Villa Maria by Joanna Monkhouse

In the heart of Ravello, the Villa Maria occupies a large C19th villa built on a hill in a large terraced garden and offers a range of rooms on different levels, many with sea views. All are decorated with antiques in a slightly old fashioned style. Some bathrooms have Jacuzzis. The suite is the most appealing room here and has a large private terrace. Some rooms on lower levels have access straight onto the pretty gardens, with small private terraces that have views of the spectacular coast, although these can be overlooked by the terrace of the popular and well-regarded restaurant. So popular is the cuisine at Villa Maria that weekly cooking classes are offered, using, like the restaurant, the organic produce from the garden. The salon features overstuffed chairs, paintings and rugs in a formal yet relaxed setting.

Villa Maria does not have its own pool but guests can use the large, heated pool at the owner’s other property in Ravello, the 3 star Hotel Giordano, a short walk away. Rooms there are less desirable but facilities are shared between the two, including parking - porters will bring your luggage for you. Villa Maria cannot be reached by car, but by a path from the main square involving several sections of steps (but no punishing staircases as found so often in this region) on the way to Villa Cimbrone, one of Ravello’s two impressive villas. The other, Villa Rufolo, hosts concerts during the music season. Villa Eva is the group’s third property, a short walk from Villa Maria and set in an attractive garden, it is a location used exclusively for weddings and parties.