Kay - I am looking into this as well - when I find something out I will let you know. I am planning on spending most of my Honeymoon there.

Kay, I am leaving on Friday for that area.From my experience...the Karen Brown Guides are fabulous! I know that she lists one or two places to stay on the coast.
I was there many years ago and Capri was quite touristy.If that is ok with you...I think Positano or Ravello would be my choice.
I have used the Karen Brown guides to almost every country in Europe!Her places are always unusual ,sometimes a bit hard to find<although they wouldn't be in that area.>.She has two guides to Italy...one gives itineraries.N

.

Kay,

I don't have much comparative experience, but my husband and I loved Villa Cimbrone in Ravello (4-star) for our honeymoon in May. The gardens are beautiful, the location a little remote, and we loved our room. I can't wait to go back!

As I've said on previous posts, I much preferred Ravello to Positano - haven't been to Capri or Amalfi. I have a sense that people who visited Ravello for the day didn't enjoy it as much as people staying there, but not sure why. It's very quiet and charming, but not the place to be if you want to go to the beach.

Enjoy your trip, and let me know if you would like more details of Villa Cimbrone.

Best,
JB

Kay,

For something a little different, you may want to try contacting Don Alfonso 1890 in Sant'Agat Sui Due Golfi. It is one of two or three Michelin 3 rosette restaurants in Italy, and I believe they have two or three rooms. The town is excellently located between Sorrento and Positano, near the headland facing Capri, but I believe that it is much quieter than the major resorts. Obviously, given the size of the establishment, they will not have hot and cold running housemaids (plainly it's a restaurant with rooms rather than a palace with a restaurant), but I think it would be nice. Note that they are in Relais, but do NOT list rooms there, which might be a concern. Get the email from Relais.

PS I visited the coast about ten/fifteen years ago on a package - corny maybe, but it was the bees knees, but with the WORST traffic jams I can remember.

Kay,

I got married in Ravello on October 12th. The Villa Maria has a wonderful hotel, as well as a fabulous restaurant. We had our reception there. Ravello was definately my favorite town on the amalfi coast. We stayed in positano for three days, and I found it over run with tourist during the day, and very mellow at night. We rented an estate right outside of Maiori. Some of our guests stayed the night at a hotel in Maiori and said it was fabulous. I can get the name for you. Maiori is not a picturesque as most of the towns. But it is a fabulous home base. Because it is a beg enough town to have a good grocery store, and it is not touristy at all. I spent two weeks in the area, and just got back on monday, so feel free to email me with any questions about the area. I had to do tons of research for all my guests and to prepare for the wedding........lots of luck! Carey

Check www.itwg.com for their Amalfi coast properties. Also - Fodor's has a STUNNING little book I just picked up at Border's this weekend, focused completely on the Amalfi coast. It cemented my decision that we have to spend at least 3 nights there. One little place in Priano takes the award for most stunning website: www.ondaverde.it/hoteli.htm

hi,
check out http://www.charmingitaly.com/tritone , the hotel is located between positano and amalfi, it's marvellous.

anna

Oh my goodness, some of these places look GORGEOUS. Trying to talk the love of my life into the Amalfi coast for sometime next year and all these websites will definitely help! We will probably be looking more in the 2-3 star category though, but still, it's fun to look!

My wife and I just got back from our honeymoon on the Amalfi coast, and we used Positano for our base, staying 8 nights at the Palazzo Murat. If you are interested in staying in Positano, I strongly recommend the hotel. All rooms overlook its small but beautiful garden and face the sea, the staff was very friendly and helpful, and the rooms were great. The location in town couldn't be better as most of the restaurants and what you want to see are a short walk downhill, which is definitely a consideration in Postiano. The restaurant is also very good and is the best in its price class before you jump up to options like La Sponda at Le Sirenuse.

Positano is also a good option if you want to use the ferry as your main form of transportation; the ferry to and from Amalfi is a sightseeing trip in its own right. For the most part, we took day long excursions to Capri, Pompei, Amalfi, and Ravello, so we didn't have to deal with crowds of tourists by the time (5pm) we got back to Positano. Frankly though, you are going to run into busloads of tourists in the major attraction towns, even Ravello. All of the excursions we took (all on our own, I wouldn't advise signing up for day tours) were well worth it.

