Sara Maestrelli had passed the building regularly since she was a child. It was right next door to Tennis Roma, a racquet 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, the Villa Roma Imperiale.
By contrast, the structure near the courts had, over time, become decidedly rundown. 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.
Pensione America in its post–World War II heyday.
Manfredi Gioacchini
The hotel got its start in 1899, when a Roman artist commissioned the building as his home. When he sold it around 1920, its new owners were able to transform it into a pensione, or boarding house, thanks to its grand size and ideal location. The Apuan Alps shelter this part of the Tuscan coast, known as Versilia, from harsh weather, and wealthy Italian families flocked here as much for its balmy climate as for its superb sandy shores and high-end beach clubs. At its height in the 1960s, the resort town was a magnet for bold-faced names: The Agnellis owned a waterfront mansion here, and Sophia Loren was a fixture during the summer. And while it has consistently attracted a bustling clientele, Forte dei Marmi’s mojo has recently kicked into overdrive, primed for travelers seeking out resorts with a heritage of glamour rather than a spiffy new sheen.
Many of the new furnishings, from bamboo sink pedestals to exterior railings, were made in Italy.
Manfredi Gioacchini
It’s appropriate, then, that Maestrelli pursued what she calls a restorative renovation rather than a sleek modernization. For example, she took fragments of the existing railings to a local metalworker so he could reproduce them, and she hired an artist from Carrara to hand-paint the wallpaper. Even the pinkish-orange exterior is a nod to the past. “We were standing there on a rainy day with the architect,” Maestrelli says. “She started scratching and scratching at the outside walls, and in the end, she found it—the original color—and that’s what we repainted it in.”
An alfresco dining area.
Manfredi Gioacchini
The retro vibe extends beyond decor. Maestrelli will offer rates for overnights or solely lodging and breakfast, as well as half- and full-board (meaning two or three meals a day, respectively), much as the property’s earliest guests would have enjoyed. “It’s the idea of villeggiatura, moving the family to the beach for the summer. It was like being at home in the pensione,” Maestrelli says. The pricing will include meals at Villa Roma Imperiale and the beach club she also owns, Bagno Assunta. Pensione America’s chef, Sabrina Pucci, is a Forte native and will dole out a homey, not highfalutin, menu, which includes arselle (baby clams) that are a particular tradition here, plus focaccine—round, pillowy sandwiches filled with caramelized onion or green peas and cream cheese.
But the pensione won’t offer just local fare and relaxing rooms. Remember the tennis club? Maestrelli recently wrangled ownership of that, too. The plan is to incorporate its courts into the hotel, maintaining its landmarked aesthetic while improving the facilities. We’d consider that a grand slam. From about $1,865
Wheeling Around
Illustrated by Peter Oumanski
Forget hiring a car and driver. Most locals walk or bike around Forte dei Marmi, and Maestrelli’s favorite spots are a short ride away. For sun, sea, and sand, there are two standout beach clubs: Bagno Assunta and Bagno Piero (beloved for its food). At breakfast, try Caffè Principe—recently revamped by Miuccia Prada, who owns a vacation home here. Gilda’s sashimi-style shrimp is delicious, but you’ll find traditional Italian fare at Orlando, a pizzeria that also serves stellar focaccine. The daily catch doesn’t get fresher than at Pesce Baracca, a two-story restaurant and fish market. Toast the day at La Capannina di Franceschi, which has been serving negronis since 1929.
