By John O’ Ceallaigh
You could well imagine that the Madonna Inn was named after that synonymous songstress, so outlandish, ostentatious and gay friendly is its design. It’s not though.
It’s named after Mr and Mrs Madonna, who worked in construction and interior design respectively before developing the hotel round 50 years ago.
The Caveman Suite, for example, is a cavernous chamber carved from local rock and decked in leopard print; the Carin suite (Carin is a Swiss term meaning endearment) is a curved pink room with sequined walls and decorated with garlands of flowers.
It’s preposterous but wonderfully so. As is the dining room. Draped in fairy lights and again finished in pink, it stands next to a dance floor. In truth the food – bland steak and soggy, tasteless lobster – is disappointing, but there are compensations.
On band nights, elderly local couples take to the floor to cha-cha-cha and samba with precision and assurance. They’ve obviously been coming here for years. As has Mrs Madonna. Although her husband is now deceased she still visits the Inn frequently. It seems we’d just missed her on the night of our visit, but you might see her during yours, proudly presiding over her pink-hued palace.
Originally published in GPS.OutTraveler.com.
Info: http://www.madonnainn.com/
