The Grand Hotel Quisisana is the largest and one of the best known hotels on the island of Capri. It is located in the heart of the old town of Capri, opposite the Hotel Residenza Capri and the Villa Sanfelice, to the south of the Piazza Umberto I. Set in gardens with "sprawling buildings are painted a distinctive yellow and accented with vines," it is also a notable dining venue in the historic centre of Capri. British doctor George Sidney Clark established a sanatorium in 1845, turning it into the Grand Hotel Quisisana in 1861. "Qui si sana" means "here one heals" in Italian. The hotel contains 148 rooms. There are eight conference rooms, one of which can accommodate up to 500 people. The La Colombaia restaurant serves lunch in the outdoor restaurant next to the pool and serves fresh seafood, pastas and pizzas, chicken dishes and fruits, cheeses and pastries. The Restaurant Quisi indoors serves Italian cuisine for dinner, accompanied by romantic music. It has been cited as one of Italy's finest hotel restaurants. Since 1986, the Grand Hotel has been a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. They say of it, "Surrounded by its own lush park, the Quisisana is a veritable oasis of relaxation. Terraces overlook the sea and gardens, and the traditional, elegantly furnished accommodations – some with whirlpool baths – are the perfect expression of Capri's dolce vita, famous throughout Italy and the world. Movie stars, royalty, politicians and heads of state have all chosen the Quisisana for their vacation on the Island of Capri, confirming the hotel as one of the world's most exclusive resorts." Famous guests of the hotel include Russian writerMaxim Gorky, Russian singer Feodor Chaliapin, Oscar Wilde and Friedrich Alfred Krupp. Other notable guests have been Tom Cruise, Sidney Sheldon, Gianni Agnelli, Claudette Colbert, Jean-Paul Sartre, Gerald Ford, and Sting. After escaping Egypt in 1952, King Farouk I was a guest of the hotel during part of his exile in Italy.
