Casa Angelina

Praiano isn’t the most famous town on the Amalfi Coast, but its appeal is undeniable: it’s just beyond Positano, which not only places it outside the most crowded stretch of the coast, but gives it an astonishing view of Positano itself, along with the dramatic seascapes to the west. This is where you’ll find Casa Angelina, a rare hotel that makes a virtue of modern architecture and design even in these most traditional environs — and, in the process, establishes a tone of understated luxury that few hotels anywhere can match.

Most of the rooms have terraces opening onto those astonishing views, and there are plenty of them in the common spaces as well. The look, in-room, combines an exceedingly tranquil white-on-white color scheme with the fine detailing for which contemporary Italian luxury designers are known.

There’s a terrace with an outdoor pool, and there’s always the beach, which is a dramatic elevator ride plus a further two hundred steps down from Casa Angelina’s cliffside position; worth the effort for the beach club, with its umbrella-shaded sun beds. Spa treatments are available as well, and the fitness and relaxation area includes an indoor hydrotherapy pool and a well-equipped modern gym.

Meanwhile the best views are reserved for Piano nel Cielo, the hotel’s top-floor restaurant, which serves a high-end contemporary interpretation of traditional Campanian flavors, backed by truly jaw-dropping views of the Sorrentine peninsula at sunset. It’s joined by the more casual Seascape, an all-day restaurant with an open-plan kitchen.

Please note: Casa Angelina is a seasonal property, open mid-March through October. Children under 12 years of age are not permitted.