The Regina Isabella is Ischia’s grand dame. Built in the 1950s by the publisher and film producer Angelo Rizzoli around the old Baths of Queen Isabella in Lacco Ameno, it still has the hand-painted majolica floors, the mid-century glamour and the guest book (Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Maria Callas, Clark Gable) that made the island famous. Today it pairs a medical thermal spa with two tennis courts, a private beach, four pools and Indaco, a restaurant with one Michelin star in the 2026 guide. My one-line verdict: arguably the most complete classic resort on Ischia, ideal if you want spa, sport and serious dining in one place, less so if you want a sleek, contemporary hideaway.
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Quick facts: Regina Isabella
- Location: Piazza Santa Restituta, on the bay of Lacco Ameno on the north-west coast of Ischia, Gulf of Naples.
- Rooms and suites: most sources, including the Michelin Guide, list 128 rooms and suites in three buildings (Regina Isabella, Sporting and Royal). Some listings give other figures, so ask the hotel if the exact number matters.
- Price level: high, in line with the leading five-star hotels on Capri and the Amalfi Coast, with sea views commanding a clear premium.
- Season: seasonal. The hotel does not publish its 2026 dates; most Ischia resorts open around April and close around late October. Ask the hotel.
- Nearest airport: Naples Capodichino. Allow roughly 20 minutes by taxi to the port, about an hour by hydrofoil to Ischia and around 15 minutes by car from Ischia Porto.
- Best for: couples and families who want thermal treatments, tennis, a beach and a Michelin-starred dinner without leaving the hotel.
Check prices and availability
Sea view rooms and the Royal suites go first in July and August. Compare dates before you commit.
Location and getting there
Lacco Ameno is the smallest of Ischia’s six towns, a compact seafront on the island’s north-west corner, and the Regina Isabella occupies the best spot in it: right on the small bay, beside the church of Santa Restituta and across the water from the famous mushroom-shaped rock, Il Fungo. You step out of the lobby into the village piazza, and from the garden straight onto the hotel’s own beach. The sea in front lies within the Regno di Nettuno marine protected area.
From Naples Capodichino airport, a taxi to Molo Beverello takes about 20 minutes. Hydrofoils to Ischia run roughly hourly and take about an hour; slower car ferries leave from the neighbouring Porta di Massa and take about an hour and a half. From Ischia Porto the hotel is around 15 minutes by car, and Casamicciola, the other main port, is next door. The hotel lists transfers among its services, so ask for a driver to meet your boat. Allow two to three hours door to door from landing at Naples. You do not need a car on the island.
Rooms and suites
The rooms are spread across three buildings, and which one you are in shapes your stay. The Regina Isabella building is the historic core, the Sporting wing sits by the outdoor pool and the sea, and the Royal building holds the most exclusive suites. Every room has the signature hand-painted majolica tiles, a mix of mid-century furniture and modern comforts, air conditioning, a minibar and free Wi-Fi. The hotel does not publish room sizes, so ask if square metres matter to you.
- Double Superior, garden view: main building, large balcony over the garden or the square.
- Double Standard, sea view: in the Sporting building, with a window over the sea rather than a balcony.
- Double Superior, sea view: a large sea view balcony, main or Sporting building. The sweet spot for most couples.
- Junior Suite: separate sitting and sleeping areas, in the main or Sporting building, with sea, side sea or garden views depending on the room.
- Sporting Suite: living room, bedroom and sea view balcony, some with two bathrooms.
- Regina Isabella Suite: bedroom, living room, two bathrooms and balconies looking over the bay towards the Gulf of Naples.
- Royal Deluxe: in the Royal building, with a sea view balcony or terrace, a waterfall shower and an outdoor Jacuzzi.
- Royal Executive and Royal Suite: the top categories, with large terraces; the Executive has a living room and three bathrooms.
The style is 1950s Riviera rather than minimalist. If you love vintage glamour, you will adore it.
Dining
All the restaurants and bars are overseen by Executive Chef Pasquale Palamaro, who was born on Ischia.
- Indaco: the gastronomic restaurant, which holds one Michelin star in the 2026 Michelin Guide Italia. It sits in a quiet corner of the hotel with sunset views over the bay towards Procida and Vesuvius. Palamaro cooks creative seafood rooted in island memories, with two seafood tasting menus (also available à la carte) and a plant-based menu. The wine list runs to more than a thousand labels. Dinner only; check opening days with the hotel. Book when you book the room.
- DolceVita: breakfast and dinner on a terrace over the bay, the everyday restaurant for half board guests.
- Sporting: lunch by the outdoor pool and jetties, with fresh fish, pasta, grills, a buffet of Neapolitan specialities and lighter dishes.
- Bars: the Regina Isabella Bar with its piano bar and long gin and whisky list, the Sporting Bar for poolside coffee and sunset aperitivo, and the Life Bar inside the spa for juices and herbal teas.
Check rates at Regina Isabella
Spa and pools
The Thermae and Spa is the soul of the hotel, and it is a genuine medical thermal centre rather than a decorative spa. The hotel’s own springs rise at 56 and 77 °C, and the hotel describes the water as sodium sulphate, bicarbonate, calcium and magnesium rich. The signature treatment is thermal mud: clay from Ischia’s natural quarries matured for six months in the spring water. A medical team assesses guests and builds personal programmes, and some treatments require a consultation with the doctor first.
- Programmes: short stays and weekly cures in four themes (medical, relax, beauty and fitness), including the hotel’s Mederi Thermae programme of mud and thermal water. Thermal dermatology and ozone therapy are also offered.
