Japanese Architect Kengo Kuma Designs Clifftop Resort The ROMEO Collection has announced its third property, ROMEO Massa Lubrense, scheduled to open in May 2027 on the Sorrentine Peninsula. Located in Punta San Lorenzo—the closest coastline point to Capri—the 63-room hotel will occupy a private natural fjord and be reimagined from the historic 1963 Hotel Delfino. Japanese architect Kengo Kuma designed the property alongside ROMEO Design, employing his philosophy of dissolving architecture into landscape and drawing on the Japanese concept of Ma (間). The material palette includes local tuff, travertine, American walnut, and matte ceramics, with rooms and suites offering full indoor-outdoor living. "Our vision for The ROMEO Collection has always been to create experiences driven by their destinations, and Massa Lubrense captures the authentic, slow-living spirit of the Italian coast like nowhere else," said Alfredo Romeo, founder of the ROMEO Collection. "I am thrilled to soon share this project, which will marry a rare, dramatic natural landscape with unparalleled design and hospitality. We are creating an ultra-exclusive retreat that I believe will truly redefine the luxury resort experience in Italy."
Three-Star Restaurant Anchors Culinary Offering Quattro Passi, the three-Michelin-starred restaurant founded in Massa Lubrense in 1983, will operate as the hotel's fine dining venue. The Mellino brothers—Fabrizio and Raffaele—who lead Quattro Passi, have joined the Romeo Group and will oversee all food and beverage development at the property. "Quattro Passi is the story of our family, of the people who have worked alongside us and of a place that has shaped our cuisine. Today, we have chosen to open a new chapter in this story together with the Romeo Group," said Fabrizio Mellino, executive chef of Quattro Passi. "Raffaele and I are now part of the Romeo Group and we feel fully part of this project. It is a choice we believe in because it brings together different yet deeply complementary areas of expertise: we bring our culinary culture, our knowledge of ingredients, the work built over many years and the know-how of Quattro Passi; the Romeo Group provides an entrepreneurial vision, a culture of the highest level of hospitality, organisational capabilities and the tools needed to build something even more significant." The partnership mirrors the ROMEO Collection's approach at its Naples and Rome properties, which feature collaborations with chef Alain Ducasse. The hotel's spa will be signed by Sisley Paris.
Why It Matters
The opening represents a significant expansion for luxury hospitality on the Amalfi Coast and signals renewed investment in destination dining. The strategic partnership between a hotel group and an established three-star restaurant—rather than bringing in an outside celebrity chef—establishes a different model for resort gastronomy and may influence how other luxury properties approach culinary programming in Italy.
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Written by FBM Publications Editors