Our favorite place to visit was Ravello, and if I had to go back again, besides Palazzo Murat, I'd stay at Villa Cimbrone in a heartbeat; it was incredibly beautiful. We did however, meet a couple staying in Ravello who said that the town was somewhat of a drawback because of the extra travel time to get to places like Sorrento, Capri, Pompei and Naples.

I also looked at Capaccuni Convento in Amalfi because of both Fodor's and Cadogan's glowing reviews of the place. I'd strongly advise skipping it both as a place to stay and eat. The hotel is actually a little dilapidated (plus downright dark and lonely feeling inside), and the staff was rude to us because they had tried to shut down the kitchen for lunch at about 2:15pm! This was the only unenjoyable part of our trip. The view from the restaurant is nice, but not worth it. For the most part, you're looking at the marina, and if you've already been to Villa Cimbrone or Villa Rufolo in Ravello, you've seen much better skyviews.

If anyone has any questions about Positano, especially restaurants near the "beach" area, please feel free to e-mail.

P.S. If you are short of time in Amalfi and are considering going to the Emerald Grotto, don't waste the hour!

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the 3 most famous hotels on the Amalfi Coast: La Sirenuse, Santa Caterina and, my personal favorite, Palazzo Sasso, which is in Ravello. It is simply magnificent.

http://www.palazzosasso.com/

Kay, it's a tough choice. There are some gems. I was there 2 yrs ago during early October. I think the Amalfi coast is awesome and not to be missed. I also can't wait to go back. I agree with Dave's comments about Amalfi. It was disappointing and I would bypass it next time. We had some difficulty with getting a reservation and ended up staying at the Onda Verde by Diane. First, it is a 3-star so is not in the same class as other hotels mentioned. It was a $100 per night for 2. I was actually disappointed with this hotel. You have to park your car in this relatively small cage near the main (only) highway. The cage holds maybe a dozen cars and manuevring is not that easy. The hotel lies below the road cascading down the mountain. There is no peope elevator. The small "elevator" is a samll cage for baggage connected to a cable. The steep walk down to the hotel is a little challenging and I don't know if I would advise it for older persons. It is definitely not pleasurable walking back up. My other disappointment was the room. Not that it wasn't ok, especially for $100, but because it was not what I had asked for and was told we would get. The webpage shows 2 rooms. The room shown at the top of the page is very nice and the reason I selected this hotel over others. We were given the lower room. When I discussed this with the owner/manager he, first, tried to convince me it was the room we were given. Then he said he was fully booked and it was not available. He finally said ... if I wanted a 5-star room, I would have to pay much more. I don't beleive there is a room as advertised at that hotel. The hotel was also not fully booked. There was only 3 or 4 other couples that week. There is a restaurant there, but after looking at the menu we decided to eat someplace else. On the positive side, the views were magnificient and listening to the local fisherman singing, as they rowed their boats, going out in the mornings and returning in the evening was a nice touch. Our room did have a nice balcony with an olive tree in front of it. The room was really ok for a $100. There are no other facilities at the hotel and you must go elsewhere for everything else which means trekking back up the mountain. If you want peace & quiet, don't care about going anyplace else, the place is not bad. Breakfast was adequate, nothing special. We liked Positano for it's beauty, beach, stores, restaurants, entertainment, etc. and would stay there. It was October, the weather was gorgeous, and not crowded with tourists. The Hotel Murat as mentioned did look nice and I liked the location. There are others in Positano. The Covo dei Saraceni which has a very nice restaurant is down on the beach and another good choice. The Sasso recommended by Sandy does look magnificient, but it is pricey. I also checked out the Tritone and it looks very nice for a more reasonable price. Personlly, I am leaning towards the Tritone. I think it depends on what you are looking for. I don't like having to drive around for everything, especially at night. The coastal road is a heart-in-the throat kind of road with one s-curve after another and is challenging even without traffic during the daytime. I like staying in the towns better. I like the beach, stores, restaurants and entertainment. However, I could stay at the Tritone just as easily. I could stay at the Sasso just as easily, as well, if Sandy was paying. The Amalfi coast is such a special place and joy that where you stay is not the most important thing in the world. There are awesome views from many places along the coast regardless where you stay. The 5-stars are great, but they don't come cheap. Enjoy wherever you decide to stay.

