During their stay at La Serena, guests may find themselves breaking bread with a resident painter, lounging by a monumental figure, sculpted into locally sourced marble or absorbing the hotel’s curated exhibitions. Forte dei Marmi has long been a magnet for artists, with its Tuscan coastline previously embraced by the likes of Leonardo da Vinci and Henry Moore, who longed for escapism or marble from the nearby quarries. Today, Tuscany’s legacy of fine food, dolce vita living and remarkable art continues to thrive, particularly in Pietrasanta, a hub teeming with artist studios, boutiques and eateries, while nearby Florence needs no introduction. Adding to the cultural milieu, La Serena – a newly renovated boutique hotel in Forte dei Marmi – taps into the region’s artistic heritage while ushering it into the contemporary era. The concept of habitat as a transformative force for travellers and creators alike is at the centre of La Serena’s vision. The team behind the project, with roots in the arts, understands the value of living with art as well as the significance of space, time and environment in the development of artistic practices. Working with artists means thinking in non-traditional and flexible ways, a mindset which led to La Serena’s evolution into a hybrid space – part gallery, part artist residency. For guests, the hotel presents a fresh take on holidaying. Beyond endless lunches by the sea and biking around town, they are encouraged to embrace the artistic process firsthand, whether through casual conversations with resident artists over breakfast or by participating in studio visits. The aim is to draw art out of the traditional exhibition framework, making it something that is evolving, lived and felt. Resident artists, freed from the pressures of everyday life, work from dedicated studio spaces inside the property, mingling with guests, soaking up the scenery and paying homage to past creators during day trips to surrounding cities like Florence, Pisa and Lucca. The hotel’s communal atmosphere encourages creative exchange, breaking the solitude often associated with artistic practice. After a busy first summer hosting artists and international guests, the team at La Serena is taking stock. In the future, they plan to expand their programme by developing an interdisciplinary community of artists, writers and cultural thinkers, much like a creative incubator.
The first cohort of residents included: Nour Ammar, a recent graduate who explored the axis of movement and abstraction through a new series of paintings; Samo Shalaby, whose residency was an attempt to ‘slow down’ and culminated in the painting In Search of Destiny, inspired by Tuscan landscapes, and self-portraiture captured in the Cayman Islands; and Malik Thomas, who produced a new body of work – delicate pieces on silk and linen exploring the relationships between artists and lovers, external figures and internal worlds, and desire, the divine and the everyday.
Art, particularly the art of living, fuels La Serena’s design ethos. The 1960s brick-walled establishment underwent a substantial renovation in 2022, preserving original features to harmonise with the surrounding neighbourhood while refashioning it with a playful blend of art and design elements. Interiors express style across space and time. Chequered Art Deco flooring, rattan accents, soft amber lighting and mid-century furnishings reflect thoughtful design across eras, while seating configurations by Poltrona Frau nod to Italian leatherwork traditions. A palette, absorbed from the local landscape – terracotta, turquoise, sand and mahogany – forms a connective force, uniting indoor and outdoor domains. Art is encountered throughout the hotel, in the lobby, stairways, lounges and guestrooms. La Serena’s revolving exhibitions are curated by Dubai-based gallery Tabari Artspace. Guests linger to enjoy the work, embracing public areas and taking in everything from vibrant abstractions to politically charged reflections. Outside, between centuries-old pines, visitors gaze up from the pool towards one of sculptor Khaled Zaki’s reclining marble figures, carved out of local Carrara marble from his Pietrasanta studio. The serene figure embodies themes of renewal, reconfiguration and meditation – the true spirit of vacation.
