Antonio and Giulia Sersale, owners of Le Sirenuse, discuss a love of place – and plants

Le Sirenuse is deeply rooted in your family’s history and in the vision of the first generation of hoteliers, especially your father Franco, who shaped it. What are the most important lessons about hospitality that were passed down to you, and which of those principles still guide your decisions as owner and general manager today?

“One of the first aspects that my father passed on to me was the importance of quality, quality and originality. This applies to all that the guests touch, and interact with. Everthing has to the best in it’s category, if we speak about glasses then they have to be hand blown in Murano as our glasses are in all our outlets. Furniture is all hand made especially for the location and not mass produced. The furniture, if antique then it has to be original and excellent condition.

“Maintenance is essential to keep up every aspect of the Hotel, for example it is not good enough to have marble bathrooms, what is essential is the team we hire each year to de-stain them and re-shine them.”

Over the years, you have undoubtedly received countless guest comments and stories. Is there a particular remark or moment shared by a guest that truly made your day and reminded you why you do this work? How do such moments continue to influence the way you think about guest experience at Le Sirenuse?

“It is not one remark in particular it is the majority of them that talk about the quality of the staff and the effort they make to please and make happy the guest. That is what makes me realise more than ever the importance of the human aspect of the hotel industry.”

Your love for plants and gardens is clearly visible throughout Le Sirenuse and has become an integral part of its identity. How does this passion connect to your family heritage, and what role do nature and plants play in your personal vision of hospitality?

“I inherited my love for plants from my English mother, Anne Mary Dent-Brocklehurst, who came to Positano in the late 1950s and met my father there.

“Our love for plants, however, is deeply rooted in my Italian family too. My father’s siblings, Franco and Anna Sersale, were equally passionate about indoor greenery, and as a family we have been collecting extraordinary plants for at least forty years.

“Fern Tina is a perfect example. She is a Nephrolepis exaltata fern that is over 45 years old—the oldest plant in our collection—and she is named after Tina Turner, whose iconic hair bears a striking resemblance to the fern’s exuberant, untamed foliage. Fern Tina can be admired at our Don’t Worry Bar.

“In my humble opinion, plants and indoor greenery play an extremely important role: they create the first impression and help define the visual identity of our hotel. The Cavendish banana trees in our lobby, for example, contribute to reducing stress levels after long journeys and flights, welcoming our guests with an immediate sense of calm.

“Plants are quiet presences, yet they can become architectural elements—natural dividers that shape indoor and outdoor spaces without the need for walls. They reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide through photosynthesis, absorbing water and sunlight to produce energy while releasing oxygen. Beyond their environmental benefits, plants create atmosphere and are strategically important from a choreographic and visual point of view.

“I remember reading The Secret Life of Plants, a wonderful book by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird, which I highly recommend.

“A very special thank you goes to our brilliant Green Thumb Team. Without Nello, Francesco, Peppe, and Salvatore, Le Sirenuse would not be home to such stunning plants and trees.”

Your bond with Positano is deeply personal and clearly felt throughout Le Sirenuse. When you travel abroad, what do you find yourself missing the most about Positano, and what are the sights, sensations, or rituals you cannot wait to rediscover each time you return home?

“To give you the best answer, there is this extraordinary phrase that John Steinbeck wrote for Harper’s Bazaar in 1953: “Positano bites deep, it is dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone”

“When I am away I miss my homeland, I miss the people, the views, the mighty beauty of this volcanic land and I am always very happy to return.”