Sorrento / Piazza Tasso

Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria

★★★★★

The Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria occupies one of the finest positions on the Bay of Naples: a clifftop estate right in the centre of Sorrento, a few steps from Piazza Tasso, yet set in its own private gardens of citrus and olive trees that run to the edge of the cliff. Owned and operated by the Fiorentino family since 1834, it is one of the great family-run grand hotels of Italy, and its history is part of the stay: royalty, writers and musicians have passed through its salons, and Enrico Caruso stayed here in the last summer of his life. The buildings, a cluster of historic villas, hold frescoed ceilings, period furniture and grand public rooms, and the views from the terraces sweep across the bay to Vesuvius and Naples. There are around eighty rooms, suites and a villa, many with sea-view balconies, decorated in a classic style. The gardens, with their pergolas and lemon trees, are a sanctuary in a busy town, and the pool sits among them. The hotel's fine-dining restaurant holds a Michelin star and makes the most of produce from the estate, while more relaxed options serve lunch and drinks by the pool and on the terraces. A private lift descends through the cliff to the harbour, which makes ferries to Capri and Naples wonderfully easy. A member of The Leading Hotels of the World, the Excelsior Vittoria is the hotel to choose if you want Sorrento's convenience and the Amalfi Coast within reach, with the grandeur of a nineteenth-century palace.

What makes it special: Sorrento is the most practical base for exploring the whole region — trains to Pompeii, Herculaneum and Naples, buses along the Amalfi Coast, year-round ferries to Capri — and the Excelsior Vittoria gives you that practicality wrapped in old-world luxury. Step out of the gate and you are in Piazza Tasso and the shopping streets; step back in and you are in a private park above the sea. The lift to the port is a real advantage for Capri and Naples day trips by boat.

Living in it: rooms and suites are classically styled, with antiques and marble, and the sea-view categories are the ones that make a stay memorable; the gardens and pool are the daytime heart of the hotel. Dinner in the Michelin-starred restaurant or on the terrace at sunset is a highlight. Service is polished and attentive, with the warmth of a family business. Like many grand hotels on the coast, it operates seasonally, so check opening dates for winter travel; spring and autumn are the sweet spot for weather and value.

Base math: walk to Piazza Tasso, the old town and the Circumvesuviana station in minutes; take the lift to the harbour for Capri; catch the SITA bus to Positano and Amalfi. Book it for honeymoons, milestone birthdays and anyone who wants Sorrento at its most elegant. Even if you stay elsewhere, booking a table for dinner or a drink on the terrace is a fine way to experience the gardens and the view at sunset.