#1Positano, Amalfi Coast
1. Le Sirenuse
From $1,500+ a night, checked April 2026
Le Sirenuse is the standard against which every other hotel on the Amalfi Coast is measured, and it has held that position since the Sersale family opened it in 1951 in their ancestral villa. The 58 rooms are individually designed with antiques, hand-painted tiles and fabrics sourced from the markets of Naples, no two are identical, and the effect is of staying in a home that has been accumulating beautiful things for generations rather than a hotel that has been decorated by a committee. The terrace pool, with its 180-degree panorama of Positano village cascading to the bay below, is one of the great pool views on earth. Francos Bar, the hotel's ground-floor cocktail institution, has been the meeting point for Positano's international creative community since the 1950s. Steinbeck drank here, Truman Capote drank here, and the current barman maintains a menu of Campania-based preparations that would justify a visit in their own right. The La Sponda restaurant, where every table is lit by candlelight and the view is the sea, produces authentic Campanian cuisine at a level of refinement that matches its setting.
Key Facts
- Rooms: 58 individually designed rooms
- Setting: Positano hillside, sea views
- Pool: Panoramic terrace sea-view pool
- Bar: Francos Bar, since 1951
- Dining: La Sponda candlelit restaurant
- Transport: Steps, private boat available
- 58 rooms and suites
- Best months: May to October
Best for: Iconic views
Watch out: One honest note: Positano is built on a steep hillside, and Le Sirenuse involves steps, many steps.
