Hotel Santa Caterina Amalfi

A late 19th century liberty style villa immersed in the beautiful scenery of the Amalfi Coast, an elegant seaside residence surrounded by the perennial blue of the Mediterranean sea and sky, by luscious bougainvillea and by lovingly cultivated olive groves and fruit orchards.

This is Hotel Santa Caterina of Amalfi, a special place to experience the finest of Italian hospitality and lasting sensations of wellbeing. The hotel overlooks a large estate that winds its way down the cliffside along a series of scenic natural terraces in the rock face.

Guests can use the private elevators or stairs to access the esclusive beach club or the center of Amalfi and the other famed villages along the Amalfi Coast.

Classic Italian interiors, quintessentially Mediterranean architecture and the style of the villas of Amalfi: all of Hotel Santa Caterina’s rooms are spacious and filled with light, with floors in hand painted majolica, marble bathrooms, and balconies with view over the sea of Amalfi or the garden.

Thirty-six Partial Sea View, Executive Partial Sea View, Front Sea View and Deluxe bedrooms, thirteen Junior Suites, Executive Junior Suites and Suites are located in the main building.

The secluded Garden Suites are, as the name suggests, located in the garden area of the hotel. An additional 17 accommodations between deluxe rooms, juniors suites and suites are situated in the hotel’s Villa Santa Caterina and the recently acquired Villa Il Rosso.

THE HISTORY
In 1880, Giuseppe Gambardella built the original structure. Crescenzo Gambardella, his son, redesigned the property in 1904, creating the original six guestrooms. Two generations of Gambardellas have improved the hotel, bringing the resort to its present 66 guestrooms and suites.

Today, Crescenzo’s daughters, Giusi and Ninni Gambardella, assisted by their children Crescenzo Gargano and Alessandro and Beatrice Camera, directly manage the day-to-day operations of the hotel and take personal interest in the comfort and enjoyment of the resort guests.

ROOMS & SUITES
Equipped with all the comforts today’s guests might require, Hotel Santa Caterina’s Partial Sea View, Executive Partial Sea View, Front Sea View and Deluxe rooms feature individually painted majolica paving tiles from Vietri and attractive sea view balconies (side sea view in Partial Sea View and Executive Partial Sea View rooms and front sea view in Front Sea View and Deluxe rooms).

SUITES
These generously sized rooms with open-plan bedroom and living area, feature quality wood furnishings, colorful hand-painted majolica floors, large balconies or terraces directly above the sea of the Amalfi Coast, and private gardens bordered by sweet scented lemon and orange trees.

Hotel Santa Caterina’s luxurious suites have been designed so as to satisfy the requirements of even the most demanding of guests

With living area, balcony or terrace overlooking the sea of the Amalfi Coast, tiled floors in colorful Majolica from Vietri and antiques, all of Hotel Santa Caterina’s wonderfully spacious Suites and Junior Suites are equipped with luxurious baths in which to enjoy moments of total peace and relaxation.

IL TORRINO SUITE
The wonderfully secluded Il Torrino Suite is near Hotel Santa Caterina’s botanic gardens. The suite’s large windows look out over a fabulous view of the whole of Amalfi. From the living room, guests access the mezzanine floor and the bedroom. White ceramic floor tiles, a bathroom with circular jacuzzi tub, and a sumptuous king size bed are some of the highlights of this suite.

DINING
Hotel Santa Caterina has two restaurants both with panoramic sea view, one in the main building and the other overlooking the swimming pool and the sea.

The careful selection of primary ingredients and the natural talent of the hotel’s chefs result in the most delicious of dishes. The classic recipes of the Amalfi Coast and their brilliant modern interpretation have earned Hotel Santa Caterina its outstanding reputation on the international gastronomic scene.

The great Mediterranean gastronomic tradition, the taste of the freshest fish, of recipes jealously guarded so as to be passed on from generation to generation.

Perhaps the best way to experience the Amalfi Coast, even before you take your first dip in its crystal clear waters, is by tasting its cuisine and the delicious dishes prepared by the chefs of Hotel Santa Caterina of Amalfi.

THE GLICINE RESTAURANT
Awarded a Michelin Star by Michelin Guide 2020, offers a panoramic terrace with a breath-taking view on the Amalfi Bay. A new fine dining concept, proposes a cuisine focused on local recipes and Mediterranean flavours, proposing balanced, elegant and innovative dishes.

Besides the tasting menu recommended by the chef Giuseppe Stanzione, the menu also includes vegan, vegetarian and celiac options. Open only for dinner every day.

