Why book Zash Country Boutique Hotel?
To disappear in the citrus groves beneath looming Mount Etna.
Set the scene
Well-mannered Milanese families lead children wrapped in fluffy towels like ducklings to a futuristic pool, cleverly sliced into the volcanic rock as if it was nature’s design. Beyond it, 13 hectares of fruit trees shift in a warm breeze. The main house is a peach, peeling vestige of Sicily, with a cool subterranean spa, a restaurant with impressive vaulted ceilings and, above it, bright rooms that blink out towards either Mount Etna or the Ionian Sea. Casually dressed couples explore the labyrinthine citrus groves, but the rhythm here seems deliciously docile – guests go from Hamam to Aperol, afternoon snooze to supper. Gucci and Versace may appear at the theatrical tasting menus, but Zash doesn’t have the suited-and-booted pressure of some Sicilian classics.
The backstory
This rose-hued manor house, once a summer retreat for Catania’s nobility, was bought by the Maugeri family in the 1930s. By the 1960s they had replaced the vineyards with citrus groves and fruit trees. The architect and daughter of the owner, Carla Maugeri, worked closely with the design studio, Iraci, to spruce up the manor house while taking care to preserve its bygone romance. The goal was to send guests to a time when nature called the shots, using contemporary architecture which seems to blend seamlessly into the surrounding gardens. It’s a perfect expression of reverential modern design and architecture – from the smoothed, lava stone slabs lining the walls in cubic Poolside Villas to the restaurant’s reimagined Palmento.
The rooms
Rooms in the main house nod to the building’s noble bones, complimenting its sweeping ceilings with airy whites and modern lacquers. This is particularly true of the Blend Rooms: subterranean design dens housed in the old cellars, where smooth white-washed walls deliberately (and handsomely) jar against the rough, dark lava stone. The equally minimalist Unique Suites are spread between the main house and a small terracotta-tiled building in the garden, but it's the Iconic Rooms and the Pool Villas designed by Iraci Architetti – with smooth lava stone walls, low beds and glass walls – that are unapologetically modern. There are rain showers, uplit shelves, televisions seemingly floating somewhere in the wall cavity, curtains that expose the cube-like room to the rustling lemon trees, with the flick of a button. If privacy is high on the agenda, opt for the Poolside villas.
Food and drink
Few superlatives do Zash’s relatively unsung food and wine operation any justice. Voted Southern Italy’s top emerging chef in 2016, Guiseppe Raciti won Zash its Michelin star in 2019 with his experimental take on Sicilian classics. He lets the ingredients do the talking, while avoiding the frothy theatre of some tasting menus in favour of more substantial, but equally as thrilling, plates. This confidence pays off. Zash’s earth, sea, undergrowth and caviar and truffle tasting menus are more than satisfying in both the literal and artistic sense. The bread (always a good litmus test) arrives on staggered podiums like Olympic champions – balls of olive or anise and fennel dough delight alongside savoury cannolis. Don’t miss the chef’s signature dish: uovo poche croccante – a poached egg, skillfully covered in a crunchy mix of sweet provola cheese and red mulberries. The earth menu is a carnivorous paean to Italian cooking, with global touches – the Maialino (roasted pig with kabayaki sauce and spring onion) is a particularly scrumptious choice, as is the honey, milk and hay pudding, a sweet finale to a perfectly-tuned menu. The dizzying standard of Zash’s food continues in the lunch menu, which also rolls out in the cavernous space where the original millstone remains. Coiffed Italians order bottles of red from the famous Sicilian estate, Tasca d’Almerita, to go with plates of ravioli and meaty mains. Breakfast is a more casual affair on the patio; where fresh smoothies, fruit and granola keep the wellness crowd on the straight and narrow – until traditional Sicilian cakes and pastries such as apricot cake lead them astray.
The spa
Directly below the Palmento, a compact spa oozes, bubbles and steams in true Etna fashion. The designers certainly seized on a volcanic narrative – the dark lava rock remains, setting a sultry tone and carving out a serene central pool. Steam escapes from a sharply configured sauna and Turkish Hamam, sectioned off with angular glass, while languid figures in towels drift from hemolymphatic massages with Sicilian citrus oils to the relaxation beds where wafts of orange blossom lull them to sleep.
The neighbourhood
Mount Etna’s dark mass looms over Zash and the surrounding area, conferring special energy and fertile soil where olive groves, fruit trees and more exotic cacti and banana trees vie for space. Guests can slip on their walking boots and explore the coal-tinted crater of Europe’s most active volcano, then sail along the Ionian shores on the same day. Day trips to the Amalfi-style Taormina are well-advised for those who have yet to gawp at its clifftop panoramics across the Mediterranean or its film star hotels, as are jaunts to the rambling flea markets and splendidly scruffy trattorias of nearby Catania. Tap into Zash’s wealth of regional knowledge, especially when it comes to the local wine scene and the best vineyards.
The service
Aside from a formidable restaurant and spa, the service sets this hotel apart from other country boutiques in Sicily. Despite the lofty food standards and Gucci-clad guests, an upbeat team steers clear of any pretentious antics, treading the polite-but-personable line with skill. The restaurant team wears its impressive training lightly, dipping into an encyclopedic knowledge of Sicilian wine and cheering up a grumpy toddler in the same breath.
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For families
While certain areas of Zash feel distinctly grown-up, the citrus groves are hide-and-seek heaven, the pool is open enough to keep one eye on a brood with the other on a glass of Donna Fugata, and a sensible approach to timings makes the restaurant fair game too. Cots are provided in the rooms and high chairs in the restaurant. It’s worth noting that the compact nature of the hotel doesn’t lend itself well to discretion – young children and honeymooners may not always share the same holiday agendas.
Eco effort
The hotel peddles a zero-kilometre food philosophy, using herbs and citrus fruits from the garden then trawling local markets for fresh ingredients. Towels are only washed if left on the floor, but one little change to raise the eco standard would be refill bottles for bathroom products.
Accessibility for those with mobility impairments
One room, located on the ground floor, has been adapted for wheelchair users.
Hotel address: Zash Country Boutique Hotel, Strada Provinciale 2 I-II N60, 95018, Riposto, Sicily Italy
Website: zash.it
Phone number: +39 095 782 8932
Price from: £158