Set just around the bay from Amalfi, Hotel Santa Caterina lies in the heart of the Amalfi Coast, just south of Naples. From Naples airport it’s around a 90 minute drive, or of course you could arrive by boat – perhaps combining with nearby Capri or Positano like we did. Since 1904, this hotel has become an institution and is a member of the Leading Hotels of the World group – a very worthy, yet high accolade indeed. This resort {for it has so many different areas}, is built into the cliffs, as is most of the Amalfi Coast and this means incredible views of the coastline from pretty much every spot in the hotel {even the Gym impressively looks over Amalfi & the boats below!}. We arrived to service like no other. All of the staff here greet you professionally, yet also like old friends, taking us straight down to our room.

I stepped out onto our balcony and just wowed at this view of Amalfi. The Australian lady next door, who was just leaving after spending a week here, just smiled and told me that I’d likely take 1000 photos of the view and recommended that we get up for a sunrise one morning, pointing to the cliff where it would rise up from. It was the perfect spot for boat watching, it being like a highway for ferries travelling to Positano, little fishing boats, luxury speed boats and posh yachts. We joked that it was like rush hour at times.

To give you an idea of the level of service here, we took a delivery from the bell man of fruit and cookies as a welcome gesture. But this isn’t just a place where you’re delivered fruit, you get a man in a white suit hand deliver it and unfold out a white pretty napkin, placing the fruit just the right way at an angle and then unfolding napkins to set the cutlery onto.

One of our very favourite things about this resort, for which I could list so many, was the beach club. To reach it from the hotel, you could take one of the Charlie & the chocolate factory-esque glass elevators down the cliff which gave insane views out of, or meander down through the lemon groves. Beach clubs are a big thing in Italy, and so to have this as part of the hotel was perfect. Look at that water! There’s both a pool and steps into the ocean to choose between for swimming or just floating around {I discovered how fun, and freeing, water noodles are to float around in the sea with! There are lots to borrow by the pool, and snorkels if you want to peek at the marine life}. After your swim you’ll come back to two fresh towels on your sunlounger and chilled bottles of water. The staff down there were the best at giving you a sunny spot to top up your tan, or angling an umbrella if you wanted shade. We’d opt for one and one! There’s also a restaurant called Al Mare serving wood-fired proper pizzas, Italian inspired salads and fish, and a pool bar to order an Aperol Spritz, or coffee to your loungers.

At sunset, we walked through the terraced gardens to Restaurant Santa Caterina, a dreamy dreamy spot for a candle lit dinner. I’d recommend making advanced reservations, it’s an iconic and popular award winning spot which is listed in all of the authoritative restaurant guides.

We watched as the waiters in their tuxedos made sure everything was just perfect before taking us to our table on the terrace for the evening. The level and attention to detail, and with staff who have clearly been here for most of their lives, makes it all the more special. With a live pianist, playing that classic Italian O sole mio tune {that you might recognise as ‘just one cornetto’} and That’s Amore, and the view of Amalfi twinkling in the distance, my skin tingled with goosebumps as we took our seats.


Breakfast was probably the best feast I’ve had in Europe. Again, it’s that silver service kind of table set up like dinner had been, although more relaxed for breakfast. And with everything you could possibly imagine for an indulgent start to the day. Should I admit to the fact that we ate some gelato for breakfast?! Along with heart shaped waffles, fresh cut fruit, the best proscuitto ham, a whole table full of cheeses including mozzarella you could never find in England, tomatoes, bacon/cooked breakfast meats, freshly cooked eggs to your liking, a bakery table and to regain some health – a juice station and health foods like buckwheat and puffed quinoa. We of course, had a bit of everything. If you can bear to tear yourself away from Hotel Santa Caterina and *that* beach club, there is so much to do/see around Amalfi. The hotel itself is just a 15 minute walk from the centre of Amalfi, with beaches and sparkly water, gelato shops aplenty and the gorgeous multi coloured old crumbly town to explore. The hotel also offers a free shuttle transfer every half an hour throughout the day & evening if you don’t want to walk. Atrani, just around the road bend from Amalfi, is a non-touristy, gorgeously authentic little piece of Italy with a beach and small piazzetta {square}. Walk round the cliff on the way there looking down at the sea below, then follow the tiled signs back to Amalfi from the square that will take you through a myriad of secret passageways! It's such a cool walk.