Villa dei D'Armiento

Peaceful oasis of bright, stylish rooms in an elegant 19th-century Sorrentino villa, complete with pool and lush garden

With its lush garden and bright interiors, this Liberty-style villa is a wonderfully peaceful and welcoming haven from bustling, beautiful Sorrento. Tucked down a quiet residential street on the Sant'Agnello edge of town, it has been the D'Armiento family home since 1980. After a comprehensive 2-year revamp it opened as a boutique hotel in 2010, but it still retains a family feel in the hands of son Pierluigi: classy yet intimate.

Redesigned by a renowned Sorrento architect, the unifying aesthetic of brilliant whites and bold greens shines through. Seven high-ceilinged, serene bedrooms now blend antiques with Art Nouveau and 21st-century comforts: wide firm beds, power showers, WiFi, double glazing. They're spotlessly clean, with views of turquoise sea or leafy gardens; bathrooms are given Arabic flair by arches and mosaic tiles.

Outside are 4,000 sq.m of grounds, with abundant palms, citrus trees and bird-of-paradise flowers. You can eat your breakfast out here, alongside the turquoise swimming pool, or at little wrought-iron tables on the Tuscan marble terrace beyond the long, elegant sitting room. There's a volcanic sand beach 50m away, too.

Highs

• This is a great spot for a beach- and town holiday rolled into one, plus archaeology (Pompeii) and islands (Capri) if you want: all are easily reached by foot, train or boat
• We loved the crisp, elegant design married with well chosen antiques: inlaid-marquetry furniture, colourful Murano glass chandeliers and ancient instruments
• The smiling, helpful staff all speak pretty good English, and are quick to suggest fun excursions or look up train times for you
• Light meals (including BBQs and 24 flavours of wood-fired pizza!) are on offer, and Sorrento's restaurants are walkable (though you might want to cab back)
• Great for weddings: the lush garden with its palm-tree colonnade is popular for processions, and there's an events pavilion on the lawn

Lows

• It takes a little effort to get into central Sorrento (15 mins' walk)
• The sea-facing windows only open about 6 inches, on a rocker latch, so you can't lean out while drinking in the view - but all rooms except Superiors have a balcony
• Traffic can be infuriatingly slow at weekends; use the train or boat instead
• A couple of minor niggles: the roller-blinds can knock annoyingly against the walls if your window's open and there's a breeze; and door locks can be tricky to turn with one hand