AL MARE RESTAURANT
From May to October, the period of the year which is best for enjoying the sun and sea of the Amalfi Coast, lunch and dinner are served also at the Beach Club’s Restaurant Al Mare, restaurant positioned on a perched terrace just above Hotel Santa Caterina’s private beach platform.

Fresh grilled fish and fragrant pizzas cooked in the traditional wood burning oven are the specialties of an informal meal, surrounded by the spectacular scenery of the Amalfi Coast.

THE GROTTINO BAR
A refreshing cocktail or bracing espresso: at Il Grottino Bar next to the beach club you can settle in and unwind between dips in the pool and sunbathing. In the evening, the twinkling lights of the candles blend with the canopy of stars above in a romantic backdrop for your aperitif or nightcap.

LA TERRAZZA BAR 
Whether for an aperitif amongst friends, a light snack before heading to the beach, or a romantic after dinner drink it seems the most natural thing in the world to enjoy these leisurely moments at Hotel Santa Caterina’s La Terrazza Bar, with its welcoming environment, panoramic view of Amalfi, and vast selection of cocktails and home-made lemon liqueurs, served with an inviting selection of warm and cold canapés.

THE WINE CELLAR 
Hotel Santa Caterina’s well stocked wine cellar will delight lovers of Bacchus’ favorite tipple, with its excellent selection of all the most highly acclaimed regional, Italian and international wines, wines to be savored as an accompaniment to the chef’s specialties or to take home either as a gift or as a souvenir of the pleasurable moments spent on the Amalfi Coast.

THE CHEF – GIUSEPPE STANZIONE 
Chef Giuseppe Stanzione was born in 1978 in Salerno and got his hospitality diploma in 1997, after which he had numerous professional experiences in Italy and abroad, including locations like California, Australia, China, and Thailand.

Upon his return to Italy, he worked under Chef Angelo Troiani in the starred kitchen of Convivio Troiani in Rome before moving on the the two-starred kitchens of Locanda Solarola in Castel Guelfo (Bologna) and Risorante Arquade at Villa del Quar in San Pietro in Cariano (Venice), both helmed by Chef Bruno Barbieri.

In 2008, Chef Giuseppe took over the kitchen at the Casa del Nonno 13 Restaurant in Mercato S. Severino, which was awarded a Michelin star that same year. In 2011, he moved to Ristorante Le Trave in Capaccio-Paestum, which was also awarded a Michelin star in 2013.

THE BEACH CLUB
Nestled in one of the most beautiful corners of the Amalfi Coast, Hotel Santa Caterina’s Beach Club is where guests relax, soaking up the Mediterranean sun and swimming in the heated pool filled with sea water.

Easy to access by way of two comfortable elevators carved in to the rock face, the Beach Club is also home to Hotel Santa Caterina’s Restaurant Al Mare, the perfect place where to enjoy a light snack or delicious platter of fresh grilled fish.

The swimming pool area of the Beach Club is reserved exclusively for use by hotel guests and is open from the second half of April to October, from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Sun loungers, deck chairs, beach umbrellas and beach towels are provided by the attendents. Changing rooms and showers are also available.

THE WELLNESS
Hotel Santa Caterina’s Spa: an exclusive wellness center on the Amalfi Coast. Here guests can indulge in a fabulous range of face and body treatments, performed using essences of Mediterranean herbs and citrus fruits, all designed so as to re-establish natural balance, and leave guests feeling relaxed, energized and rejuvenated.

THE MASSAGES 
The Lemon Massage “Amalfi Gold”, our Mediterranean aromatherapy, thanks to the essential oils from flowers and plants of the Amalfi Coast, relax and smooth, cleansing the body and rejuvenating the spirit. Treat yourself to moments of deep relaxation and intense well being, choosing from a wide range of massages.

THE BEAUTY TREATMENTS
Let yourself be pampered and give your body and your mind the experience of unique and luxurious beauty treatments, essential to well-being and beauty.

THE FITNESS AREA
Close to the Beach Club there is Hotel Santa Caterina of Amalfi’s Fitness Center overlooking the sea. The gym is equipped with the latest in modern appliances, such as Step, Recline, Run-Race, Chest Press, Vertical Bench, Leg Extension, Standing Leg Curl and Crunch Bench. Open from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

THE BOUTIQUE
Santa Caterina’s boutique carries a selection of bathing suits, elegant wraps designed by the famed Moda Positano label, and a “Santa Caterina” line of traditional hand-painted majolica items from Vietri, in addition to accessories, corals, and souvenirs from the Amalfi Coast. The boutique is located near the elevators connecting to the beach.

