These are the top accommodations along Italy's lemon-scented Amalfi Coast for a true experience of la dolce vita.
The magnificent southern tip of Italy's Sorrentine Peninsula is incomparable to a few other locations. The Amalfi Coast's vibrant towns and meandering roads are the stuff of mythology; they have been made glamorous by several Hollywood productions and are adored by the affluent and famous. One of the summertime holy grails is to get a lodging with a view of these revered coastlines in July or August. Not that these should be considered the only months deserving of a visit; many Amalfi Coast hotels are open from April to October, with June being the ideal month to go. A stay here does not take place in a highrise or on a technologically advanced cement slab, it should be noted. Instead, the usual hideaways are historic houses or palazzos with wonderfully ageless terrace views that are in varying states of modernization. These are the addresses to be aware of for the nicest hotels on the Amalfi Coast.
The best hotels on the Amalfi Coast for 2023 https://t.co/xZOzw1BHYG #PlacestoStay pic.twitter.com/NnX51Kf1on
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Which Amalfi Coast village is the finest place to stay?
Positano, which Paul Klee called "the only spot in the world created on a vertical rather than a horizontal axis," is the most alluring section of the coastline. Because of this, the vistas are legendary. So are the people; throughout the summer, the sunbed serried ranks soon fill up. If you're here for the beauty and the energy and you have large funds, check out opulent hideaways like Villa Treville and Il San Pietro di Positano. Ravello is the elegant, aristocratic cousin of Positano, the glamour-puss of the costiera. The Duomo di Ravello, a stunning church from the 11th century, and two spectacular garden estates, Villa Rufolo, and Villa Cimbrone, are the main draws for tourists. Amalfi, with its antique tunnel-like side lanes and open-air salon of Piazza del Duomo, also features several excellent eateries and the remarkable Hotel Santa Caterina, among other attractions.
Amalfi Coast, Borgo Santandrea
Included among the top new hotels in the globe on our 2022 Hot List
Perched high in the cliffs, carved into the rock face overlooking the sea, and within sight of the charming fishing town of Conca dei Marini, this would be the address to choose if you wanted the most opulent one on the Amalfi Coast. The property's 1960s bones have been enriched by a stunning staff of local Amalfitano artisans, with manicured gardens and museum-worthy antique artifacts making it one of the most exciting Italian arrivals in years. Ask for an infinity pool option if you don't want to have to walk to the private beach or community pool to cool down. All rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows and sea views. Iona Cohane
Location: 33 Via Giovanni Augustariccio, Amalfi SA, 84011, Italy
Amalfi's Monastero Santa Rosa
Around a kilometer from Amalfi, this old monastery from the 17th century overlooks the coastline. Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Charlene were checking in as we arrived. It is the newest glitzy hotel to build on this stretch of the coast and boasts stunning terraced lawns and a swimming pool that appears to float between sea and sky. The renovated Monastero contains 20 cool but sparse bedrooms and gorgeous, really soft, delightful-to-walk-on Jerusalem marble flooring after more than ten years of repair work. These are outfitted with a combination of specially created furniture and 19th-century antiques that the American owner has gathered. Others have terraces. The spa will be the main attraction even if there are many peaceful areas in the gardens. Although it may be a little excessive for this location, it is amazing, with stained glass, an ice cave, natural light, and magnificent Santa Maria Novella goods. Potato and nettle gnocchi with scampi is only one of the delicious meals the chef prepares.
Italy's 84010 Conca dei Marini SA is located in Via Roma, 2.
Positano's Villa Treville
Despite Positano being only a few hairpins turned away, Treville stands out for its exceptional beauty and isolation. If you want to have Positano Bay at your feet, reserve the white, cream, and silver Diaghilev suite, which has double doors that open onto a tiny balcony. Although the cost is not insignificant, it covers all beverages, so you may get cocktails whenever you want them in delicate Murano glasses. The chef will prepare whatever you want whenever you want it for you using fresh ingredients from Treville's gardens if you wander into the kitchen.
Italy's Villa Tre Ville is located at 30 Via Arienzo in Positano SA.
Ravello's Palazzo Avino
This pink refuge, which was formerly a 12th-century palace, is perched on the edge of Ravello's eastern peak and offers stunning views of the valley to Mount Avvocata and the Gulf of Salerno beyond. Rossellini's, the Michelin-starred restaurant, is one of the best on the Amalfi Coast with first-rate service and more of those views. Well-kept terraces descend to the pool. Handmade Vietri tiles, vintage rugs, and furniture from the 18th century are used to embellish the rooms. The Infinito Suite on the top level offers a sizable living and dining space, and a bathroom with a hot-tub-style bath. Its expansive patio overlooks the turbulent sea.
Address: Via San Giovanni del Toro 28, Palazzo Avino, Ravello
Belmond Caruso Ravello
The Belmond group acquired this ivy-covered, eleventh-century structure and set out on a four-year rehabilitation project, hiring art historians and archaeologists and modernizing its appearance. The historic paintings and soaring ceilings add to the sensation of utter splendor, and nearly every room has its patio or garden. Amazing vistas, a fantastic pool, and quiet tiny corners are around this location. Read the entirety of our Belmond Caruso review.
Address: Piazza San Giovanni del Toro 2, 84010 Ravello, Italy, Belmond Hotel Caruso
Praiano, Casa Privata
This old fisherman's home, a retreat within a cluster of homes in unassuming Praiano to the south of glitzy Positano, features seven bedrooms and lovely grounds cut into the hillside. The room with the most seclusion is the garden suite, which is separated from the main house and has a patio that is surrounded by balls of box hedges. When you descend further, you will come to the rocks where white sun loungers are placed on platforms and a lengthy flight of pool stairs leads to the sea for swimming. Lemon cake and almond tarts make up the straightforward yet exquisite breakfast buffet. Read the entirety of our Villa Privata review.
