by Telegraph Travel experts, The Telegraph, November 13, 2017
An expert guide to the best hotels with pools on the Amalfi Coast, including the top places to stay for serene swims and stunning views, in locations including Ravello, Praiano, Positano and Amalfi.
Hotel Santa Caterina Amalfi, Amalfi Coast, Italy
9Telegraph expert rating
A mix of familial warmth, glamour and professionalism makes Hotel Santa Caterina stand out from the competition. Now run by the fourth generation of the family that opened it as a hotel in 1904, it’s the sort of homely yet sophisticated place that you long to return to. As in so many family-run Italian hotels, the service is special, delivered by devoted long-standing local staff. A kiss on the hand from the doorman; a spot-on joke from the head waiter; names remembered by all: warmth and professionalism combined. The big surprise is the glass lift that whooshes down the cliff where the delightful pool, bar, beach-shack restaurant (dancing to live music on Tuesdays), sea and boats await. Read expert review. From £238per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
• The best Amalfi Coast hotels
Belmond Hotel Caruso Ravello, Amalfi Coast, Italy
8Telegraph expert rating
This sprawling edifice, perched high above the hilltop town of Ravello overlooking the Bay of Salerno, is one of Amalfi’s most romantic boltholes. It began life as an 11th-century palazzo, and its location is matched by the traditional Italianate charm of the décor. There are facilities and services galore here, starting with the celebrated infinity pool that is often listed among the best hotel pools in the world. Then there are several restaurants and bars, a spa and fitness room, boat trips along the coast and a shuttle service down to the coast. Read expert review. From £661per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
Palazzo Murat Positano, Amalfi Coast, Italy
8Telegraph expert rating
Palazzo Murat enjoys a prime position just off Positano’s main drag down to the beach, yet is shielded from the worst of the crowds by its lush, exotic garden. With lovely rooms, an excellent restaurant and an air of aristocratic living, it’s one of the nicest hotels in the town centre. The garden with its small pool and views down to the sea is also a huge plus in this crowded town. There is a bar and good restaurant plus full room service. The concierge will arrange airport transfers and tours to the immediate area or further afield (Pompeii, Sorrento, Paestum); a trip along the coast in the hotel’s own boat is complimentary to all guests. Read expert review. From £164per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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Hotel Villa Cimbrone Ravello, Amalfi Coast, Italy
8Telegraph expert rating
Occupying one of the most romantic spots in the world, Villa Cimbrone comprises beautiful gardens, open to the public during the day, and rooms full of antiques, paintings and frescoes. This is a hotspot for anyone wanting to enjoy the special magic of Ravello. There is a solarium, a small fitness centre and a beautiful swimming pool. Children, as everywhere in Italy, are welcome, and the pool, with shallow entrance at one end, is particularly suited to them. Read expert review. From £336per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
• The world's best hotels pools
Palazzo Avino Ravello, Amalfi Coast, Italy
8Telegraph expert rating
Ravello’s most overtly luxurious hotel occupies a pink-hued, fairytale palazzo in a quiet location with extraordinary coastal views and top-of-the-range service and facilities, including several eating and drinking options, a heated pool with an underwater window, an al fresco gym tucked away in the garden and a chic private beach club on the rocks with a complimentary shuttle. Read expert review. From £402per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Mr & Mrs Smith.
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Casa Angelina Praiano, Amalfi Coast, Italy
8Telegraph expert rating
The all-white interiors are stunning, and the hotel stands in one of the best locations for views on the whole coast. There are two pools, one outdoor, the other a heated hydroptherapy pool under a constellation of fibre optics on the ceiling. There’s also a small wellness centre and gym, and a private beach 200 steps down from the hotel. Service is relaxed, very friendly and excellent, with great attention to detail. Read expert review. From £290per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
• Hotel rooms with amazing views
Monastero Santa Rosa Conca dei Marini, Amalfi Coast, Italy
8Telegraph expert rating
The Santa Rosa has fast gained a reputation for being one of the best hotels in the area, combining superb service and facilities with a magnificent location dominating the coast. True, it’s not on the sea, but that’s arguably an advantage in this tourist-centric part of the world. As you would expect at this level, there’s everything you are likely to need on site; fabulous terraced gardens with a heated infinity pool that seems suspended over the water; a huge spa (one of the biggest and best on the costiera); an outdoor gym with a view; excellent food; shuttle bus service to and from Amalfi. Read expert review. From £570per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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Casa Privata Praiano, Amalfi Coast, Italy
8Telegraph expert rating
Stylish yet relaxed Casa Privata is hidden away in the back lanes of low-key Praiano, set in a dreamy, rambling garden. It is the sort of bucolic retreat that can be hard to come by on the tourist-frenzied Amalfi Coast. Although there is a cosy sitting area and brick-vaulted restaurant, you will be wanting to spend all your time outside, either on the shady terrace area (where meals are served in warm weather), by the pool or down on the private beach area where platforms built into the rock hold sunbeds and big white umbrellas. Read expert review. From £156per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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Le Sirenuse Positano, Amalfi Coast, Italy
8Telegraph expert rating
Stylish and immaculate, in the centre of this chic and vertiginous resort. An exceptionally romantic candle-lit dining room, a shady pool terrace and small but beautifully presented spa make it particularly popular with honeymooners, well-heeled European couples, touring Americans and occasional celebrities. Built into the steep southwest-facing side of Positano, the hotel’s oxblood-coloured facade is high enough to command excellent sea views, and the compact pool terrace has outdoor loungers and is shaded by lemon trees. Read expert review. From £352per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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Hotel Villa Franca Positano Positano, Amalfi Coast, Italy
8Telegraph expert rating
A small hotel that packs a lot of punch. It is set high up on the cliffside with what must be the highest hotel pool in Positano (a bit of a challenge for vertigo sufferers), and offers a stylish, contemporary boutique atmosphere, excellent service, lots of attention to detail and superb food. The facilities are excellent: a small spa, two bars and a choice of gourmet and more casual restaurants, while the aforementioned pool provides stunning 360-degree views. Read expert review. From £242per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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