4 Best Hotels in Sorrento, Sorrento and the Sorrentine Peninsula

Overlooking the Bay of Naples, this luxurious Belle Époque dream has been in the same family since 1834, which means that public spaces are virtual museums—with elegant Victorian love seats and stile liberty (Art Nouveau) ornamentation—and guest rooms are spacious, with soigné furnishings and balconies and terraces that overlook gardens or the bay. Dine in the open-air seaside Bosquet restaurant or the magnificently grand Vittoria. Grounds lined with arbored promenades, shaded by orange trees, and studded with statues contain a giant pool.

This luxurious retreat, magnificently set on a bluff high over the Bay of Naples, is one of Italy's most legendary hotels, complete with Art Deco touches throughout; lounges and salons decorated with avant-garde artwork and trompe-l'oeil frescoes; and guest rooms that range from sleekly modern to sumptuously fanciful. Breakfast and dine in style in the Mimmo Iodice room surrounded by gorgeous photography and panoramic vistas over the bay---or under the cliff-top wisteria pergola.

Lush, landscaped gardens surround this large hotel, an oasis of quiet and cool with lots going for it: an elevator whisks you to and from sea level and a private beach; the pool area practically leans out over the bay; guest-room decor marries cool hues with bright accents; and there are both indoor and alfresco dining options.

The lobby might be a glamorous white-on-white extravaganza of Caprese columns, tufted sofas, shimmering crystal chandeliers, silver ecclesiastical objects, and gilded Baroque mirrors, but the charming staff ensure the vibe is elegantly casual, the guest rooms are well equipped and spacious, and the rooftop pool area has magnificent bay and Vesuvius vistas. The garden is also a delight, but that's no surprise, as owner Enzo Manniello also runs Sorrento's famous garden restaurant O' Parrucchiano.