The grand dame of the Amalfi Coast, Hotel Santa Caterina, re-opened its doors and is primed and ready to welcome guests into its world of unique luxury for another glorious summer season.
Hotel Santa Caterina is a five-star luxury hotel that has remained in family ownership for over a century. It is known for its excellent service levels and enviable position on the Amalfi Coast. Below, we look at why Hotel Santa Caterina continues to be one of the Amalfi Coast’s best-loved hotels.
Its Position
Hotel Santa Caterina’s position offers an unparalleled view of Amalfi Bay and uninterrupted panoramic sea views. It is a short walk from the historic town centre of Amalfi, dominating a stretch of coast where the sea merges with the sky on the horizon.
It is built into the cliffside and is framed by beautiful Mediterranean gardens and a series of terraces leading down to the beach level, and is perfectly positioned for visiting nearby towns such as Positano, Ravello, Sorrento, Capri, Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Naples.
The Beach Club
Exclusively available to hotel guests, the Beach Club at Hotel Santa Caterina is nestled in the cliffside and surrounded by the scent of lemon groves and botanical gardens.
With easy access to the sea (Hotel Santa Caterina is one of few hotels in Amalfi with direct sea access), and a saltwater swimming pool, the Beach Club service includes sun loungers, umbrellas, beach towels, changing and shower areas and everything you would expect for the perfect poolside day—the ultimate definition of Amalfi style Dolce Vita.
The Rooms & Suites
The 72 rooms and suites at Hotel Santa Caterina transport guests to another era suspended in time, imbued with light and timeless details. From the terraces and balconies, the Mediterranean embraces the hotel with colours of nature from land and sea.
From the hand-painted ceramic floors and majolica of Vietri to the marble bathrooms, every design aspect is tailor-made to satisfy the most discerning of guests’ expectations.
The combination of contemporary and earlier twentieth-century furnishings gives all the rooms a unique and romantic feeling.
Wellness
Hotel Santa Caterina understands that holidays are precious and the time for focusing on one’s well-being. With this in mind, the hotel offers authentic Mediterranean Aromatherapy, including a wide range of facial and body beauty treatments. Exclusive to Hotel Santa Caterina is the ‘Oro di Amalfi’ – a massage that relaxes and stimulates the Chakras by using a delicate lemon-based oil for a toning, smoothing, purifying and vitaminising effect.
Dining options
The hotel has many corners for guests to enjoy special dining experiences. Breakfast is nothing short of spectacular – served on the terrace with stunning sea views – while lunch and dinner can be enjoyed on the beautiful stone terrace of Al Mare, with breathtaking views over the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Celebrating the region’s flavours, Al Mare is renowned for its traditional cuisine, seafood specialities, and handmade pizzas cooked in the wood-fired pizza oven.
Il Grottino, literally carved into the rock, opens onto a terrace overlooking the sea, just a few steps from the Beach Club. Here, guests can find refreshments during the day on the beach or enjoy an aperitif at sunset, accompanied by the sound of the waves. On a warm summer evening, the lights of the terrace blend in with the stars of the sky, creating the unmistakable feeling of Dolce Vita Amalfitana.
Bar La Terrazza is the hotel’s elegant lounge where guests will find a wide selection of cocktails, liqueurs and small gastronomic delicatessens to enjoy before dinner. At sunset, the atmosphere becomes romantic as the stars light up the sky, and the bar becomes the perfect place for pre-dinner or after-dinner drinks.
Most special of all is Hotel Santa Caterina’s Michelin-starred restaurant, Glicine. Guided by the experienced hand of Chef Giuseppe Stanzione (above), guests can choose from the everchanging A La Carte menu or be taken on a fine dining journey with the tasting menu.
The gastronomic offerings at Glicine reflect the seasonal and Mediterranean flavours of the region whilst demonstrating the experience and passion you would expect from a Michelin-starred restaurant. The panoramic veranda and the gardens below make an evening at Glicine an unforgettable experience.
The Old-world Glamour
Hotel Santa Caterina exudes vintage glamour and sophistication. Now a fourth-generation family business, returning guests and regulars are greeted with hugs and kisses on arrival.
Well-known guests have included Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, who enjoyed time away from the cameras in the early days of their romance, while Hilary Clinton and her daughter Chelsea have also holidayed at Hotel Santa Caterina. Kim Kardashian also spent her honeymoon with Kris Humphries at the hotel. Looking further back, Hotel Santa Caterina was also a favourite for Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.
The History of the Property
Hotel Santa Caterina has been, and still is, a private home by the sea used by generations of guests. Over the last century, from the Grand Tour through to modern-day travel, the hotel has been considered the much acclaimed ‘home of hospitality’ on the Amalfi Coast. A place where the world has fallen in love with its Dolce Vita.
In 1904, thanks to the efforts of his wife and son Crescenzo, Dr Giuseppe Gambardella opened the doors of Hotel Santa Caterina with just six rooms. Gambardella’s first experience as a hotelier dated to 1870 when his private family home was transformed into a small hotel, the first Sainte Catherine, located a short distance from the current Santa Caterina.
Two generations of Gambardella have continued expanding and refurbishing the entire property, which now offers a selection of 72 rooms and suites.
Today, Crescenzo’s daughters, Giusi and Ninni Gambardella, assisted by their children Crescenzo Gargano and Alessandro and Beatrice Camera, directly manage the day-to-day operations of the hotel and take a personal interest in the comfort and enjoyment of the hotel’s guests.
Rooms at Hotel Santa Caterina start from €550 (approx. £485) per night, based on double occupancy. For more information or to book, please visit www.hotelsantacaterina.it/en.
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