Seven GB-registered Aston Martins in the hotel car park were not enough to disturb the calm that always seems to prevail at the serene Signoria.
Occasionally the tranquillity is ruffled by an arrival or departure at nearby Calvi airport but flights are few and far between and do not really disturb guests. This then is a very sophisticated establishment – an Italianate country house with perfectly blending modern annexes where the professional staff go quietly about your business.
The accommodations are luxurious. Demeure rooms are the smallest but fine if you can do without a terrace. Suites Demeure are larger with a sitting area plus a balcony or terrace.
There are seven acres of grounds, shaded by tall palms. Eucalyptus, olive and orange trees jostle with oleander in the gardens. And the trickle of the fountains gently banishes all anxieties. (For a more intense ‘remise en forme’, try the hotel’s jacuzzi, steam bath, fitness centre and sauna.)
As a change from the heated pool, head for the Signoria Mare, a grill restaurant on a private section of Calvi’s sandy beach about five minutes’ drive from the hotel. The animated quayside bistros of Calvi are just 5km to the north but most people choose to dine at the in-house restaurant.