Then there are the views: dramatic, shimmering and stretching all around the Bay of Naples. They are what add extra romance to your meals (with two restaurants to choose between), and they're what make you sigh with contentment when you wake up in the morning. See it all from another angle at the private beach, accessed through old Roman tunnels. They were once part of Postumus's fisheries and you can swim over the submerged vestiges.
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Score 9/10
The best of the 50 rooms and suites are the sea-view ones with terraces, where you get to perch high above the waves and take in the views in one sunny sweep. But all rooms are lovely -- each with varying (but ultimately classic) decor: white walls, colourful headboards and soft furnishings, plus knick-knacks. For added drama and romance, the rococo Heritage Junior Suite is something special, dressed up in flamboyant 18th-century frescoes and chandeliers. Or book the ultra-slick Lord Astor Suite, with its two-person whirlpool tub and sprawling terrace with pool.
No matter what you pick, you'll find big comfy beds, squishy pillows and ample bathrooms with lovely hand-made toiletries. The shampoo -- a soap-like block -- doesn't mousse a lot, but that's the chemical-free point.
Score 9/10
With its poolside setting and sweeping views, alfresco Il Costiera bar is the spot for limoncello cocktails and light pasta bites. But La Pergola -- on a terrace with panoramic views of the Tyrrhenian Sea -- is the place for traditional Italian dishes. There are simple salads and pizzas at lunchtime and elaborate dishes at night -- perhaps sea bass in fennel sauce, beef fillet with chard, and coffee-heavy tiramisu. The six-course tasting menu is a good way to check out the chef's culinary muscles, with fancy dishes such as scallops with white cabbage coulis, taglione with red prawns and truffle, and blue lobster au gratin with provola cheese.
Whatever you do, eat breakfast here at least once: the tables sit among Roman-era columns on a sea-view terrace, for a start, but the buffet -- local pastries, breads, cold cuts and fruits -- is served in the gloriously frescoed Villa Pompeiana, a near-perfect replica of the House of Vetti ruin in Pompeii and a glorious reminder of the area's past. Nibble during the day? The free drinks and snacks in the Club Lounge are a handy touch.
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Score 9/10
The must-see is the beach at the bottom of the cliff. You could take the lift to it, but the walk down takes you into the Roman fishery tunnels of Agrippa Postumus (who nicknamed himself Neptune), and past a huge vaulted cave where carved nymphs adorn the walls. At the tunnel entrance, part of an enormous portico still stands; the rest fell into the sea long ago, but you can stand on the old bricks (or study them with a snorkel) in the swimming area, which doubles as a solarium. It's quite magical.
Other offerings include a small spa treatment room, a gym and a hammam. A golf buggy (with a driver) is available for quick trips to Sorrento's train station.
Score 9/10
The hotel is in a brilliant clifftop spot, within easy walking distance of all the main sights. A transfer to Sorrento's port or train station takes about five minutes, or you could walk it in about double that. Both Naples airport and Naples city centre are an hour away by car. The train from Sorrento to Naples takes about 70 minutes.
Price room-only doubles from £706
Restaurant mains from £27
Family-friendly Y
Accessible N