Hotel Santa Caterina Amalfi

"In order to enjoy one of the last weekends of Italian summer, we spent 5 days in Amalfi and stayed at Santa Caterina Hotel. There is only one word to accurately describe the location of this hotel – absolutely stunning. The building hangs on a cliff, approx. 150 meters above the emerald surface of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The main hall as well as all of the restaurants and bars have a direct view to the Gulf of Salerno. There is a vintage glass elevator taking you all the way down to the Beach Club located on a rock ledge, just above the sea. Last but not least, the rock terraces around the hotel are all covered with lemon groves, which adds to the delightful mediterranean atmosphere. We stayed at Junior Suite room, arranged in a typical South Italian style with lots of natural motives and with a cozy loggia overlooking the Sea. What was very frustrating though, was that you could basically hear any louder conversations in rooms around you. When the morning service was cleaning one of these rooms, we were woken up by irritating noise of them moving chairs and tables left and right. As if that wasn't enough, we could also hear the toilette flushing on the level above our room and the water going all the way down through the pipes. All that taken together has definitely not contributed to the expected 5-star hotel Junior Suite experience. It could be partly explained by the fact, that the building itself is at least 40 years old, but understanding is not forgiving 😉 Especially considering the price. It was partly made up by the service though, which was very friendly and helpful. And as central-north Europeans, we were absolutely charmed by the typical South Italian, laid-back and familiar courtesy. You just got to love it. Same story with the food, which was no surprise, since it is hard not to like the mediterranean cuisine. But the food at the hotel was simply delicious. The breakfasts offered a huge variety of bakery goods, cheese, cold cuts as well as fruits and vegetables. Two big separate tables were dedicated to pastries and cakes, which were absolutely fabulous. There are also three restaurants and the hotel (one of them awarded a Michelin star) and they do offer mediterranean cuisine of an exquisite quality. Having all that in mind, it comes as no surprise, that the overall impression of hotel is really excellent. It would be 10/10 if not those thin walls, through which you hear all the noises from neighboring rooms."

"In a nutshell, this is the finest hotel in which we have ever stayed. The entire property is exquisite, and the service impeccable. I had had numerous email conversations with the concierge staff re trips around the Amalfi Coast, and every detail was handled perfectly. I can not recommend the Santa Catarina more highly. All in all, it was a tremendous experience."

"This is one of the finest hotels we have ever stayed at. Accommodations were upgraded without us asking. Free shuttle service to and from downtown Amalfi to hotel. Free yoga 3 days a week. Breathtakingly beautiful pool area. Hotel is so beautiful. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay!"