The Best Luxury Hotels on the Amalfi Coast, Italy

This acclaimed Amalfi Coast hotel, carved into a rock face near Positano, is a favourite with celebrities. Each room has a flower-covered terrace that showcases views of the Amalfi coastline and shimmering sea, as well as Italian marble and local ceramic decor. There’s a private beach accessed by a cliff elevator, as well as a solarium, tennis courts, spa and bar. Don’t miss Michelin-starred dining at Zass for fresh seafood and fine Italian wine.

This award-winning Amalfi Coast luxury hotel, in a former 17th-century monastery set on a rocky outcrop overlooking the sea, is filled with antiques and its tiered gardens tumble down the hillside to an infinity pool with 360-degree views of the Amalfi coastline. The rooms, once nuns’ cells but now named after local herbs, share these views and boast Jerusalem-stone bathrooms. Guests have access to sunrise yoga lessons, a gym, spa, dining terrace and free shuttle bus to and from Amalfi.

Just outside of Amalfi, Santa Caterina is a family-run hotel that oozes tradition. Expect crisp white interiors contrasted with ceramic tiles, Mediterranean plants and family heirlooms. Wander through terraced gardens and take a lift down to the Beach Club, where you’ll find a heated saltwater pool. The most remote rooms lie in the gardens and come with whirlpool tubs and sea-view balconies. Gorge on seafood and wood-fired pizza at the famed Glicine restaurant.

Famous guests like author John Steinbeck have raved about Le Sirenuse, a family home converted into a luxury hotel on the Amalfi Coast. It sits on a cliffside near the heart of Positano and is filled with antiques and Vietri tiles. Relax in the Aveda Spa or pool terrace dotted with lemon trees, before taking a sunset cruise on the hotel’s boat. Rooms and suites have views of the village and sea, plus there’s a bar, gym and Michelin-starred food, including Amalfi lobster, at La Sponda Restaurant.

Up in the hills of Raito, this boutique hotel on the Amalfi Coast is loved for its views of the Gulf of Salerno and is set over many levels with pretty outdoor spaces. The decor features plenty of nautical blue and white, with wooden panelling, ceramic tiling and sea views from every room. There’s a daily shuttle service that will take you to the town centre – but you’ll likely spend most of your time by the panoramic pool.

Historic Belmond Hotel Caruso lies in an 11th-century building complete with soaring ceilings, ancient frescoes and chandeliers. Its tiered gardens spiral down the rocks above Ravello, revealing views of the Bay of Salerno. The award-winning infinity pool is the best place to soak up the views, while the hotel also runs boat trips and has a spa and gym. Rooms come in Mediterranean colours with marble bathrooms and fluffy robes.

Lord Grimthorpe bought and refurbished this 11th-century Ravello villa in the 1900s. Today, it retains its historic splendour with frescoed ceilings, stone fireplaces and Vietri tiles. The sprawling grounds are ablaze with flowers and lead to a terrace with supreme coastal views. Enjoy a spa, gym and outdoor pool, as well as Mediterranean food al fresco overlooking the Gulf of Salerno.

Honeymooners love the secluded, beachside fisherman’s cottages at Casa Angelina, which come with butler service. And it doesn’t stop there – think candlelit dinners accompanied by Italian wine at the Piano nel Cielo restaurant, which is accessed via a glass lift. This boutique hotel on the Amalfi Coast is built into a cliff on the edge of Praiano village and is filled with contemporary art and minimalist decor, plus it boasts two pools, a private beach and spa.

This hilltop, pastel-pink building was once a 12th-century villa belonging to Italian nobles. It’s been a five-star hotel since 1997 and is now known as Ravello’s most sumptuous property. Rooms and suites boast marble and fine fabrics, tiled floors and many have their own terraces decorated with flowers. Other facilities include a 20-metre (66ft) outdoor pool, sundeck with infinity hydro-pool and beach club. For dining, there’s the Lobster and Martini Bar, as well as Michelin-starred Rossellinis.

If you’re looking for accommodation in popular Positano, check into the five-star Hotel Le Agavi on the Amalfi Coast. This welcoming property has its own private beach with sundeck and bar, plus never-ending sea views. Rooms have balconies and feature a combination of modern and 19th-century design. Guests can also use the spa, dine in multiple restaurants and bars and soak up the sun in the unusual 1970s-style pool area.

Hotel Piccolo enjoys a quiet, rock-face location near the small town of Praiano. Amid flashes of Amalfi blue and lemon, the five-star Amalfi Coast hotel features rooms with Venetian art, modern Italian design and doors that open onto spacious terraces or private gardens. The most impressive have whirlpools and outdoor showers. Take a dip in the heated indoor or refreshing open-air pool, bask in the solarium or relax with a spa treatment and steam bath.

Known as Ca’ P’a, this former fisherman’s house in the Praiano has terraced gardens that lead directly down to a rocky beach. Its expat owners restored the property using local Amalfi materials and Indonesian furniture. The hotel has the feel of an exclusive villa, perfect for group stays with six rooms in the main house and one in the garden with its own terrace. Chill out in the pool area with covered terraces, have a drink on the roof deck or ask the owners about taking a cooking class.