Just outside Amalfi proper (giving it a grand vista of the town), the Santa Caterina takes full advantage of its hillside location. There are vast, terraced gardens and orchards overlooking the sea, and down by the water is a luscious seawater-pool area, complete with an idyllic thatched-roof, open-air caffè. The lobby is charmingly coved, while decor is unobtrusively traditional, with Belle Epoque accents. The luckiest guests are allowed to book the hotel's extraordinary, 19th-century hunting-box châlet, set at water's edge at the far end of the hotel's romantic orchards.

Forty standard and deluxe accommodations and 13 Junior Suites and Suites are located in the main building. There are 9 additional accommodations between the garden Suites and the Villa Santa Caterina annex. The spacious deluxe rooms feature original antiques, hand-painted ceramic tile floors, sea view bathrooms and offer five-star amenities including brass fixtures, heated towel bars and a lot of privacy amidst the natural splendours of the Amalfi coast. Each of the 62 luminous rooms and suites has a balcony with view on the Amalfi coast. Many have a large terrace or garden. They are furnished with early 20th century family pieces and decorated with Vietri multi-coloured ceramics. The rooms emphasise the atmosphere of exquisite welcome: each is different from the other and is enriched by a touch of fantasy. The suites are stunning, in particular "Romeo and Juliet" (an intimate two-storey chalet perched on the cliff above the sea), "Follia Amalfitana" immersed in the citrus grove, "Casa dell'Arancio" (House of the Orange), "Vite" (Grapevine), "Glicine" (Wisteria), "Campanule" (Bellflowers) and "Limoni" (Lemons). All the rooms are equipped with air-conditioning, direct dial telephones, ISDN lines, voice mail, PC outlet, satellite colour TV, minibar, safety box and deluxe junior suites and suites have Jacuzzis. 24-hour room service.

The Santa Caterina has two restaurants: Restaurant Santa Caterina in the main building and Restaurant Al Mare at sea level. The cuisine is so famous that it has been hosted in New York's Hotel Plaza on more than one occasion. Our award-winning cuisine is part of the enjoyment of the Santa Caterina. The fame of our two restaurants is recognized by the most authoritative guidebooks worldwide. The hotel also has two bars.

Two elevetors cut into the rock lead directly to the private beach and sea-water swimming pool open from 8.00 a.m. to 7 p.m. from April to October, weather permitting. The gym with its sophisticated equipment is at the guests' disposal without the supervision of an instructor and is open from 8.00 a.m. to 10 p.m.

* Best of the Best, 2010 guide to the World's Best Hotel Experiences. E-mail me today for your complimentary copy presented by Renshaw Travel & Cruise Concepts