BEST LUXURY HOTELS ON AMALFI COAST

By: Christian Stan

Magically suspended between the blue sky and the iridescent colored sea, the Amalfi coast seems to be born from the palette of a painter who wanted to use the warmer color gradients for creating a landscape that enchants the visitor at the first shot, giving thrilling experience and such evocative view to doubt, for a moment, it is real. Here are the best luxury hotels from this area.

Amalfi is the land where the sweet scent of lemon blossoms harmonizes itself with the most aromatic one of the Mediterranean vegetation and the acrid aroma of saltiness; where the brilliant colors of the majolica domes, bougainvillea and carnations pergolas give an evident colored touch to the typical whitewashed houses, clinging to the last offshoots of the Lattari Mounts that plunge dramatically into the sea.

A vertical landscape, in short, characterized by a picturesque labyrinth of stairways and narrow alleys, connecting the two main elements of this landscape: the mountains and the sea. A continuous succession of headlands and inlets, bays and fjords, interspersed with pebbled beaches and rocks on which you can still see the ancient viceregal towers, the first bulwark of the local population against the Saracen attacks. Here are the best luxury hotels from Amalfi.

HOTEL VILLA CIMBRONE

Villa Cimbrone is one of the most prestigious Hotels de Charme in the entire Mediterranean. The splendour and ambience of yesteryear permeate this 12th century residence. The Vuilleumier family, with its generations of experience in the hotel industry, conserves and protects the original architectural and decorative features.

Its vibrant atmosphere and the awe-inspiring beauty of the location have attracted famous politicians and aristocrats, as well as inspiring many artists and making it a meeting place for English people on the Amalfi Coast, including the famous Bloomsbury Group from London.

Over the years the villa has hosted many illustrious names from science and the arts, including Forster, D.H. Lawrence, Strachey, Keynes, Crick, Piaget, Eliot, Moore and Virginia Woolf. It has also welcomed figures such as the Duke and Duchess of Kent, Churchill, the Agnelli family and the Clintons. A place for passionate encounters, the villa has offered sheltered privacy for famous romances like Greta Garbo’s affair with Leopold Stokowski.

BELMOND HOTEL CARUSSO

A former 11th century palace set on cliffs beside the Amalfi Coast, Belmond Hotel Caruso seems to drift on a ‘balcony’ above the Mediterranean Sea. It is a triumph of the restorer’s skill. Its ancient walls and fresco-covered ceilings have been carefully preserved to make it a work of art in itself.

The terraced gardens are designed to be explored and head gardener Gaetano Amato will guide guests through the native olive, lemon and pomegranate rows, as well as the medieval walls discovered during restoration. The hotel interiors also reveal features such as an original chapel with a Baroque altar and frescoes. Across the street, a former priests’ quarter has been transformed into five private guest rooms, with views of the oldest town on the Amalfi Coast.

Stroll through the terraced gardens or lounge beside the stunning infinity pool. Take a boat trip to Positano or discover Roman Pompeii. Wherever you turn, both inside the hotel and out, a world of heritage, culture and beauty awaits.

LE SIRENUSE

The Sersale family, owners of Le Sirenuse, the legendary Amalfi Coast hotel, has had many illustrious members: an ambassador in the mid-18th century; a cardinal and archbishop of Naples; even a mayor of Positano, the fishing village-turned-glam resort, in the 1940’s.

The palazzo that now houses the property was the Sersale’s seaside retreat, and anyone who stays cannot help but be swept up in the passion and good taste of this family. The majolica tiled rooms are filled with museum-worthy antiques, hand-picked mostly by patriarch Franco Sersale. Today, the charming Antonio Sersale continues the tradition that has transformed his family’s home into one of the world’s most personal properties.

As locals will tell you, ‘Positano is Le Sirenuse’.

CASA ANGELINA

Ease into Casa Angelina’s welcoming embrace, and leave a little of the world behind, safe in the knowledge that you will find the time and space to rediscover those forgotten rhythms of long days and easy nights.