Wow, thanks for the report on Onda Verde, John -- I almost missed this because the forum has so many messages that if you miss a few days -- glad I used the search function. We are looking for quiet, and expect to use the SITA to visit other towns, the jet boat to visit Capri...would you have preferred to stay in Positano? Did you notice Bellevista in Praiano? (Pink stucco, way up it appears. What I liked about onda Verde is that it does seem closer to the water. (And of course, the price is attractive).

t

I love the Hotel Poseidon in Positano. It is a Romantik hotel. Wonderful food, rooms and pool. I believe all the rooms had their own terrace.

We are heading back there and were disappointed that the price is now out of our budget. We were quoted 620,000 lire for a double per night - about $270 US.

It is a 4 star I believe.

Boy, this subject gets addressed a lot. Let's face it, Amalfi coast is one of the most beautiful, romantic, stunning places in the world. Everyone has their favorite. Having only stayed there once, I can vouch for the Hotel l'Ancor, next to the Sirnuese, in Positano. It was a great place, the room was large, with giant floor to ceiling doors to a patio out over the cliff. Great views of the beach area.
When discussing day trips, don't forget a drive back to Vietre su Mare, for grand Italian ceramics.

Couldn't agree more with the previous posting. Stayed at L'Ancor two years ago and still smile when I think of sitting out on our balcony, drinking wine and enjoying the lovely view. We were there in April and didn't have reservations but I gather we were just lucky to get a room. It was one of our all time pleasant travel experiences.

Is there a website for Hotel L'Ancor? Nothing turns up on Google. Thanks.

Kay, Traveler, and anyone else interested - sorry about the spelling. It's L'Ancora, and it does not appear to have it's own web site. It is located on the loop road in Positano, next door to Sirenuse. I believe you would find it in Fodor's guide, or maybe the Michelin red guide. I did find reference to it at www.positanoonline.it, but it just gave phone no. 39 089 875 318 and fax 39 089 811 784.
We went to Italy a couple of years ago, and I could not get reservations at the other big names. L'Ancora was in one of my guide books, and I made the reservation from the states by fax before I left. They don't seem to promote themselves very actively, but when we stayed there, it was marvelous. They had a nice breakfast on a patio dinning area overlooking the ocean. Like I said above, the room was fantastic, and the staff friendly. Only thing, as in all of Amalfi area's cliffside dwellings, be prepared to walk many stairs. Thats of course true to get down to the Positano beach also. Coming back from Vietre su Mare late one evening, we stopped in Amalfi for dinner. We can't remember the name of the place, but we sat on a patio overlooking the town square and had a great shrimp dinner. We were the only non-locals in the restaraunt. Well, the whole coast is fantastic.

Thanks, Bill. Price range?

Hey, look what I found!

http://www.travel-italy.com/hotels/hotels/amalfi_coast/l_ancora.html

Way to go, Traveler!

Sorry to disagree with one of the previous posts, but I found the Cappuccini Convento to be just wonderful. Filled with antiques, nice room, very friendly and helpful staff, and really spectacular views from that famous terrace of theirs. Certainly not as glamorous as some of the others in the area, but much less expensive, and utterly charming. Also, I found Amalfi to be way more convenient than Ravello or Positano. I will definitely stay at the Cappuccini Convento again.

I didn't see Villa Franca mentioned? Any feedback?

I am planning my honeymoon (for two weeks next July)...and will be staying four nights in Positano. At my travel agent's suggestion, I have reserved a room at Hotel Villa Franca...rate of $220 per night. The brochure looks great, but I'd like some feedback on this also. Thanks!

Can highly recommend Sorrento Palace in Sorrento; h and i spetn 4 days in rome then we were to spend 10 days in the Palace but our last day in rome we found out that H's dad had died; we were to travel on until funeral arrangements were made so we got 4 days in the Palace; wonderful; didnt see any other bits of the coast, but sorrento did look touristy.

Didn't see the San Pietro mentioned on this post. I realize that it's become outrageously expensive, but we stayed there a while back when the lira/dollar was good for us and we are waiting for that to happen again so we can return. It's like no other hotel I've ever been in. We had the top two rooms with the enormous tile veranda with Positano and the Medterranean at our feet. It must be what it feels like if you are king or an angel!

