La Fenice

La Fenice Review

This tiny and unpretentious hotel on the outskirts of Positano beckons with bougainvillea-laden vistas, castaway cottages, and a turquoise seawater pool, all perched over a private beach (250 steps away), just across a cove from Franco Zeffirelli's famous villa (now a superluxury hotel). Once past the gate, you climb a steep stairway to the main house—but tread slowly: the paths and stairways here enchantingly frame (sometimes literally with vines) vistas over land and sea. Thanks to the wonderful family of the owner, Constantino Mandara, you'll feel right at home in a few minutes—that's because this is his home. Guest rooms, accented with coved ceilings, whitewashed walls, and native folk art, are simple havens of tranquillity. Several accommodations are in a house perched above the road (a bit noisy if trucks rumble by, but this rarely happens at night), although others are the adorable little cottages set close to the sea. All are linked by very steep walkways—covered with arbors and zigzagging across the hill, they tie together these little acres of heaven.