The story of the Hotel Désirée
The island of Elba, a place of subtle charm, cast its spell over Tancredi Pasero,
one of the greatest opera singers of the 20th century who, between 1919 and 1953,
performed in the world’s great opera houses including the La Scala in Milan,
the Metropolitan in New York, the Colon in Buenos Aires and Covent Garden in London
Pasero fell so deeply in love with the island that he chose to retire there,
settling down in Spartaia and naming his home Désirée to commemorate the romantic
love story between Napoleon and the enchanting daughter of Monsieur Clery, the
future queen of Sweden.
This was the first chapter in the story of the Hotel Désirée and to this day
the Pasero family has conserved Tancredi’s love for this island, sharing it with
guests from all over the world who fall under Elba’s spell.
From the day of its inauguration in 1957 the Désirée has undergone various extensions
and restylings which, together with the fifty years of management by Mr Boris
Procchieschi, have made in into a favourite choice with an affectionate international
clientele.
Tancredi Pasero’s son and grandchildren now run the business guaranteeing that
genteel informality which is the secret of the hotel’s success.
