At the Due Lune in Puntaldia, Sardinia, hospitality also means a shopping experience

There is an increasingly close link between fashion and luxury hospitality. Indeed, the two sectors – particularly in Italia – are joining forces to set the tone for holidays. And in hotels, you can sometimes find boutiques that are more original than those on the most famous shopping streets. This is because they retain that sense of curation that makes them unique in the vast market of single-brand stores; they reflect the hotel’s taste and set the trends.

 One of the most interesting new additions is Caraluna, the concept shop at the Due Lune resort & golf club in Puntaldia, Sardinia. The idea came from Carolina Fumagalli, a third-generation owner and the hotel’s brand manager, who has transformed the room where guests used to play cards into a small, cheerful bazaar where every item tells a story of community, sustainability and affection. Caraluna reflects the spirit of the hotel: ‘It’s a place where friendships and ideas are born and nurtured,’ explains Carolina, who wishes to uphold the style of hospitality established by her grandfather when he founded the Puntaldia consortium in the 1980s. Mr Peppino was indeed a visionary: in 1946, he built Italy’s first washing machine based on a sketch by his brother, who was imprisoned in the United States, and founded the first household appliance factory, the famous Candy. His intuition and good timing also led him to invest in the purchase of large tracts of land along the Gallura coast, which were then on sale at ridiculously low prices. Puntaldia envisaged a development plan similar to that of the Costa Smeralda, complete with a hotel, a golf course, a harbour, a small square and villas. The new holiday ‘village’ was an instant success, thanks to the convivial, family-friendly atmosphere that Peppino passed on to his heirs.

To this day, the Fumagalli family still spend their holidays there, and the children and grandchildren of their long-standing customers still return. On the other hand, Gallura exerts an irresistible pull. Perhaps it is the wonderful sea, the granite landscapes, the clean air, the good food, the fine wine, the convivial atmosphere, or perhaps it is the proximity to the Blue Zone, where people live well into their hundreds and beyond. Carolina remains true to the concept of ‘same beach, same sea’ that characterises the Italian holiday tradition, which year after year brings summer friends together with undiminished enthusiasm. At the Due Lune, she welcomes a new generation of like-minded people to preserve and revitalise that atmosphere. And, without ever altering its spirit, she has modernised the hotel – first upgrading it from four to five stars, then creating the spa, and now with the Caraluna boutique. For example, the collaboration with Martina Mondadori and Cabana magazine came about spontaneously during a holiday at the Due Lune, over an aperitif and a chat under a parasol. The partnership with Teresa Missoni Maccapani, however, has a much longer history. ‘The Missonis were among the first buyers of the villas in Puntaldia. And her granddaughter Teresa is one of my best friends,” says Carolina. Teresa designed the logo, the décor, some accessories and a few dresses, and has curated a vintage corner featuring one-off pieces found at flea markets – probably the first of its kind in a hotel boutique. However, Carolina also draws on the expertise of top professionals such as Eva Geraldine, buyer and founder of the creative agency The Gooders, who has helped her to give the product selection a sustainable edge, without compromising on aesthetics or cheerfulness. Every single item on display has a story to tell, from the fans made by a small women’s empowerment association to local crafts, such as the Keras scented candles (100% natural), made in Gallura, Sardinian brocade earrings and the traditional 1930s vases now produced exclusively by Mr Lino Loi in Dorgali, in the centre of the island.

The boutique was already met with enthusiasm last year. This year, the launch is official: it will be based at the resort during the opening season, then as a travelling pop-up at other independent hotels. It went down well at La Perla in Corvara and at V Maison in Milan; the next stop is likely to be in the United States this winter. Carolina attributes the success to the people who have worked there. Generally speaking, it is the people who add value to a hotel. To any hotel, we might add.