Cheval Blanc Pitrizza, Costa Smeralda

Name: Cheval Blanc Pitrizza, Costa Smeralda
Address: Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy

LVMH lands on the Costa Smeralda

Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy

First look

Cheval Blanc is coming to Sardinia, and it's a meaningful one: the LVMH brand's first hotel in Italy, on the Costa Smeralda. Rather than build from scratch, LVMH is taking over Hotel Pitrizza, the 1960s property designed by Luigi Vietti (with Michele Busiri Vici) that helped define this stretch of coast in granite, terracotta and dark wood. The bones are real history; the question is what Cheval Blanc does with them.

On paper it stays small for a flagship — roughly 65 rooms and suites, including about 16 stand-alone villas with private pools, plus the famous saltwater pool cut into the rocks. A multi-year transformation is underway, with the relaunch slated for May 2027.

We haven't stayed, and we won't pretend to know how it lands. What we'll be watching: whether the renovation keeps Pitrizza's low-slung, of-the-place character or smooths it into generic gloss, and how the villas and food read once it reopens. We'll find out when we visit.

Not yet scored. We publish a Fat Score only once a hotel is open and real guests have stayed and written about it — this is a first look, not a verdict.

Before it opens

When does Cheval Blanc Pitrizza open?

The relaunch is slated for May 2027, following a multi-year transformation of the existing Hotel Pitrizza on Sardinia's Costa Smeralda. Dates on projects like this can shift, so treat it as expected rather than fixed.

How many rooms will Cheval Blanc Pitrizza have?

Reported plans put it at roughly 65 rooms and suites, including about 16 stand-alone villas with private pools. It will be Cheval Blanc's first hotel in Italy.

Open now

What you can book today

Cheval Blanc Pitrizza, Costa Smeraldais still under wraps. Here's what's already open and scored in our collection — more from Cheval Blanc, and nearby in Italy.

Fat Favorite

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Cheval Blanc Courchevel stands as the undisputed crown jewel of ski-in/ski-out luxury in the Alps, where LVMH's attention to detail meets legendary Three Valleys terrain access. The hotel's ski concierge service is genuinely transformative — they literally remove your boots and slip on cashmere slippers each return, then have your equipment perfectly prepared for the next morning. Le 1947 earns its three Michelin stars through Yannick Alléno's mastery, though some find the formal dining room lacks the cozy alpine charm you'd expect at this altitude. The real magic happens in the seamless choreography: direct slope access, impeccable service that anticipates every need, and rooms that blend contemporary luxury with subtle mountain references. Yes, everything costs double what it should, but when you're paying €4,000+ per night, the experience delivers on those inflated expectations.

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Cheval Blanc Paris is LVMH's most audacious hospitality statement — a 72-room property occupying the reimagined La Samaritaine building on the Seine that makes no apologies for its contemporary vision in a city that usually rewards tradition. Peter Marino's interiors are deliberately airy and modern, soaked in light through floor-to-ceiling glass, draped in custom textiles and contemporary art, and finished to a level of material quality that would embarrass most competitors — porous marble floors, velvet-wrapped phone cables, Dior perfumer François Demachy's bespoke bath scents. The gift-giving culture here is genuinely unmatched: nightly turndown surprises, suite amenities from the Dior Spa, and obsessive personal touches that accumulate into something emotionally affecting by the end of a stay. Plénitude, the in-house three-Michelin-star restaurant, is the city's most ambitious hotel dining room, and the rooftop bar pulls a genuinely local crowd. The honest caveats: this aesthetic is polarizing — travelers seeking gilded Haussmann grandeur will be disappointed, the glass-walled bathrooms are incompatible with friend travel, and noise from upper-floor restaurant activity and the Seine-side location surfaces enough across reviews to flag as a real concern for light sleepers.

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Jean-Michel Gathy's architectural masterpiece delivers the most sophisticated resort experience in the Maldives, where French luxury meets tropical paradise with stunning precision. The 47 villas, whether perched over lagoons or nestled on beaches, showcase impeccable design with infinity pools that blur into crystalline waters. Service operates at an intuitive level—butlers anticipate needs, chefs remember preferences by day two, and staff create those magical moments that justify the eye-watering rates. While recent management changes have introduced some inconsistencies in food quality and operational standards, the hard product remains unmatched, and when firing on all cylinders, this is the Maldivian experience that other resorts aspire to replicate.

Fat Approved

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Cheval Blanc St-Tropez occupies a prime waterfront position on Flamands Beach, delivering the polished LVMH hospitality experience in a compact but supremely well-executed package. The property's greatest strength lies in its exceptional service — guests consistently rave about staff who remember names, anticipate needs, and create genuine warmth without the stuffiness often found at luxury hotels. While the rooms are notably small by luxury standards (a persistent complaint), they're beautifully designed with sea views and private terraces that effectively expand the living space. The three-Michelin-starred La Vague d'Or anchors an impressive dining program, though the hotel's intimate scale means limited facilities — the tiny pool and artificial beach won't satisfy those seeking expansive resort amenities. Location cuts both ways: you're walking distance to St-Tropez's shops and restaurants, but the shuttle dependency after 1 AM and main road proximity detract from the serenity you'd expect at this price point.

From the desk

Get the first-look verdict

We publish our verdict the week Cheval Blanc Pitrizza, Costa Smeralda opens. Get it in the monthly note, before the rest of the internet catches up.

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