The Best Hotels on the Amalfi Coast

This iconic hotel started as the Sersale family’s humble seaside home, but it became the standard bearer for hotels on the Amalfi Coast. Antonio and Carla Sersale are constantly updating it, adding new pieces to the hotel’s formidable art collection or the boutique. Guests rave about breakfast served overlooking the colorful tiled dome of Positano’s Duomo, La Sponda restaurant, where musicians play in the evenings, and the extremely attentive and welcoming staff. As an added bonus, there’s a wealth of complimentary activities, ranging from yoga and guided hikes to wine tastings and excursions on the Sersale family’s restored fishing boat.

Bruno and Liliana Aonzo purchased this property in 1950 as a summer home, but when tourism began to take off during the mid-50s, they decided to transform it into a hotel. Today the Poseidon is run by their children, Marco and Monica, who welcome guests as if they’re family. The rooms could use an update, but the hotel has amenities you’d expect to find at a five-star hotel, including a restaurant and pool terrace with incredible views.

Set in an 11th century palace suspended 1,000 feet above the sea, this luxurious hotel is a peaceful retreat for anyone who prizes beauty and tranquility. Historic architectural details, like Pompeii-inspired frescoes and mosaics, combine with modern dining and drinking offerings, like the Ristorante Belvedere and Bar Caruso. The staff goes out of their way to make sure your stay is unforgettable, whether you’re hosting a destination wedding for multiple generations or vacationing with little ones. The hotel offers kid-friendly amenities and will arrange fun activities from directing a movie trailer to making pizza.

This property was built as a monastery in the 17th century and a monastic tranquility still reigns over it today. Perched high on a promontory with endless views of the Mediterranean, this is the place to go when you want to retreat to a calm, quiet, and beautiful environment away from it all. After becoming a hotel during the 1920s, it lay abandoned until Bianca Sharma, an American vacationing on the Amalfi Coast, spotted it during a boating excursion and decided to buy it. Opened in 2012, it’s now enjoying a golden age as a luxury retreat with terraced gardens, a Michelin-starred restaurant, pampering spa, and infinity pool.

Italian director Franco Zeffirelli lived in this exquisite villa for 35 years and hosted his famous friends, including Elizabeth Taylor and Maria Callas. He hired legendary designer Renzo Mongiardino to decorate the Salone Bianca and the exuberant design is still one of the hotel’s major draws. The terrace of the Salone Bianca, which features a pergola with billowing curtains, Moroccan lamps, and comfortable sofas with colorful pillows, is the hotel’s most picturesque spot (and often shows up on Instagram). There are also beautiful gardens with fragrant jasmine and bougainvillea.

From the terrace of Il San Pietro di Positano, you can soak up the world-famous views of the coast, removed from the crowds. Opened in 1970, this intimate hotel has the hand-painted tiles and understated design that you’d expect to find on the Amalfi Coast, as well as a Michelin-starred restaurant and plenty of amenities, including a beach club and tennis court. But it’s the courteous, welcoming staff that keep guests coming back.

The hilltop town of Ravello is famous for offering incredible views of the sea—and that’s exactly what you get from your perch at Palazzo Avino. Built during the 12th century, the pink palace is now run by the Avino sisters, who bring their impeccable taste and charm to the property. Most of the rooms feature traditional decor, but a few of the suites have been redesigned with more modern furnishings; if that’s your preference, be sure to ask when you book. You’ll want to spend most of your time outside, anyway, enjoying the beautiful terraced gardens and pool or taking a shuttle to the beach club.

Just outside the historic center of Amalfi, this airy, whitewashed hotel first opened in 1904 and it retains its old school charm. Entering the lobby, you feel transported back in time to the Amalfi Coast’s heyday during the 1960s, when movie stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton stayed here. The rooms might need a bit of an update, but loyal guests keep coming back because the staff is so welcoming and the beach club—accessed via a glass elevator—is the place to be. The staff goes above and beyond to make honeymoons, anniversaries, and other special occasions memorable.

The newest five-star hotel on the Amalfi Coast also has the best design. Inspired by midcentury style, it features a blue-and-white color scheme influenced by renowned architect Gio Ponti, whose Ginori porcelain vases line the shelves in the lobby. Vintage pieces mix with bespoke furniture and hand-painted tiles in more than 30 different patterns, the most Instagrammable of which is the zig zag pattern in some of the suites. Five restaurants and bars offer plenty of choice, from casual to gourmet. Guests can choose from the heated pool or the beach club—the only hotel beach club with a sandy beach—reachable by elevators carved into the rock.