The timeless elegance of style and service combines with cosseting accommodation, gourmet cuisine, restorative wellness therapies and an unsurpassed location, delicately perched above the azure tranquillity of the Mediterranean.  Choose from one of our 39 exquisite and luxurious rooms and suites, including the ultra-exclusive Eaudesa rooms, almost at sea level.

The gourmet restaurant, Un Piano nel Cielo, will delight you with seasonal, locally sourced Mediterranean cuisine, while the poolside dining offers easy, healthy salads, pastas, and other lighter dishes. Dip into the heated indoor or outdoor pools at will, and bask in the summer sun on the poolside deck, relaxing while life goes on elsewhere. Pamper yourself in the spa, the comprehensive range of beauty and wellness treatments sure to put you completely at ease. Or wander down to the local beach for a drink from the seaside bar or a trip on one of Casa Angelina’s private boat.

MONASTERO SANTA ROSA

Monastero Santa Rosa is a luxury hotel on the Amalfi Coast which stands secluded near the quaint fishing village of Conca dei Marini. Centrally located, the hotel is just a 20-minute car or boat ride from the most scenic towns along this glamorous coastline—notably Positano, Amalfi and Ravello.

Not wanting to lose the monastery atmosphere entirely, the American Owner Bianca Sharma has maintained the austere external architecture, inner stone walls, dark arched hallways, and vaulted ceilings. Then, she added colorful antiques, striped loveseats, and art pieces to the halls, including yellow light fixtures and vintage photographs of the building before its nearly decade-long renovation.

The nuns in the original monastery were sequestered (not allowed to see people from the outside world), and you can still see the evidence of this in the hotel’s office where there’s a window grate that allowed the nuns to speak to the outsiders without being seen. READ MORE HERE.

PALAZZO AVINO

Built in what was once a 12th century private villa for an Italian noble family and opened as a hotel in 1997, Palazzo Avino has been rated as one of the world’s finest hotels and boasts one-star Michelin dining. Tucked away in the medieval hilltop village of Ravello and perched high on the cliffs, 350 m  above the sparkling Mediterranean, Palazzo Avino overlooks some of the coast’s most picturesque fishing villages.

It has 32 rooms and 11 suites, one amazing 20 metres, outdoor, heated pool and a beautiful sun deck with plunge pools. Palazzo Avino offers guests Limousine and Helicopter Service and the highlight is Rossellinis, the hotel’s 1 star Michelin restaurant.

HOTEL SANTA CATERINA

A late 19th century liberty style villa immersed in the beautiful scenery of the Amalfi Coast, an elegant seaside residence surrounded by the perennial blue of the Mediterranean sea and sky, by luscious bougainvillea and by lovingly cultivated olive groves and fruit orchards. This is Hotel Santa Caterina of Amalfi, a special place to experience the finest of Italian hospitality and lasting sensations of wellbeing.

Classic Italian interiors, quintessentially Mediterranean architecture and the style of the villas of Amalfi: all of Hotel Santa Caterina‘s rooms are spacious and filled with light, with floors in antique hand painted majolica, marble bathrooms with brass fixtures, and balconies with view over the sea of Amalfi or the garden.

Thirty six Partial Sea View, Executive Partial Sea View, Front Sea View and Deluxe bedrooms, thirteen Junior Suites, Executive Junior Suites and Suites are located in the main building. The secluded Garden Suites are, as the name suggests, located in the garden area of the hotel. An additional 17 accommodations between deluxe rooms, juniors suites and suites are situated in the hotel’s Villa Santa Caterina and the recently acquired Villa Il Rosso.

GRAND HOTEL EXCELSIOR VITTORIA

The Excelsior Vittoria is an award-winning luxury hotel in the heart of Sorrento. Set in a unique location overlooking the Gulf of Naples, this 5 star Luxury hotel offers comforts with personalised service. It has 92 beautiful rooms and suites, each with original period furniture, minibar, TV, safe, free internet.

The charming Bar Vittoria offers breathtaking views and the two fabulous restaurants – Terrazza Bosquet Seafront Restaurant and L’Orangerie poolside bar & restaurant indulges guests with best seafood the coast has to offer.