hotels in amalfi
 

any suggestions for hotels in Amalfi? we are hoping for a place with nice views of the water and preferably around $200 or less per night. Going in early May.

Personally, if I were to go to the Amalfi area again, I wouldn't stay in Amalfi, I would go straight up to Ravello and stay there for three nights at Hotel Toro, asking for a nice quiet room facing the garden.
If I had to stay in Amalfi itself, I would either stay in L'Antico Convitto, which is in the sentre of the old town and doesn't have a sea view, or in La Busola, which has a sea view and is a much larger, more expensive and conventional hotel on the waterfront. Whatever you do it's essential to check recomendations for hotels on f. ex. Venere.com, which has a rating system built on reviews, and to not let yourself be lured be pretty pictures and flowery descriptions on the internet. Many of the hotels which advertize in this way are situated a long way from Amalfi proper, along the heavily traficked road leading out of town to Portofino etc.
I would stay away from Grand Hotel Amalfi. I would only stay in Amalfi for a night or two, personally.
Why? Because, no matter what Fodor sais, the area has become touristy. It may be slightly better in early May, the very beginning of the season. You may in fact have chosen the right strategy there.

How long will you be there? Have you considered renting an apartment? We stayed on the Amalfi coast for our honeymoon and rented 2 different apartments. I would agree with the first poster about not staying in Amalfi, but would recommend Positano or Sorrento over Ravello. Positano and Sorrento have better transportation options.

Based on recommendations from this board, we're booked at the Hotel Floridiana in Amalfi for 5 nights in mid May - www.hotelfloridiana.it/ . Aside from looking nice and being reasonably priced, it has parking - and we plan to have a car for that part of the trip.

I'm pleased with our choice of Amalfi as a base. Positano is more vertical (and pricier) and Sorrento seems too... busy.

Alice

Alice9
We are staying at Hotel Floridiana from May 11-15. Maybe we can meet for a glass of wine!
Judy

Judy, we ARRIVE on the 15th, so we just might be able to do that! (Maybe we're getting your room....)

Alice