It is summertime and people are buzzing with travel plans, dreams and schemes. For a summer Euro trip, there is no place quite like the Amalfi Coast. When choosing a hotel for your trip to this region of Italy, I strongly encourage you to be selective. If you splurge on anything – do it on the hotel when in the Amalfi Coast. The hotel that you stay at in Amalfi can truly make or break a trip.
Where the hotel is located, the quality of food and service, as well as the ability to access private hotel owned seaside beaches are key factors that take any vacation to the next level. When researching where to stay in Amalfi, I wanted to find an iconic Italian hotel that checked all the boxes – awesome location, stellar service, insta-worthy views, delicious breakfast included and luxury accommodations. When I discovered Hotel Santa Caterina, I was blown away by the private “beach club” and could find no other hotel offering this truly unique coastal experience. Hands down one of the best hotels on the Amalfi Coast – follow along for my insider recap and review on Hotel Santa Caterina.
Getting to the Hotel
One of the joys of traveling around the Amalfi Coast is taking the ferry from village to village. We were able to visit Positano, Capri, Amalfi and Ravello all in just one week. Plus, the boat rides from town to town allow you to see the region by water and take pictures of the villages as you start docking. Taking the ferry is extremely easy if you map it out, plan ahead and pack relatively light (carry on bags are easy for hopping on and off the boat). To get to the town of Amalfi, we took a 20 minute ferry from Positano to downtown Amalfi. From there, the hotel car picked us up and it was an easy 5 minute drive up the hill above downtown where we arrived at the Santa Caterina.
The Beach Club
One of the justifiable reasons you pay the premium to stay at a hotel like Santa Caterina is to get access to a Beach Club like no other – hands down one of the best oceanfront locations in all of the Amalfi Coast and hence why this hotel will forever remain one of the premiere choices for vacationers. Nestled in one of the most beautiful corners of the Amalfi Coast, Hotel Santa Caterina’s Beach Club is where guests relax, soak up the Mediterranean sun and swim in the heated saltwater pool or the chilly saltwater of the ocean. The lounge area is literally chiseled out of magnificent stone cliffs and has built-in staircases to help you down into the ocean for a refreshing swim.
Easy to access by way of two comfortable elevators carved in to the rock face, the Beach Club is reserved exclusively for use by hotel guests and is open from the second half of April to October, from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. For our two days in Amalfi, we made our way down to the Beach Club immediately after breakfast and stayed on our loungers all the way until sunset. Sun loungers, deck chairs, beach umbrellas and beach towels are provided by the attendants who are ultra accommodating (and cute). Plus, the hotel features a seaside restaurant with a delicious menu of Amalfi classics — pizzas, pastas, fresh salads and of course, a robust list of wines. Unlimited potato chips and olives were served all day as a compliment, but we also ordered pizzas for lunch with bottles of cold Pinot Grigio. For two days straight we “chilled” at the Beach Club where my husband and I managed to finish books, bottles of wine and share a few relaxing moments to the backdrop of the most relaxing sounds in the world — salty waves crashing against the cliffs at our feet.
The Rooms
A 19th century liberty style villa immersed in the beautiful scenery of the Amalfi Coast — a perennial blue of the Mediterranean sea and sky, luscious bougainvillea and lovingly cultivated olive groves and fruit orchards captured out nearly every window view. This is Hotel Santa Caterina of Amalfi. The classic nature of the hotel exudes a simple and understated elegance that allows for the true elements of the hotel to standout — the natural surroundings, buzz of friendly Italian hospitality and signature smells of the Amalfi Coast. I love how this hotel does not go overboard with frilly details or amenities, and focuses on the simple touches of elegance, allowing guests to embrace the surroundings and traditional Italian experience. Because let me tell you, it sure is an experience.
The hotel boasts classic Italian interiors, quintessentially Mediterranean architecture and stays true to the classic villa styles of the region. All of Hotel Santa Caterina’s rooms are spacious and filled with ample light, featuring floors in hand painted majolica, marble bathrooms, and balconies with views over the sea and gardens. Simple touches such as live orchids, a hand woven bath math with the hotel’s name and plush white towels are little luxuries that any traveler can appreciate. We enjoyed a sea view room and chose to sleep with the doors open, allowing the white drapes to sway in the wind throughout the night as we dreamt peacefully to coastal sounds.
Restaurants, Nightlife and Nearby Attractions
Hotel Santa Caterina has two restaurants both with panoramic sea views, one in the main building and the other overlooking the swimming pool and the sea. The careful selection of primary ingredients and the natural talent of the hotel’s chefs result in the most delicious of dishes. The classic recipes of the Amalfi Coast and their brilliant modern interpretation have earned Hotel Santa Caterina its outstanding reputation on the international gastronomic scene. Inclusive in your nightly rate, guests enjoy a daily breakfast spread for kings and queens – pastries, cheeses, meats, eggs, waffles, cakes, jams and more. Indulge in a lengthy breakfast with fresh cappuccinos served in the hotel’s custom fine china to start your day.
And since the hotel is just steps from the center of the historic marine republic of Amalfi, the location is perfect for day trips and tours all around the Amalfi Coast. Given the convenient location to town, guests can also try some of the nearby eateries for lunch or dinner. There are ample options for eating out and a lively bar scene if you want to spice things up. The hotel offers a car/shuttle services take you to downtown Amalfi for shopping, eating and fun. For me personally, I was so content on everything at the hotel (beach club, drinks, restaurant, privacy and luxury) that I rarely ventured to downtown because I felt that it was a bit over-run by tourists. Just my opinion.
One of the highlights of my stay at the Hotel Santa Caterina was the hotel’s uber sexy and romantic bar scene at nighttime. After the brilliant orange sun sets over the ocean, dozens of candles are lit and placed romantically around the old fashion bar decor. The cozy and classic ambiance is the perfect way to end a day of vacationing along Italy’s most spectacular coastline.
This is your ultimate choice for an Amalfi hotel with a premiere location and exclusive access to one of the most coveted beach clubs in the world. When researching the Amalfi Coast, I highly recommend working this hotel option into your final itinerary – you cannot go wrong with a night or two at the Santa Caterina. For more questions or insider thoughts on this hotel, e-mail me at [email protected]. For direct reservations and the best rates, contact the hotel directly and tell them your friend Ladyhattan sent you [email protected].