Casa Privata is located via Rezzola 41 in Praiano.
Amalfi Coast hotel Santa Caterina
This hotel is one of the best on the Amalfi Coast when it comes to location. There aren't any coach tours in sight, it's only a 10-minute walk from Amalfi, and the bedroom balconies provide views of the well-known town. It is also one of the few hotels with a patio that protrudes out of the rocky hillside and provides direct access to the sea. Two glass-fronted elevators transport visitors thereby escorting them through the captivating gardens and lemon trees and down the cliff. Simple but stylish bedrooms have colorful tiles, chairs covered in linen, and mellow yellow sun loungers on balconies draped with bougainvillea. Read the entirety of our Hotel Santa Caterina review.
Address: Via Mauro Comite 9, Hotel Santa Caterina, Amalfi
Ravello's Belmond Villa Margherita
Outside of the citrus groves at the Belmond Hotel Caruso, on a spectacularly beautiful hillside, is a house that stands on its own. The access to the villa is via a cobblestone, no-through route to the left of the hotel's main entrance for full solitude. It may be hired as a whole or divided into two suites that are complimentary but decorated in different styles. These rooms have enormous windows that surround Amalfi lemon groves that cascade down steep, rocky limestone slopes, pastel-colored fishing communities along the coast, and the vast azure expanse of the Mediterranean. See our Belmond Villa Margherita review to learn more.
The Belmond Villa Margherita is located at 7 Via Santa Margherita in Ravello, Italy, 84010.
Il San Pietro di Positano, Positano
The most luxurious hotel on the Amalfi Coast, constructed into the cliff in the late 1960s by Carlo Cinque, the great-uncle of the current proprietors. The hotel has a Michelin-starred restaurant that serves delicacies like prawn carpaccio with herbs and makes use of local seafood and fruit from the hotel's kitchen garden. The rooms are also very spacious and provide panoramic views of Positano. You can access the private beach, a tennis court, and the laid-back Carlino restaurant by taking a lift through the rock face. A popular patio up above is one of the locations for a sunset aperitivo.
Address: Via Laurito 2 in Il San Pietro di Positano
Positano's Le Sirenuse
In 1953, when it was the Marchesi Sersale's vacation home, John Steinbeck stayed there. It is now more upscale, masterfully run by Swiss-trained Antonio Sersale and his wife Carla, and furnished with the beautiful antiques and artwork of the family. The Champagne & Oyster Bar is a great place for an aperitivo, while the romantic La Sponda restaurant serves meals like scallops with artichokes. The 59 guestrooms have vaulted ceilings and floors made of handcrafted Vietri tiles. A spa and a vintage Riva motorboat are also available. Review of the La Sirenuse hotel in its entirety.
Le Sirenuse, Via Cristoforo Colombo 30, is the address.
Praiano's Villa Angelina
With views of Capri up the coast from everywhere in the hotel, including the pool, bar, and outstanding rooftop restaurant, Un Piano nel Cielo, this brilliant-white, cubic edifice from the 1970s is in a prime location in Praiano. Hardwood floors and bizarre Murano glass sculptures warm the all-white public spaces, while homemade perfumes prepared with local citrus fruits and sandalwood fill the bedrooms. Book one of the four Eaudesea Experience rooms, which are located in restored fishermen's huts directly above La Gavitella Beach and 250 steps from the hotel, if you want appropriate seclusion.
House Angelina is located at 147 Via Capriglione in Praiano.
Amalfi's Villa Lara
Villa Lara in Amalfi is the place to go if you want to feel like you're in Italy. The six-room 19th-century home, which is by far the finest bargain, is tucked away among the terraced lemon trees and vineyards that rise above the town's main thoroughfare, Via delle Cartiere. Most of the rooms have sea views across Italian roofs because of the hotel's excellent location, and you may eat breakfast al fresco. In addition, you are greeted by the welcoming owner, Nello Rispoli, who will give you recommendations on where to dine, drink, and explore the neighborhood. The rooms are bright, and clean, and include vaulted ceilings and king-size mattresses.
Villa Lara is located in Via delle Cartiere 1 in Amalfi, Italy.
Ravello's Villa Cimbrone
Baron Grimthorpe, known for designing Big Ben, constructed the home that looks out over Ravello's other renowned garden around the turn of the 20th century. With frescoed ceilings and antique furnishings, several of the rooms (all recently renovated) are works of art in and of themselves. The library, with its enormous stone fireplace, fits nicely in with the country-house aesthetic of the building. There aren't many more romantic hideaways on the Costanera if you are traveling light and with that special someone, but it's not for everyone due to the lack of automobile access.
Villa Cimbrone is located at Via Santa Chiara 26 in Ravello.
Positano's Hotel Palazzo Murat
Gioacchino Murat, King of Naples, used to spend his summers at this exquisite 18th-century home in the heart of the city with a wonderful courtyard and shaded garden. Choose one of the Deluxe rooms in the old palazzo for space and ambiance. These rooms have beautiful four-posters and antiques from the Bourbon era. The remaining bedrooms are more basic and smaller, with tiled flooring, white walls, and individual balconies or patios. Modern adaptations of regional specialties are created by the highly respected Al Palazzo restaurant, including a herbed rack of lamb with a mille-feuille of sweet-and-sour aubergine.
Hotel Palazzo Murat, Via dei Mulini 23, is the address.
Read about the 19 best restaurants on the Amalfi Coast.