The Amalfi Coast is the most beautiful stretch of coastline in Europe. Its hotels — carved into cliffs, perched above the sea, hidden in lemon groves — are worthy of the setting.
The Coast and Its Villages
The Amalfi Coast — the 50-kilometre stretch of coastline between Sorrento and Salerno, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997 — is the most dramatic coastal landscape in Europe. The mountains of the Lattari range plunge directly into the Tyrrhenian Sea, and the villages of Positano, Amalfi, Ravello, and Praiano cling to the cliffs above, connected by a road that is simultaneously one of the world's most scenic and most terrifying drives.
Each village has a distinct character that determines the type of hotel experience it offers. Positano is the most fashionable and the most photographed — its cascading houses, its beach clubs, and its boutiques make it the social centre of the coast. Ravello, 350 metres above the sea, is the most refined — its Villa Cimbrone and Villa Rufolo gardens, its music festival, and its quieter atmosphere attract a more culturally engaged visitor. Amalfi itself, the historic capital of the medieval maritime republic, is the most historically significant.
Le Sirenuse: The Positano Ideal
Le Sirenuse is the finest hotel on the Amalfi Coast and one of the finest in Italy — a 58-room property in a converted 18th-century villa in Positano, with a pool terrace that offers what is widely considered the most beautiful hotel view in Europe. The hotel has been owned by the Sersale family since 1951, and their personal engagement with every aspect of the guest experience — from the art collection to the wine list to the design of the rooms — gives it a character that no chain hotel can replicate.
The Champagne Bar at Le Sirenuse, open from noon until midnight, is the social centre of Positano — a terrace overlooking the village and the sea where guests and non-guests gather for aperitivo as the sun sets over the Tyrrhenian. The La Sponda restaurant, with its 400 candles lit each evening, is one of the most romantic dining rooms in the world.
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Caruso, A Belmond Hotel: Ravello's Crown
Caruso, A Belmond Hotel, occupies an 11th-century palace on the clifftop above Ravello, 350 metres above the sea. The hotel's infinity pool — which appears to merge with the horizon, with the Gulf of Salerno stretching to the south — is the most dramatic hotel pool in Italy. The 48 rooms are among the most beautifully furnished on the coast, and the hotel's restaurant serves Campanian cuisine of exceptional quality.
Ravello's position above the coast means that Caruso offers a fundamentally different experience from the beach hotels of Positano — cooler temperatures, quieter streets, and a more contemplative atmosphere. The Villa Rufolo gardens, a five-minute walk from the hotel, host the Ravello Festival each summer — a series of classical music concerts performed on a stage that appears to float above the sea.
The Monastero Santa Rosa: The Cliff Hotel
The Monastero Santa Rosa, carved into the cliffs above Conca dei Marini between Positano and Amalfi, is the most dramatically positioned hotel on the coast. A converted 17th-century monastery, its terraced gardens descend 200 metres to the sea, and its infinity pool — cut into the cliff face — offers views that are among the most extraordinary in Europe.
The hotel's 20 rooms and suites are among the most beautifully designed on the coast, and the restaurant serves contemporary Campanian cuisine that draws on the monastery's historic herb gardens. The spa, built into the cliff, is the most serene on the coast. Monastero Santa Rosa is not the most convenient hotel on the Amalfi Coast — the cliff-face position means that access to the sea requires a boat — but it is the most beautiful.
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