At Hotel Santa Caterina, lemons — hanging from trees, in a bowl at reception for guests to take home, and prominently displayed in almost every view — are not just a decorative element, but an ingredient in almost every part of your stay.
“We use lemon in everything. The pasta. The limoncello. The massages,” a hotel manager tells me as I tour the property’s sprawling terraced gardens and olive and lemon groves. It’s a chic, peaceful clifftop retreat on one of Europe’s busiest coastlines.
The manager then points out the private suites where Bill Gates and Kim Kardashian stayed during their last visits (not together, although that would be a fun rumor to spread) and walks on to show us the glass-fronted elevator that leads to the beach club.
A-listers are regular guests at the 19th-century five-star hotel, which has been run by the Gambardella family since 1904 — which explains our guide’s nonchalant attitude. Legend has it that Hollywood icons Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton began their relationship here, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie checked in during the early days of their romance, and Hillary Clinton and her daughter Chelsea are among other notable guests.
After about 24 hours, it’s easy to see why the place attracts so many stars and consistently ranks among the best hotels in Italy. The views of the Amalfi Coast don’t get much better than Santa Caterina, one of the few Amalfi hotels with direct access to the sea — and neither does the food. Michelin-starred dining, mouthwatering breakfast pastries, and Mediterranean-inspired cocktails with live piano music are among the highlights here.
From the spa’s signature lemon massages to the hotel’s exclusive beach club by the sea, here’s what to expect.
Where is it?
Perched on the cliffs in the heart of the Amalfi Coast, just a 10 minute walk from the centre of Amalfi (there is a free daily shuttle into town if you don’t fancy walking the main road). You can watch the tourist-filled ferries depart from your balcony. Positano, Ravello, Sorrento, Capri, Pompeii and Herculaneum are all within easy reach for a day trip.
Style
Smartly dressed staff in smart blue uniforms. Sun-drenched, wisteria-filled terraces for long, languid lunches. Rooms with hand-painted majolica floors and Liberty-style four-poster beds. Santa Caterina has to be one of the most stylish places to sample la dolce vita in all of Italy.
The venue oozes vintage glamour, with a timeless coastal feel and old-world formality, from the old vintage sewing machines dotted around the corridors to the elegant candlelit terraces overlooking Amalfi and beyond. Come for the golden hour and stay for the live pianist after dinner.
That said, it still has all the warmth and familiarity you would expect from a five-star hotel. The service is impeccable, but the staff seem cheerful and relaxed, happy to leave you alone to listen to the live music with a nightcap. Despite its 66 rooms (it started with six), there is still a family feel.
The main building is an Art Deco villa built in Liberty style and surrounded by all the regional horticulture you could wish for, from lemon trees to olive groves. And the interior is a nod to the country’s traditional Catholic churches: white walls, white linen, vaulted ceilings, small wooden chairs and tiled floors. You’ll feel like you’ve stepped into a Bond film. No wonder so many guests keep coming back.
Which room?
Most of Santa Caterina’s rooms are in the main building, a converted 19th-century villa, and most have bougainvillea-draped balconies, walk-in closets, and bathrooms with pretty turquoise tiles, Bvlgari toiletries, and corner jet tubs. Connecting rooms are available for families.
The hotel also has a range of larger, more private residences or ‘special suites’ for those seeking an extended family holiday or a little more privacy away from the main hotel. Follia Amalfitana is an A-list go-to with a shell-shaped king-size bed, mini hydropool and outdoor solarium; and Romeo e Giulietta, a honeymoon favourite with a Jacuzzi and private patio. Expect chic extra luxuries like Smeg kettles and Dyson hairdryers.
The hotel recently acquired an adjacent set of properties, Villas della Marchesa, which opened earlier this summer and are now available to book as individual suites or an entire wing — if you’re a large group of up to 14 family members or friends. Expect a 36-meter-long outdoor pool, a private wine cellar and a large landscaped garden terrace. It’s just a short stroll back to the hotel along Amalfi Drive.
Eat Drink
Cuttlefish tagliatelle with cucumber, avocado and salted lemon. Duck breast with radicchio, cooked wine and cherries. Lemon soufflé with citrus ice cream and cardamom sauce. The food at Hotel Santa Caterina is one of the highlights, thanks to the leaf-filled fine dining restaurant, Glicine, which was awarded a Michelin star five years ago and has done so every year since, thanks to chef Giuseppe Stanzione.
Expect caviar-infused welcome dishes, Normandy butter branded with the hotel’s logo and Solerno olive oil. Most of the vegetables come from the hotel’s extensive gardens, reflecting the seasonal flavours of the region.
The hotel’s second restaurant, Al Mare, serves seafood and handmade pizzas baked in a wood-fired oven. There is also La Terrazza bar with views over Amalfi and Il Grottino Bar, carved into the rock next to the beach club.
Served on a terrace overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, breakfast is buffet style, with lavish platters of meats, cheeses and fruit, and towers of Italian pastries so Instagrammable you could be in a fancy bakery in Milan. There are also a la carte options available to order at your table, so leave room for eggs.
Facilities
There is a small spa with a sauna, sensory shower and the hotel’s signature treatment, “Oro di Amalfi”, which uses a lemon-based oil to relax and stimulate the chakras. There are free yoga sessions for guests and a gym by the pool house overlooking the sea.
But the most glittering feature is Santa Caterina’s beach club, which is accessed via two glass elevators and has a sun deck with loungers, a seawater pool and ladders into the sea. Get there early to secure your spot.
What to Instagram
The view from the two glass elevators as you descend through the gardens to the beach club.
Best for?
For wealthy couples and celebrities looking for some privacy in the heart of Italy’s busiest coastline.
How to get there
It’s just under three hours drive from London to Naples, and then another 90 minutes drive the other way.
easyJet has just launched the UK’s only direct flights to the Amalfi Coast, with twice-weekly flights from Gatwick to nearby Salerno-Amalfi Coast Airport, which opened in July. easyjet.com
When should I go?
July is the busiest month here, as dozens of holidaymakers flock to the Amalfi Coast for a taste of la dolce vita. Best avoided if you can. Even in May, technically the low season when temperatures are already in the mid-twenties, the roads were sluggish and the ferries were swarming. September is still a pleasant 26 degrees and a little quieter.
Rooms from £338, Via Mauro Comite, 9, 84011 Amalfi SA, Italy, hotelsantacaterina.it