Perched majestically on the edge of the jaw-dropping Amalfi coast, this hotel and spa, converted from a 17th-century monastery with many of the original features remaining, has just 20 bedrooms and suites.
The weight of history adds to the romance of the setting – we had big plans to visit many local tourist spots, but couldn’t drag ourselves away from the serenity of the hotel.
It’s set on different levels, with the restaurant on a pretty terrace that’s heated in the chillier months, so there’s no need to retreat inside and miss out on the view.
The thermal spa is designed around the ancient monastic spaces and the alfresco gym overlooking the sea very nearly had me on a treadmill.
This is a place I would return to time and time again, to escape, indulge and find a little bit of peace – or perhaps to visit the 12th-century chapel in the grounds, which hosts weddings.
Rooms from €400 for bed and breakfast, excluding taxes call +39 089 832 1199 or see www.monasterosantarosa.com for more information.
The food
Breakfast here is a veritable feast and includes the juiciest strawberries, fresh from the hotel’s kitchen garden, from which much of the food is sourced.
Chef Christoph Bob serves up the most delectable pasta and fish dishes I’ve tasted in Italy, expertly paired with wines by the sommelier. Request a word with Bob himself and he’ll put together an inspired tasting menu for you.
Taking a boat trip
It’s often the people that make a place and all the staff here are absolute heaven – low-key and relaxed, they’re a far cry from the stiff-collared waiters so often found in five-star hotels.
Ask them about a boat trip with Salvatore from Lucibello Boats, who has ‘more Prosecco than gasoline’ onboard and will take you on a tour of the coastline and private islands (www.lucibello.it).
Around the area
When not on the water, buses are the best way to get around. Take the hotel’s free shuttle to Amalfi, then hop on an open-top bus tour up to Ravello in the hills and visit Villa Cimbrone.
Here, you can potter round the gardens and find the perfect backdrop for a photo on Terrazza dell’Infinito (the Terrace of Infinity).
Great escape: Kandima, Maldives
Into the wide, blue yonder.
Credit: Ken Hayden Photography
Great escape: Jumby Bay, Antigua
A private island paradise only accessible by boat.
Great escape: Bequia Beach, St Vincent and the Grenadines
A Caribbean world away.
-
A Grecian masterpiece that might be one of the nation's finest homes comes up for sale in KentGrade I-listed Holwood House sits in 40 acres of private parkland just 15 miles from central London. It is spectacular.
-
What the cluck? Waitrose announces ‘trailblazing’ pledge to help improve chicken welfare standardsWaitrose has signed up to the Better Chicken Commitment, but does the scheme leave Britain open to inferior imports?
-
Why British designers dream up the most desirable hotelsWhen it comes to hotel design, the Brits do it best, says Giles Kime.
-
'This wild stretch of Chilean wasteland gives you what other National Parks cannot — a confounding sense of loneliness': One writer's odyssey to the end of the worldWhere else on Earth can you find more than 752,000 acres of splendid isolation? Words and pictures by Luke Abrahams.
-
'The Wild Rabbit is a paean to Lady Carole Bamford's ethos of comfortable, yet incredibly spoiling accommodation'At the heart of Kingham, one of Oxfordshire’s most historic and beguiling villages, The Wild Rabbit offers the chance to enjoy the authentic charm of the Cotswolds with all the trappings of a five-star hotel.
-
‘The best sleep in the sky’: What it’s like to fly in United’s Polaris cabin, approved by American icon Martha StewartUnited’s Business Class cabin goes by the name Polaris and Martha Stewart is a fan. So, how does it fare?
-
How to disconnect from reality and feel like a new person in under 72 hoursOur round-up of the best British retreats that work wellness wonders in under 72 hours.
-
Scotland's majestic landscapes meet holistic wellness aboard Belmond and Dior's inaugural train retreatThe Royal Scotsman, A Belmond Train, and Dior have announced a three-night travelling wellness retreat.
-
Art, architecture and plastic bricks at Lego House: 'It's as if the National Gallery set up easels and paints next to the masterpieces and invited you try your hand at creating a Van Gogh'The rural Danish town where Lego was created is dominated by the iconic toy — and at Lego House, it has a fittingly joyful site of pilgrimage. Toby Keel paid a visit.
-
How to cruise in the wake of Mark Twain on the great Mississippi River of the American South'You cannot understand Twain without understanding the great river that winds its way as twistingly through his work as it winds through the middle of America.'
