The Royal Continental Hotel is on the Naples seafront, Italy. It will be easy to get lost between the sea and the symbols of the city: in front of the hotel, the legendary Castel dell'Ovo and Borgo Marinari, a few minutes walk, Piazza del Plebiscito and, a little further on, the Maschio Angioino. The hotel is located in the centre of the large pedestrianized area of the seafront, but is well-connected to the rest of the city. In 1949 the engineer Roberto Fernandes bought the Grand Hotel Royal des Étrangers. The nineteenth century building, considered one of the symbols of the Naples waterfront, hosted illustrious personalities such as Oscar Wilde until, at the end of the Second World War, German troops set it on fire. In 1955, where the historic hotel once stood, the Royal Hotel was inaugurated, designed by Ferdinando Chiaromonte and by the engineer Fernandes himself. Gio Ponti subsequently intervened in the design of the furnishings, in the design of the swimming pool and in the creation of the logo. The task of designing and furnishing the interiors of the hotel was entrusted to the Italian architect and designer Gio Ponti. The principle that he applied to the structure was: every piece of furniture, while always being functional, must interest the imagination of whoever designs it and who looks at it. This is how materials such as frisé maple, striped mahogany and briar became chest of drawers with three drawers, dressing tables with circular mirror, folding tops to be used as desks. Today, it is possible to stay in one of the 24 museum rooms of the Gio Ponti Floor, for a stay dedicated to designer design. Radiated by the sunlight reflecting on the seawater, the breakfast room shines with a thousand colours and invites you to start the day with an Illy coffee and continue it with a smile. Savoury proposals, sfogliatelle, croissants and cakes prepared every day in the hotel's pastry shop. The lobby bar, open from morning until late evening, also for guests outside the hotel. A place to feel at ease, not only with a steaming espresso in the morning, but throughout the day, always remaining immersed in the great expanse of blue sea in front of the hotel. The hotel boasts a rooftop pool, on the 10th floor of the hotel, is a design solution conceived by the architect Gio Ponti for the Neapolitan hotel. By placing the swimming pool "on the roof" Ponti intended to create an ideal dialogue between the landscape (Castel dell'Ovo to the south and the Pizzofalcone hill to the north) and architecture. The walls surrounding the pool on three sides seem to want to isolate the roof space from the outside, leaving the vision of the Sorrento peninsula as the only perspective, as well as of course the perspective on the sky, on infinity. In the background, a unique view of the Pizzofalcone hill and the neo-Gothic example of the Villa Ebe by Lamont Young. The project was published in 1954 on the cover of Domus issue 291 with the title "A rooftop pool". A mirror of water in a patio, due to its irregular shape, more than any swimming pool with a rigidly geometric shape. The Royal Shopping Gallery is a permanent space where the best Campania brands showcase their art, making the hotel an active part of city life. The clothes and accessories of the Temporary Store Duerre Collection, the handcrafted jewels with a refined design by Ileana della Corte, the original antique and contemporary prints, the engravings, the gouaches and the handcrafted products of Macrì Segni Creativi and the high-end costume jewellery collections by La Tiend.