WEDDINGS ON AMALFI COAST
Hotel Santa Caterina provides a spectacular setting for an intimate banquet or sumptuous wedding reception. The secluded, sun-kissed veranda and the light-filled dining room overlooking Amalfi are the perfect venues in which to host a truly unforgettable event.

The traditional dishes of the Amalfi Coast, together with Chef Giuseppe Stanzione’s beautifully presented creations, are guaranteed to tantalize the senses and satisfy even the most discerning of palates.

THE LOCATION
Hotel Santa Caterina is close to the center of Amalfi overlooking the coastline, perfectly located for taking day trips to Positano, Ravello, Sorrento, Capri, Pompeii and Herculaneum, and Naples.

The hotel offers a free shuttle (navy coloured Mercedes Viano with hotel logo’s on each side) for guests to and from the center of Amalfi (near the roundabout, at the bus departure point to Ravello), departing every 30 minutes from 8 a.m. till midnight. The center of Amalfi is also just a 15 minute walk away.

THE AMALFI COAST
The Amalfi Coast lies on the southern side of the Sorrentine Peninsula. It is one of the most popular seaside destinations in Italy’s Campania region and, with its breathtakingly panoramic Amalfi Drive, comprised of a succession of dramatic hairpin bends which faithfully trace each and every indent and rocky promontory, is considered one of the most beautiful stretches of coast in the whole of Europe.

The charm of the Amalfi Coast is such that it can be appreciated throughout the year, whatever the season. When not bathing in the warm waters or strolling through the historic centers of Amalfi or nearby Positano, visitors might easily be found savoring the local specialties served in any of the area’s excellent sea edge restaurants or sipping the fabulous wines produced with the grapes cultivated on the fertile slopes of Mount Vesuvius.

In addition to the spectacular scenery, part of the appeal of the Amalfi Coast lies in its historical and artistic importance. This short guide aims to introduce visitors to some of the most beautiful places nearby.

For those wishing to visit the Amalfi Coast from the sea, our concierge or our attendants at the Beach Club will be happy to provide information and assist guests in booking private boats and motorboats with which to explore the coast.

For those guests eager to explore the Amalfi Coast, Amalfi, situated just moments away from Hotel Santa Caterina, is the obvious place to start. This port which lies at the mouth of the Valle dei Mulini surrounded by its churches, ancient watch towers and colorful little houses, was, in the 11th century, the birthplace of one of the world’s greatest naval powers:

THE MARITIME REPUBLIC OF AMALFI
In that period, the laws of the sea were the laws of Amalfi. Amalfi’s navigation tables, the world’s first maritime code, governed shipping in the Mediterranean for centuries. Not surprisingly, the town conserves numerous traces of its ancient sailing tradition and the famous tables, or Tavole Amalfitane, take pride of place in the Civic Museum.

Among the many buildings to be visited; the Cathedral of Sant’Andrea, with its imposing facade and bronze doors; the Cloister of Paradise, built in the 13th century to house the tombs of the town’s most illustrious citizens; and the Paper Museum, situated in the Valle dei Mullini in an old 13th century paper mill, are, perhaps, the most noteworthy.

EXPLORING THE BAY OF NAPLES
Anyone who comes to the Campania region and does not visit the Bay of Naples will be missing the opportunity of experiencing the traditions, history and natural beauty of some of Italy’s most beloved cities and islands.

Sorrento is one of the most important towns to visit from Hotel Santa Caterina. With its position directly above the sea, Sorrento enjoys superb views over the entire Bay of Naples.

The historic center, characterized by its maze of narrow roads and alleyways, is the perfect place to buy the town’s traditional hand-crafted wooden items, exquisite coral jewelery and quality leather goods. The arched Cloister of St Francis, filled with magnificent palm trees and great cascades of purple bougainvillea, is well worth visiting.

THE MOUNT VESUVIUS 
The presence of Vesuvius has dominated life on the Bay of Naples ever since it buried the towns of Pompei and Herculaneum under a 6m thick layer of ash in 79AD. Vesuvius is the last remaining active volcano in continental Europe.

The torrent of solidified lava left by the last eruption in 1944, visible on the walk leading to the crater, provides an eloquent reminder that Vesuvius is by no means dead – just sleeping. Despite its devastating potential, Vesuvius has proved to be a source of wealth and prosperity for the people living in its shadows.

Its fertile soil favors the cultivation of fruit and vegetables of worldwide fame, such as the del piennolo cherry tomatoes, the Somma Vesuviana peaches, and the grapes from which the highly prized Lacryma Christi wine is made. The volcano lies at the heart of the Vesuvius National Park, a protected area in which there are many spectacular nature trails.

Rooms: 67

Price: from 486 EUR per night

Source: www.hotelsantacaterina.it