Review of Palazzo Belmonte, by The TI Review Team

Down a windy road in the charming Cilento-coast town of Santa Maria di Castellabate lies Palazzo Belmonte. It's the home of Angelo Granito Pignatelli, the 13th Prince of Belmonte-but thanks to his excellent taste and natural hospitality, it's also, from April to November, an antiques-filled, sun-drenched hideaway with friendly, English-speaking staff and five acres of manicured gardens - a perfect escape for young families.

The facilities

Palazzo Belmonte, perched right on water, has a private sandy beach with chaises and umbrellas and shallow, gentle surf-idel for small children to frolic in. There's a pool with pool-side bar, and a lovely shaded lunch veranda, where breakfast is also served (the savoury rosemary croissants are heavenly). In-room spa treatments can be arranged by staff with a select group of local aestheticians. There's WiFI in the Edoardo's House wing of the hotel. And the piece de resistance: Punta Licosa, the Prince's 200-hectare private estate just three miles south of the hotel, where guests can walk, jog, snorkel, and enjoy the sea and forest in total solitude.

The rooms

The suites in Edoardo's House-a small recently refurbished wing-are worth paying extra for: flooded with natural light from multiple windows, they have rich terracotta floors, gorgeous blue-and-white majolica tiled baths, and simple iron and walnut antique furniture, with hand-stitched linens. Terraces face the sea, or the sea and the south coast. Most doubles in the main hotel have been similarly refurbished, with soaring ceilings and frescoed cornices. The Villa is a newer addition with less historic charm, but the interconnecting rooms and ground-level terraces are ideal for families.