When Condé Nast Traveller took a seven-person crew to Florida's Gulf Coast in early June to photograph the 2027 cruise collections, the backdrop wasn't a Mediterranean island — it was the newly opened Naples Beach Club, A Four Seasons Resort. The choice makes sense once you know the backstory: the area was named after the Italian city back in the 1870s, thanks to its soft white-sand beaches and warm, tropical climate. Locals now call it the 'American Mediterranean'.
The resort, which opened at the end of 2025 on 300 metres of beachfront, is about two hours from Miami but a world away in pace. It's aimed squarely at relaxation: a big wellness centre, two outdoor pools, beachside bars, and even a coffee-and-sandwich shop selling hotel-branded merch. Dolphins regularly cruise close to shore — during the shoot, they practically photobombed a submerged Loewe dress. Birdlife, from pelicans to diving darters, adds to the appeal.
Eating well is easy without leaving the property. The Sunset Bar does spicy frozen margaritas and a much-praised ceviche with DJs and sunset views; HBs serves local catch right by the sand; and the new Merchant Room in the lobby channels old Florida with flamingo paintings, rattan birdcage lamps and a barman who'll build you a custom martini. Room service, apparently, reaches the beach loungers.
Beyond the hotel, Naples is golf country — it has more holes per capita than anywhere else in Florida — and a Tom Fazio championship course opens on-site in 2027. A cycle or mini-moke ride through the neighbouring mansions of Port Royal, with its pirate-named streets and canals, is a popular outing. Better still, the resort keeps a boat, the Bella, for guest charters: think mega-mansion sightseeing, trips toward the Everglades, empty sandbars, shell-strewn islands and dolphins jumping in the wake.
The shoot itself leaned into a playful, sea-soaked mood — sheer dresses from Chloe, McQueen and Loro Piana in the shallows, a Burberry worn while floating in open water, and styling built on shell bags, fish embroidery and oversized hats. Rooms at the hotel, designed by Champalimaud Design (the firm behind the Beverly Hills Hotel), push the indoor-outdoor theme with wraparound balconies, marble bathrooms and cocktail sets on lacquered bars. The writer's oceanfront corner suite ran to 1,230 square feet.
For travellers, this is a useful early look at what's shaping up to be the Gulf Coast's most talked-about new resort — and a reminder that Naples offers a quieter, greener alternative to Miami, with luxury hotels, easy boat days and wildlife you don't have to book an excursion to see.
Story via Condé Nast Traveller UK.
