Santa Caterina by Joanna Monkhouse

In an area spilling over with good hotels, the Santa Caterina is one of the Amalfi Coast’s greats. Along with Il San Pietro di Positano and Palazzo Sasso in Ravello, it ranks amongst the top. Owned by the same family for four generations, the hotel was built in 1880 (rebuilt in 1904 after a partial collapse, those of a nervous disposition should note it has suffered none since) just north of the town of Amalfi. Whilst it is possible to walk to there along the winding coastal road to visit the cathedral, most guests do not venture out once they have arrived, unless by boat, a decision easy to understand once you have witnessed the standard of driving in Italy.

Bougainvillea covers terraces and balconies framing the sea views that abound from the public rooms and bedrooms - the higher up the six floors you go, the more impressive the panorama of the dramatic coast line. The hotel is set in a long stretch of land along the coast with a series of cascading terraces down the cliff and extensive lemon groves. A vertiginous glass elevator descends with spectular views 60m from the main building down to the saltwater pool, gym and sundeck. Lunch can be served there at the shady open air restaurant that has a pizza oven. Santa Caterina’s well-regarded main restaurant has a large terrace in addition to the spacious interior that sports a striking marble floor flecked with blue.

The stylish rooms at Santa Caterina are large and fresh with tiled floors in various colours, a mix of contemporary and antique furniture, white walls and all the facilities you would expect in a 5star hotel. Bathrooms in some suites merit as much time spent in them as the rooms. Recently modernised, they have been decorated with fine attention to detail. The two luxurious villas (‘chalets’) in the gardens are particularly suited to romantics/escapists with big budgets.

Whilst by no means cheap, the standard of service (friendly and welcoming staff at every turn) and the quality of the accommodations at Santa Caterina justify the high rates - not outrageous in this notoriously expensive region.