking new destination has arisen – echoing the pioneering spirit of Tuscany’s Medici family and the Renaissance, an exuberance felt throughout the Sindalah Yacht Club’s design. ‘We have always been inspired by the Medici family,’ explains Niccolò. ‘The Medici entrusted and empowered artists and craftsmen to create unique palaces and incredible masterpieces that still live today,’ continues Filippo. Both believe Sindalah and NEOM will birth legacies to live for hundreds of years, much like the Medici’s fabled Florence. While Florence showcases artistic treasures, priceless creations in architecture and sculpture, Sindalah showcases untouched marine life and outstanding natural surroundings.

Facing these surroundings is the one-of-a-kind Sindalah Yacht Club – a nod to the might of Tuscan design using only the highest caliber materials. ‘Tuscany is the land of the Carrara marble, which Michelangelo used for his masterpieces,’ adds Filippo. The exquisite mineral is splashed across the Yacht Club interiors, and briar-root wood surfaces are elegantly bathed in the exclusive Sindalah Blue. Creating a tactile, sumptuous environment reminiscent of a grand Tuscan manor, impeccable Italian leather couches feature and hand-woven textiles from Antico Setificio Fiorentino are dotted throughout – a Florentine silk manufacturing workshop dating back to the 18th century, now owned by the esteemed Ricci family.

‘When I design something and the name of the family is involved, I want guests to feel it, to taste, to touch it, to appreciate it,’ explains Stefano, on the Yacht Club’s sumptuous decor. Taste it, guests certainly will, and in a country led by its refined appetite, gastronomy was of the utmost importance. Italian spirit and zest for life infuses into the dining offering, where The Yacht Club’s restaurant will serve up the beloved cuisine of Italy’s regions spearheaded by decorated Tuscan Chef Enrico Bartolini. ‘I was asked by NEOM to find a chef behind at least two Michelin stars,’ reveals Stefano. ‘I said, “I’m sorry, but I only know a man behind 13 Michelin stars!”’ Bartolini’s waterside concept creates a holistic Italian experience with premium ingredients, innovative techniques and refined flavors – echoing the Ricci family’s core values. Of course, the restaurant’s design is also a work of art – with an elegant, coffered ceiling inspired by Florentine Renaissance architecture.

‘It’s been a great honor to work on this project,’ says Stefano, a man whose illustrious career has spanned over 50 years and is now taken to new heights. ‘It will be exciting, I’m telling you,’ he smiles. ‘I hope you will be there one day. It’s a beautiful jump into the future.’ And that, indeed, it is.