The hotel’s founder was Angelo Rizzoli, the legendary publisher and film producer. He had long been fascinated by the island’s villages and by the tradition of thermal baths, and in 1956 he extended the historic Baths of Queen Isabella, constructing a hotel complex on the ancient Greco-Roman ruins.

Within a few years, Ischia and the Regina Isabella Hotel became a centre of attraction for the international jet-set.  Legendary figures such as Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Maria Callas, Charles Boyer, Clark Gable and William Holden all graced it with their presence, making it one of Italy’s most desirable and glamorous resorts.

Many other celebrities have come here in more recent years, including Matt Damon, Christian De Sica, Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Francis Ford Coppola, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Laura Pausini, Sting, Oliver Stone, Giuseppe Tornatore, Selena Gomez and Lola Punch.

In addition to figures from the world of entertainment, people from the fields of business, politics and culture also visit the hotel .