Hotel Villa Cimbrone
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Upcoming nightly rates
Review
Character and identity
Perched on a Ravello clifftop with origins in the 11th century, this 19-room villa was reimagined in the early 1900s by Lord Grimthorpe and has since drawn Virginia Woolf, Greta Garbo, and E.M. Forster into its orbit. The gardens are the defining feature, culminating in a belvedere that Gore Vidal called the most beautiful place in the world. Inside, suites layer vaulted ceilings, Majolica tile floors, and frescoes. Il Flauto di Pan, the Michelin-starred restaurant, turns local cooking (white rabbit ragù, marinated Cetara anchovies) into something refined. The register is quiet, historic, and unmistakably Amalfi.
Who's it for
Best for:
Couples on a milestone trip, garden and literary romantics, and design-minded travellers who want the Amalfi Coast without the harbour-front crowds of Positano. Honeymooners and anniversary guests get the most from the setting; food-led travellers will appreciate the Michelin kitchen and the sense of arriving somewhere with real provenance.
Should look elsewhere:
Families with young children, beach-first travellers, and anyone who wants nightlife on the doorstep. Ravello sits high above the coast, so the sea is a drive and a descent away, and the mood here is contemplative rather than buzzy.
Bottom line
The gardens and that belvedere view are the reason to come, with the Michelin kitchen and historic interiors as serious supporting acts. Book a suite with frescoed ceilings and a garden or sea aspect, plan dinner at Il Flauto di Pan, and aim for shoulder-season (May or September) when Ravello breathes and the terraces are at their best.