Villa Franca

With an enviable spot amid Positano’s old streets, yet moments from the shore, Villa Franca is a peaceful haven in the heart of the action. This hilltop retreat overlooks the beautiful Amalfi Coast that’s magical by day and just as enchanting at night. Channel your inner Sophia Loren on a stylish lounger beside the rooftop pool. Sip cool cocktails as you scan the skyline. Admire the landscapes from Restaurant Li Galli. As the Italians say, “la vita è bella”.

Villa Franca was once a private home, created to celebrate its sublime setting. Still run by the same family, it’s now a chic boutique hotel that pays homage to old and new Amalfi. Inside, majolica and Italian marble sit alongside modern works of art and designer names.Here you could have lunch on the terrace, followed by an afternoon of pampering in the O'SPA, their chic wellness centre where all treatments are performed by skilled therapists, using Sothys skincare products. Then settle in to Gallis Bar – a favourite of the Positano in-crowd since the forties. Its piano music, library of films and vintage games are perfect accompaniments to aperitivo and pre-dinner nibbles.

Outside Villa Franca, meandering roads take you past pretty cliff-side towns and through some of Italy’s most iconic landscapes. It’s ideal hiking country, but the beaches fringing the hotel are the real stars. Hiring a boat, complete with skipper, is a wonderful way to see them all. To explore further afield, helpful Villa Franca staff will happily arrange a range of guided tours. Stop off in Sorrento, peruse Pompeii or discover the charismatic Gulf of Naples.