Icons of Memory and Modernity: Italian Hotels of the 1950s and the Promotion of Italian Lifestyle

This essay examines the role of Italian hotels built in the 1950s as key promoters of Made in Italy design and lifestyle. These hotels, designed and furnished by iconic Italian designers, served as showcases of Italian craftsmanship and design nascent industry during the period of Reconstruction. Focusing on how interiors and spatial narratives, as well as the system of product-services, contributed to constructing a modern image of leisure, in particular during tourism experiences, supporting the affirmation of Made in Italy, the paper underlines the centrality of architect Gio Ponti. Through projects and writings, particularly the Parco dei Principi Hotel in Sorrento, blending research and innovation, he redefined hospitality spaces as a dynamic field of experimentation and as expressions of Italian creativity and savoir-faire. Reflecting a modern, aspirational Italian lifestyle to international guests, the hotels contributed to spreading values of Italianess and a desirable Italian lifestyle. Today, these hotels remain icons, bridging past and present by preserving their legacy while continuing to embody the enduring timelessness of Italian design.