6 Best Hotels in Sorrento

This 19th-century grande dame, on a cliff above the port, remains one of the best hotels in Sorrento and was the hangout of choice for big-name guests like the Queen of Sweden and famed tenor Enrico Caruso (there’s even a suite named after him). Despite modern times, its atmosphere feels just as it did during the Belle Époque era: many of the original antiques still fill every nook, and waiters in white jackets deliver Aperol Spritzes like clockwork to guests on the terrace. Take your pick between standard doubles (which offer views of Mount Vesuvius) or classic sea view rooms (which overlook the Gulf of Naples).

Breezy, beachy, and laid-back are the calling cards of Maison La Minervetta, whose perch over the Marina Grande fishing port affords stunning views of the bay and Naples itself from each of its 12 picture-windowed guest rooms. The port-side setting heavily influenced architect-owner Marco de Luca’s nautical design—think bright-white walls, striped pillows and bedspreads, hand-painted Vietri tiles, and model boats on display. While there’s no restaurant on site, a breakfast buffet (including fresh-squeezed juices, fruit, and house-made pastries) is served in the kitchen and on the terrace, and you’re just a (steep) staircase away from the marina’s stellar seafood restaurants serving the day’s freshest catch.

Bellevue Syrene, built on the grounds of a former Roman villa, has operated as a hotel since 1820, but its service, style, and hilltop Mount Vesuvius views have lost none of their luster. Modern updates—marble hallways, whitewashed walls—only serve to accentuate the property’s standout features, which include all manner of trompe-l'oeil frescoes, Murano chandeliers, to avant-garde photography and ceramics. Guest rooms run the gamut from modern to ornate—think gilded mirrors, floral murals, and contemporary furniture—though you’ll want to book a suite if you want a balcony. The sea-facing terraces are the place to be on sunny days—especially the one at fine-dining restaurant La Terrazza—though the glassed-in Club Lounge (which services complimentary drinks and bites) suits just as well during cloudier ones. In addition to a small pool, the hotel offers a private deck with beach access at the bottom of the cliff.

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What was once an aristocrat’s 15^th-century palazzo home is now one of Sorrento’s most stylish boutique hotels. The private home vibes abound, from the bespoke glassed-in entrance courtyard (an impressive first impression) to family antiques, portrait paintings, and monogrammed sheets in the seven guest rooms. Despite billing itself as a bed and breakfast, there are two restaurants on site: grab a table at Terazza Marziale if you’d like to enjoy your risotto beneath the shade of lemon trees and wisteria (it has a retractable roof), or a seat at the bistro-style Marzialino on street level, where you can dig into comfort-food favorites like Black Angus beef carpaccio and scrambled eggs. The in-room coffee trays, topped with vintage fine china, are a nice touch—as is the hotel’s proximity to the Villa Comunale, right across the street, which contains a beautiful garden overlooking the Bay of Naples.

Architecture buffs, take note: this 1960s-era clifftop hotel was designed by none other than modernist icon Giò Ponti, who decked out his cubist white building with modular furniture, geometric tile floors, and a cool palette of whites, blues, and more blues—a perfect complement to the sea. Nearly all of the 96 guest rooms feature views of the water and surrounding seven-acre garden, which was laid out during the 19^th century and features a Rococo-style villa lording over the hotel pool. There’s also a standout beach club built right over the water, where a beachside restaurant serves up casual Italian grub like pizza and octopus salad. While not part of the action (the hotel is actually quite far from downtown), Parco dei Principi remains a stark but refreshing contrast to Amalfi’s typical Baroque grand dames, and a spot of tranquility set away from Sorrento’s bustling medieval center.

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Cocumella’s former life as a 16^th-century monastery will not come as a surprise. As soon as you enter, you’ll be met with vaulted ceilings, stone archways, and marble cloister surrounding a central courtyard fountain. Well-heeled travelers love the hotel’s aristocratic (if a bit tired) air and spacious grand suites, which come with their own stone fireplaces and Empire-style dressers. A large pool and spa please the masses, though the biggest seller (without much competition) is the hotel’s 90-foot 1800s yacht, on hand for excursions around the bay.

Not sure what to pack for a trip to Sorrento? Here's a few ideas.