UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2018 ~
It only takes 10 minutes in Positano to realize that the most important thing about your accommodations will not be your bed, the size of the bath or even whether you have air conditioning. It will be all about your veranda! How is it positioned? Morning or afternoon sunlight? How many people can you fit on it? And the view…oh the view! Life on the Amalfi coast is lived alfresco not only because of the weather, but the vistas are so breathtaking that you are drawn to live inside them, to be a part of them. You simply have to be outside taking it in continually. Hence, my number one criteria for accommodations in Positano has been, and will always be, the veranda!!
I’ve stayed several places over the years but I want to highlight my top 3 based on a variety of reasons; value, shared space, luxury and vistas! The first year I went to Positano it was a spontaneous trip that I tacked on to the back-end of business travels. I had been to Sorrento the year prior on a business trip, followed by watching the movie Under The Tuscan Sun, and I knew I had to go see this place where the American Heroin discovers that “she still has it”. If you don’t understand this reference, I recommend you watch the movie! She typed with a smile…but I digress.
I hopped on Trip Advisor and did my research and landed on Hotel Reginella. It was a last-minute, availability based decision, coupled with what I perceived to be a reasonable rate. But I was in for a surprise! I expected a little hotel room that we wouldn’t spend much time in, but what we got was a newly renovated “private apartment” with two bedrooms, a kitchenette and sizable bathroom that is share-able, even for women. It came with a balcony that ran the length of the apartment that had a view to die for! Not only that, but at around 4:00 pm every evening, live traditional Italian music from a restaurant below wafted up to the balcony. It became a daily “happy hour” ritual, snacks, wine, music and taking in our view from the veranda. I felt like I was in a movie. I kept expecting Sophia to “pop over” for a glass of wine! Hotel Reginella is also run by a LOVELY family that have become friends over the years. You can find Enzo, Ilaria and Bella in Sweet Positano, their shop next to the hotel, selling me wine…lots of wine! I highly recommend Hotel Reginella with two VVs. Value and Vistas. It will give you a hotel experience with breakfast, daily cleaning and such, but I felt like a local in my private apartment. Ask for the apartment, I’m pretty sure there is only one!
This summer will be the third time I’ve rented a private villa, Casa Maria. It’s a sizable place with 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, laundry, kitchen and two balconies. One is covered in flowers and the other has an insane view with a large deck that accommodates 10 people easily. I know this sounds so “snooty” …” like, a private, like, villa”! But in all seriousness, it’s a real value for the space and it allows me to have guests come and go. This is an easy property to share with others and still have some privacy. I must however note, that over the years of renting this place it appears that the property is not being well cared for. A variety of little issues emerged this last year that where quite annoying. Shower drains didn’t drain, switch plates falling off, power going out, shower heads dribbling water out, oven not working, wall sockets unusable, etc. While I love the location, view and layout of the property, the jury is out on renewal.
Last summer I splurged and spent a week in a tower. Yes, a real tower. Torre Trasita. Oh, that I could afford to stay in the tower for an entire month but I’m just not there yet. It is coastal luxury personified! In fact, I can’t call Torre Trasita a “house” because it’s so much more than that, it’s an experience. If there were ever a moment when I actually felt like royalty, it was staying here! I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. What the pictures don’t capture are all of the little details of this experience that leave you wondering who the designer was. Roberta, Marina and their team are so warm, friendly and attend to anything that you could ever need!
You can hardly go wrong wherever you stay in this magical village, but if I could offer you one bit of advice…make sure you have a veranda with a view…pay a little extra…you won’t regret it!
Next up…Beaches and Melon Time!