Le Sirenuse
Positano, Amalfi Coast
The prima donna of Positano is as classy and comfortable as ever, and still the only outstanding hotel in town
Positano is the most photogenic - and the most photographed -
village in Italy. Its pastel facades soar up from sea-washed crags,
which once tempted Odysseus with Siren songs, to summits swathed in
mist and forest. Nowadays it tempts a different kind of traveller:
rich and famous, young and beautiful, lovers of boutiques and
bronzage and of each other, who lounge on its black-sand
beaches and ply the coast in elegant yachts.
If you're part of that crowd, or enjoy being among them, there's
only one place to stay: the Sirens' Palace. A lift glides down to
the 4th floor to emerge on a sparkling sun terrace, with a strip of
pool and white-clad loungers to your left, a glassed and vaulted
dining conservatory to your right, and ahead a view past Santa
Maria's majolica dome to an azure canvas pierced by the fabled
Li Galli rockstacks. With 63 rooms, it's larger
than it appears, but cleverly tiered across two ochre
palazzi. Expect every comfort (huge jacuzzis, Bose iPods),
seamless service (poolside cocktails, superb spa), and a bill to
match.
Reviewed by Michael Cullen
Last updated 30 April 2012
Highs
- Superb position in the heart of town, 5 mins from the beach
- Sumptuously appointed bedrooms, almost all with sea view and balcony
- Elegant antique-filled drawing rooms (one a champagne bar) and flower-decked terraces
- Wonderful spa with bio-sauna, Turkish bath and natural Aveda products
- There really is nothing like it in Positano – if you can afford it, go for it!
Lows
- It's shockingly expensive (but that's half the point)
- Avoid the standard rooms: no view, no balcony
- You need to book several months ahead in summer
- Poolside loungers – and the one lift – are at a premium when it's full