I am off to Italy with 15 relatives and friends. We are going many places, but one place is the Hotel Tramont O'doro in Praiano on the Amalfi coast. It is on the hill side and has a pool. It is a tree star hotel. I will let you know when we return if it is a great place to stay. We will be there at the end of June.

Sue

Well, I hope Hotel La Certosa in Nerano is my favorite hotel along the Amalfi Coast! We have a reservation here in September--we'll have a car. I found a few favorable comments about it here on the forum. Their E-mail response was prompt and friendly when I made the reservation.. If you know anything about this hotel, please share.

www.hotelcertosa.it/default.htm

PS: It's La Certosa is 2-stars.

This message is to Sue on 5/18/2001

How was Hotel Tramonto d"Oro? I just made a reservation there for Sept. I really wanted to stay at the Hotel Tritone but couldn't get a reservation. Am very interested in your feedback! Thx1

Only stayed at a couple 3-star spots (La Fenice & Villa Rosa); if I had opportunity to bump up to plusher accommodations, I’d try “Covo dei Saraceni”.

Don’t know if they have their own website. Can find contact info for them at “Positano on the Web” --- http://www.positanonline.it/alberghi.htm

Hi,

I have staytd at the hotel Tramonto D'Oro in Priano. It is a fabulous 3 star with breathtaking views, a pool and wonderful owners. This is a great alternative from paying $300 a night.

amy

Amy. Could you please tell me about the number of steps one has to climb to get to this hotel. I am traveling with a friend and she has a problem with many, many steps. I understand that many of the hotels have up to 200 or more to get to a room. You cannot always tell when reading a websight. Thanks.

I would try the Palumbo, Villa Cimbrone or one of the other hotels in Ravello. Liked Ravello so much more than Positano. Everything is very close on the Amalfi Coast so the drive from spot to spot is no problem except, possibly if you're there at the very height of the tourist season when traffic can be horrendous.

To provide some feedback about Villa Franca: four of us stayed there this past May in two rooms which were 360,000 lire each. It was a beautiful hotel and we were very pleased with the room, food and staff. Villa Franca is located at the top of Positano, so going up and down to the beach may be a drawback for some. They do have a shuttle, though and there is an elevator in the hotel, so I don't think it would be an obstacle for anyone. There also is a pool on the roof with a spectacular view. We loved it and would stay there again in a heartbeat.

Has ANYONE seen or heard of Villa Amore in Ravello? Am most curious-thanks.

we had a funny experience in Amalfi this April. After touring around Ravello, we had a leisurely dinner in Amalfi. We didn't realize the buses stop running at 8pm!! We had no way back to Sorrento,a cab would've been so expensive, so the lady at the bus tkt place recommended the Amalfi Pensione, she even called to tell them to expect us! We had a beautiful room and breakfast on the outdoor patio overlooking the town. Cost, about $100. We would go back!!

My absolute fav. is Villa Franca in Positano. The views can't be beat and it is beautiful.

We've just returned from our honeymoon in Italy where we spent the last 6 nights in Positano at a brilliant 4* hotel called Eden Roc. Very 'romantica'. King size beds, jacuzzi, great views for 400.000 to 500.000L per rm per night. I can assure you that it is more than value for money. Roof top pool & restaurant. It's quite high up and snug into the cliffs so the view includes most of Positano as well as the sea. Still only a 10min stroll to centre/beach.

Visit www.edenroc.it

We booked direct via email with no problems. They also organised car to and from Naples.

General Positano Tip :-
If you can handle a 10min walk up and down the hills then definitely stay high up. You miss so much when down near beach level.

Cheers

My vote would be either San Pietro or Santa Caterina. You can't get a bad view on the Amalfi Coast.

Kay,

We just returned three days ago from the Poseidon Hotel in Positano, and all I can do is keep dreaming about it... The hotel, the food (!!) and the room (!!!!) were amazing. Undoubtedly one of our best vacations ever. It is a ten minute walk from town and the beach, but as a result, we had sweeping views of all of Positano and the water below from our terrace. The light in Positano changes from hour to hour, each hour different enough that you want to run for your camera. It is such a beautiful place! If you have any questions about it, e-mail me. Good luck!