- Pools: four in total, plus a solarium. The main outdoor pool between the restaurants and the beach is saltwater and kept warm, and there are indoor pools on the spa side, with thermal water from the local springs. Which pools are thermal and their temperatures are not published consistently, so ask the hotel.
- Extras: a sauna, a Turkish bath, a gym and yoga, according to the Michelin Guide’s facility list.
A full mud cure is best planned as a one or two week stay; on a long weekend, book a short programme.
Sport and activities
The Regina Isabella is one of very few hotels in the Gulf of Naples with its own tennis, which is why it appears in our guide to tennis hotels on the Amalfi Coast and Sorrento (Ischia is included there) and why it belongs on any shortlist alongside the best luxury hotels with tennis courts in Italy.
Tennis
The hotel’s website lists two tennis courts. It does not publish the surface, floodlighting or coaching, so ask the concierge before you travel and reserve early morning slots, as midday summer heat is punishing. The ideal rhythm here: doubles at 8am, a thermal session in the afternoon, Indaco at night.
Beach and sea
The private beach is reached directly from the garden. It is small, and most guests settle on the two jetties instead, which have loungers and umbrellas and a ladder into deep, clear water. The shallow beach suits children learning to swim or snorkel. If you arrive by yacht, the hotel has direct sea access for mooring.
Boats and island tours
The concierge runs island tours on the hotel’s own Magnum 53 motorboat, the easiest way to see Ischia’s coves, Sant’Angelo and the Aragonese castle from the water. Procida, with its pastel harbour, makes a lovely half day, and Capri is within reach on a calm day; our Capri by boat guide explains what to see once you arrive. Bicycles can also be rented through the hotel.
What’s nearby
- Lacco Ameno: the seafront promenade, the church of Santa Restituta on the hotel’s piazza and the Villa Arbusto archaeological museum, home of the Greek “Cup of Nestor”.
- Negombo: a stylish thermal park on San Montano bay, a few minutes away, for a day of outdoor pools and gardens.
- La Mortella: the subtropical gardens of the composer William Walton’s widow, in Forio, a short drive west.
- Ischia Ponte: the Aragonese castle on its rock, best visited in the morning.
Regina Isabella vs other Gulf of Naples hotels with tennis
| Hotel | Location | Standout | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regina Isabella | Lacco Ameno, Ischia | Medical thermal spa, 2 tennis courts, Michelin-starred Indaco, private beach | Spa, tennis and fine dining in one stay |
| Mezzatorre Hotel & Thermal Spa | Forio, Ischia | Secluded headland, 1 sea view court, around 48 rooms | Quiet, smaller and more private |
| Grand Hotel Quisisana | Capri Town | 2 tennis courts, steps from the Piazzetta | Tennis plus Capri nightlife |
| Il San Pietro di Positano | Positano, Amalfi Coast | Sea-level court, Michelin-starred Zass, cliffside terraces | Romance and a trophy court |
In short: the Grand Hotel Quisisana wins on location, Il San Pietro di Positano on romance and views, Mezzatorre on privacy, and the Regina Isabella on thermal wellness combined with a starred restaurant and courts on site.
Who it suits, and who it does not
It suits:
- Couples who want a real thermal cure, not just a massage menu.
- Tennis players who want courts on site and a spa for tired legs.
- Food lovers who want a Michelin-starred dinner without a boat or taxi ride.
- Families: the shallow beach, the children’s pool and, according to booking platforms, a kids’ club and babysitting on request.
- Fans of 1950s Riviera glamour and hotels with a story.
It does not suit:
- Travellers who want a long sandy beach: the beach is small and life centres on the jetties.
- Minimalists who dislike period décor and patterned tiles.
- Anyone wanting total seclusion: this is a large hotel in a village.
- Those with only one night: the journey from Naples deserves at least three or four days.
Charlotte’s tip: go in late September
Book a sea view room for the second half of September. The sea is still warm, the courts are playable all day, the island empties after the Italian holidays and thermal treatments feel like a pleasure rather than a test of endurance.
Practical tips
- Booking: reserve Indaco, any spa programme, the tennis courts and the boat tour at the same time as the room. Medical programmes may need a doctor’s visit on arrival, so plan your first day lightly.
- Best rooms to request: a Double Superior with sea view balcony for value, the Regina Isabella Suite for the bay view, a Royal Deluxe for the outdoor Jacuzzi.
- Season: the hotel is seasonal and closes in winter, but does not publish opening dates. Confirm 2026 dates before you plan flights.
- Dress: relaxed by day, smart for Indaco.
- Kids: children are welcome, and booking platforms mention a kids’ club during school holidays. Ask the hotel which services run on your dates.
- Pets: small and medium dogs are accepted, though not in all common areas.
Check prices and availability
Compare garden and sea view rooms, check which rates include half board at DolceVita, and look at shoulder season dates in May, June and September.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Regina Isabella have a Michelin star?
Yes. Its restaurant Indaco, led by Ischia-born chef Pasquale Palamaro, holds one Michelin star in the 2026 Michelin Guide Italia.
Does the Regina Isabella have tennis courts?
Yes, the hotel lists two tennis courts. Surface, lighting and coaching are not published, so ask the hotel before you travel.
Is the Regina Isabella open all year?
No. It is a seasonal hotel and closes in winter. Exact 2026 opening and closing dates are not published, so confirm with the hotel.
How do I get from Naples airport to the Regina Isabella?
Take a taxi to Molo Beverello (about 20 minutes), a hydrofoil to Ischia (about an hour), then a car to Lacco Ameno (around 15 minutes from Ischia Porto). The hotel offers transfers on request.
