Villa Cimbrone

Villa Cimbrone Review

Suspended over the azure sea and set amid rose-laden gardens, this magical place was once the home of Lord Grimthorpe and the holiday hideaway of Greta Garbo. In the mid-1990s it was exquisitely transformed into a hotel by the Vuillemeier family. The hotel is in an intact Gothic-style castle, replete with guest rooms ranging from palatial to cozy. Two rooms are covered with frescoes, and all follow a basic floral theme—we love the small Peony Room because it's the only one in the main castello with its own terrace overlooking the bay (Garbo's former room only has an enclosed balcony). Happily, a newer wing—antiques and a parchment-hue color scheme make it look as time-burnished as the main house—has a bevy of rooms overlooking the sea bluff and the gorgeous pool. Tapestried armchairs, framed prints, and vintage art books, which belonged to Viscountess Frost, the lord's daughter, still grace the enchantingly elegant sitting room and the 19th-century Music Room. On special occasions food is served near the Cripta, or porticoed crypt, which was built by Lord Grimthorpe to resemble the one at Fountains Abbey, England. Best of all, guests have the villa's legendary gardens—famed for the spectacular Terrace of Infinity—all to themselves once their gates are closed at sunset. The villa is a bit of a hike along lanes and alleys from the town center, but porters will carry your luggage and the distance helps keep this the most peaceful place on the Amalfi Coast. Get an advance view at the hotel's splendid Web site.