The Amalfi Coast may be one of Italy’s most famous holiday destinations, but its enduring allure goes further than panoramic vistas, pastel-hued fishing villages and the promise of la dolce vita. Its ability to reinvent itself year after year, with new hotels, bars and spas, is what keeps devotees young, old, new and regular making their annual pilgrimage to this sun-soaked, citrus-scented peninsula. From Sorrento to Praiano, Minori to Positano, here’s where to stay and what to expect from six of the Amalfi Coast’s best hotels.
Casa Angelina
Praiano
Casa Angelina is a masterclass in Amalfitani minimalism. True to its name, it’s dressed all in white — from the gleaming tiled floors to the crisp cotton bed sheets — punctuated by uninterrupted blue views of the Tyrrhenian Sea. With its setting, high on a cliff near Praiano, a couple of days here will leave your head truly in the clouds.
And there’s more that’s heavenly within: two pools (one inside, one overlooking that view and flanked by lemon trees); a gym, spa and treatment rooms for massages (hello, Augustinus Bader products); and 24-hour room service. Thirsty? The Seascape bar shakes up limoncello mojitos to order. Hungry? The Michelin-starred restaurant, Un Piano nel Cielo, is where chef Leopoldo Elefante has conjured a menu as memorable as the canopied terrace you’ll be seated on while devouring it.
If you can tear yourself away from this dreamscape, you can stock up on handcrafted treasures from Praiano’s local ceramic shops to bring that cloud nine feeling home.
Marina Piccola 73
Sorrento
If your ideal Amalfi Coast residence resembles Marge Sherwood’s piccolo palazzo in The Talented Mr. Ripley, then Marina Piccola 73 hotel is for you. Located on the shores of Sorrento, this boutique residence — all domed ceilings, old-school tiles and antique furnishings — is run by mother-and-daughter duo Roberta and Alice, whose attention to detail is enhanced by the relaxed ambience they have nurtured in this highly prized spot. Breakfasts of freshly squeezed orange juice and homemade pastries are a highlight: served on the terrace looking out to Vesuvius and the boats bobbing around on the water below, it will transport you to another time.
With the port literally on the doorstep of the property, day trips to Capri and Ischia are easily arranged and stress-free. On the other hand, the trattorias, cafés and beach clubs that are within walking distance make it very tempting to never leave this authentic enclave.
Borgo Santandrea
Amalfi
There isn’t just one jewel in Borgo Santandrea’s crown: it positively sparkles. Built into the side of a cliff overlooking the cove of Amalfi town, this is an architectural masterpiece that will make you appreciate floor-to-ceiling windows like never before. It takes self-indulgence to new levels too: some suites have their own infinity pool; huge bath tubs gaze out onto breathtaking views; and there’s a perk that only a handful of Amalfi Coast hotels can deliver — a private sandy beach.
The luxury doesn’t stop there. Borgo Santandrea has three restaurants serving up Mediterranean menus of perfect simplicity. Alici is its sea-view patio restaurant; La Libreria is a library, watering-hole and low-key dining spot; and the hotel Beach Club services its intimate ombrelloni-clad cove with cocktails and all-day nibbles.
Days here are spent padding around barefoot on beautiful blue and white tiles feeling like you’ve been dropped into a Fellini film, sunbathing on one of its many terraces, or, frankly, thanks to the exceptional service, doing nothing at all.
Monastero Santa Rosa
Conca dei Marini
Many people come to Italy for its history, but few get the chance to stay in one of its most storied residences. Monastero Santa Rosa, originally a 17th-century monastery, is the result of a decade-long restoration to transform its sprawling structure from devout sanctuary to decadent hideaway. The good news is that it wears its restoration both sensitively and sensationally. Details from the past — original archways, a cellar cantina, even a confessional box — accent the halls and corners of this clifftop retreat that’s furnished with design icons past and present.
Overlooking the Bay of Salerno with a panorama stretching from Ravello to Positano, the hotel is dripping in lemon trees that provide homemade lemonade to guests — just one of the gastronomic highlights here. The restaurant, Il Refettorio, is headed up by chef Christoph Bob who is renowned for his inventive takes on classic Campanian fare, served alongside a wine list offering over 400 prestigious bottles.
For a little more history, Ravello is a short drive or boat ride away where you’ll find the 11th century Duomo; or you could stay within the monastery gates — the hotel has partnered with Florentine apothecary Santa Maria Novella (founded in 1221) for its spa treatments, finding the sweet spot between history and modern-day luxury.
Palazzo Avino
Ravello
For Amalfitani opulence, Palazzo Avino nails the brief. Perched high in the hills of Ravello, its manicured gardens climb up to the hotel from sea level — an impressive feat of traditional horticulture.
The palazzo dates back to the 12th century, and prior to being a hotel it was a private villa. The same sense of home comfort remains here, with sofas to sink into in every room, elaborately embroidered curtains framing windows, and an intimate low-lit ambience in shared areas.
With an infinity pool that almost beggars belief in its engineering and a spa that uses bespoke products made from local ingredients, it’s a hard place to leave — and that’s before mentioning its two star attractions: the restaurant and bar.
A popular destination in the local area, Caffé dell’Arte is a cinematic setting for conversations over cocktails, while the Terrazza Belvedere is situated on a large terrace with a retractable roof, which is ideal for casual nibbles. For the full Palazzo Avino experience, its Michelin star restaurant, Rosellini’s, is a must — it’s renowned along the coast for tasting menus dreamt up by laurelled chef Giovanni Vanacore, further cementing what we knew all along: Palazzo Avino is on another level.
Furore Grand Hotel
Furore
The Amalfi Coast can be somewhat chameleonic in its offerings: it can be whimsical and cute, authentically traditional or luxuriously contemporary. If the latter is your bag, then the Furore Grand Hotel is for you.
Sprawling in size, its minimal decor and sleek finishes make it feel polished throughout, from the huge infinity pool and surrounding sunloungers to the wooden-decked restaurant area with its pressed linen tablecloths. Its rooms offer the same levels of chic, defined by crisp cottons and clean lines, while its subterranean spa, Petra Mare, is an intimate space to retreat to.
Naturally, in this nook of Italy, there are delightful trattorias in nearby Praiano and Conca dei Marini, or a short boat ride away in Capri, Ischia or Procida. But when you have Italy’s most decorated Michelin-starred chef on-site to present their tasting menu, why even think about leaving? Enrico Bartolini’s creations at Bluh Furore promise to take your tastebuds on an unforgettable culinary tour of the entire Amalfi Coast.
See our full collection of Amalfi coast hotels