I am also researching hotels in this area. Several people have told me that they loved staying on Capri, as it is wonderful after the day tourists leave. We are looking into staying at the Quisiana , which is supposedly a beautiful hotel. Has anyone stayed there? Comments,please. We were told that Capri is very romantic, while the Amalfi Coast is crowded with tourists especially during the day,when 100's of tour buses invade the area. True or not???

Just back from Ravello/Positano/Capri honeymoon. Palazzo Sasso in Ravello was amazing. Service, decor, food were impeccable and the best on the trip by far. We were even given gifts in our room each night, like champagne and fruit! There is some construction going on, but with the ubiquitous classical music and lapping water, we never gave it a thought. Check out their website--and it looks even better in real life.

In Positano we stayed at Eden Roc, and must have been there at the same time as the writer above. However, our impression was much different. Though neat, clean, and moderately charming, the location is somewhat remote. Our large room (a "suite") was bare-bones furnished and our large balcony did have the promised beautiful sea view, but it hung over a very busy and LOUD road (diesel engines). The rooftop pool was above-ground(!), and the lounge area was cramped and chairs in short supply. One thing was excellent: their calamari.

In Capri we stayed at the Hotel Caesar Augustus, in Anacapri. It was wonderful, very unique with a lot of history and charm. Beware: it is undergoing major construction and many of the rooms are not renovated. Ours was a new room, and it was beautiful. The grounds are under development as well. It was a bit of an inconvenience but the views, comfort, and friendly service made up for it. There are a variety of different balcony sizes--ours was very small (2 people) and not private--you can look down the row and see everyone. Our room, #315, is said to have the best view in the hotel, and we believe it. The floors below had more patio style balconies and they appeared to be more private.

The managers and desk clerks at all 3 hotels speak very good English, so you should be able to get reliable info from them if you correspond by email.

There must have been two Eden Roc Hotels in Positano!

Two divergent points of view on the Eden Roc --- hmmm, as far I know there's only one Eden Roc in Positano. On Via Marconi ?

Who's review is accurate ???

I am headed to Positano and Capri in October (from Philadelphia) Yes, please do help with Eden Roc - I had that as #1 on my list, but the price does sound too good to be true... the pool is above-ground on the roof? I did see the road on two side in the photo, but could not tell whether it's a busy highway... Maybe I will go back to the Villa Franca or Posidon as my first choice. Anyone know the Miramar, Bucca Di Bacco? I am looking for an elegant Inn or B&B style place, but do not want to spend $350-450 per night for four nights at Sirenuse or San Pietro. Since there are soo many veterans posting here, how is the weather in early October? Thanks so much in advance - what a great resource this Board is! Nice to "meet" fellow Italy goers.

To follow-up on my last question... since most of you have visited the area, would you recommend a visit to Pompeii? Casterta? other sites not to be missed? I heard there was golf in Ravello, my husband might not make it 10 days without golf...

Thanks again!

Right - ignore any comments made after this about Eden Roc unless they agree with me!!

The pool is on the roof top which is the 5th floor. It is fantastic up there because of the views - that's the whole point isn't it?


'Via Marconi' is a main road but it wasn't very busy when we was there - certainly didn't bother us on our honeymoon (!). A 10min walk to the town/beach is nothing plus there is a little path underneath the road anyway.

Eden Roc is an excellent #1 choice.

Message to Kim: I visited (but did not stay at) the Villa Amore in Ravello in July 2000. It is very close to the Villa Maria (where I stayed), and has decent views. It is very, very private and secluded, and offers perhaps the best value in town. Bear in mind, however, that it is a two-star property and has no air conditioning. And (very important) you'll need a porter to carry your luggage from the main square: don't do it yourself unless you've packed very light. I would consider staying at Villa Amore outside of the hot season.

Kim--Stu has a good point about the view from Eden Roc, but yes it is an above-ground pool. Maybe it was just the unlucky location of our room, but the road below was extremely loud at all hours (and we live in NYC). For these and other reasons, I would not stay there again. The other hotel we considered in the same price range was Covo dei Saraceni. It looked (from the limited perspective of the outside and lobby/lounge) like we would have preferred it there. To answer your other question, we went to Pompeii on a SITA bus from Pompeii to Sorrento and caught a connecting local train from Sorrento to Pompeii. We spent a couple of hours in Pompeii, an hour or so in Sorrento, and the round trip lasted from about 8am to 3 or 4pm. Hope this helps.