An eleventh-century palazzo, an infinity pool one thousand feet above the sea, and one of the most photographed terraces in Europe. The view does not require an introduction.
"The Ravello clifftop Belmond, infinity pool over the Amalfi Coast, the working highest-altitude Amalfi flagship."
Why this rank, Belmond Hotel Caruso occupies the restored 11th-century Palazzo D'Afflitto on the Ravello clifftop, 365 metres above the Amalfi Coast. Belmond has operated the property since 2005. 50 rooms and suites; the Belvedere Suite with private terrace and the multi-bedroom Caruso Suites are the property's signature accommodations. The infinity pool over the coast (the highest hotel infinity pool on the Amalfi Coast) is the property's working visual anchor. Belvedere restaurant holds one Michelin star (the formal dinner anchor); Caruso Pool Restaurant runs the lunch programme on the cliff edge; the Lobby Lounge handles the cocktail register. The 11th-century palazzo architecture combined with the contemporary Belmond restoration produces a different Amalfi Coast register from the cliffside village hotels. The Ravello altitude position (the property looks down on Positano and Amalfi from above) is the structural difference from the village-level Le Sirenuse, Il San Pietro and Santa Caterina. Best for the Amalfi Coast clifftop stay at the working highest altitude.
Best room: Belvedere Suite, private terrace, sea view
"The infinity pool above Ravello is the most-photographed image on the Amalfi Coast for a reason. The hotel attached to it is somehow even better than the photograph."
Belmond Hotel Caruso occupies an eleventh-century palazzo in Ravello, the village a thousand feet above the Tyrrhenian that Wagner called the closest he ever came to the gardens of Klingsor. The building has been restored over decades with frescoes preserved, marble columns retained, and a pool added, the latter being the single most-recognised image on the Amalfi Coast and arguably the most legitimate Instagram set-piece in European hospitality. The pool is heated, set on a stone terrace at the edge of the cliff, and lined up with the horizon so cleanly that the water and the sea become indistinguishable around midday.
There are fifty rooms and suites, all individually furnished, each one incorporating frescoed ceilings or arched windows or the kind of marble bathroom that a former cardinal would have approved of. The Belvedere and Exclusive suites face directly down the coast toward Capri; the standard rooms face an internal courtyard or the gardens, both of which are quieter and arguably the more intelligent booking. Antique furniture is mixed with contemporary pieces, beds are excellent, and the bathrooms are large enough to argue in. Service is at the level the price commands, multilingual, anticipatory, and capable of arranging a private boat to Capri or a helicopter to Naples airport without theatricality.
Two restaurants operate on the property. Belvedere serves regional Campanian cuisine on a covered terrace facing the sea, the lunch view alone justifies a stay of one extra night. The pool restaurant, more casual, is where most guests end up reluctantly leaving the pool to eat. The wine list runs deep on Campanian and Sicilian whites, the bar is excellent for late-night negronis, and the breakfast, served until eleven, which is the correct decision, includes the best fresh ricotta on the coast and pastries that have ruined other hotels for many returning guests.
The gardens descend in terraces below the main building, lemon trees, bougainvillea, ancient cypresses, and a long stone walk that ends at a viewpoint over the entire coast. The spa is small but well-equipped. Ravello itself is the quietest of the major Amalfi Coast villages, which means the hotel functions more as a sanctuary than a base, most guests barely leave, descending to Positano or Amalfi only for a single afternoon excursion.
Caruso is the Amalfi Coast hotel for major anniversaries. The drama of the location, the gravity of the building, and the unhurried pace of Ravello create an atmosphere that suits milestone celebrations more naturally than the busier addresses in Positano. Book a Belvedere suite, request a private dinner on the terrace, and arrange a helicopter tour of the coast for the morning of the day itself. Few hotels handle this category of occasion with comparable polish.
The infinity pool at sunset is the obvious answer, but the Belvedere terrace at golden hour is equally photogenic and considerably more private. The concierge has staged enough proposals at this hotel to make the logistics invisible. If she says yes, the dinner at Belvedere afterwards is the natural sequel; if she does not, the hotel will pretend it never happened with the discretion that has been a Caruso speciality since the 1890s.
For couples whose honeymoon priority is privacy and atmosphere over nightlife, Caruso is the better Amalfi Coast choice than the Positano hotels. Mornings at the pool, afternoon hikes to the Villa Cimbrone gardens, and dinners on the Belvedere terrace make for an itinerary that does not require leaving the property unless absolutely necessary. The hotel arranges this category of stay frequently.
Piazza San Giovanni del Toro 2
84010 Ravello, Salerno
Campania, Italy
1,000 ft above the sea, central Ravello
50 individually furnished rooms and suites
Deluxe Garden View from €820/night
Sea View Rooms from €1,400/night
Belvedere Suites from €3,200/night
Check-in: 3:00 PM
Check-out: 12:00 PM
Minimum stay: 2 nights peak season
Heated infinity pool
Belvedere & pool restaurants
Spa & fitness
Terraced gardens
Concierge with helicopter access
Open: April, early November
Peak: June, August
Best value: April, October
High-speed WiFi throughout
Strong signal in rooms and on terraces
International power sockets in all rooms
From €820/night. Closes early November; opens early April. Book six months out for peak weeks.
Book This Hotel →Family-run since 1951. La Sponda Michelin star. The pool above Positano. The benchmark.
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The newest serious arrival. Mid-century renovation, glass-elevator beach club. Different mood entirely.
Editorial · #2 on the Top 20 Hotels on the Amalfi Coast 2026 list
Belmond Hotel Caruso's case for the Amalfi Coast stay is the Ravello clifftop altitude combined with the infinity pool. The property is 365 metres above the Amalfi Coast (the highest hotel altitude on the working Amalfi Coast luxury map); the infinity pool at the cliff edge is the highest hotel pool on the Amalfi Coast.
The 50 rooms and suites across the restored 11th-century Palazzo D'Afflitto include the Belvedere Suite with private terrace facing the sea, the Junior Suite, and the multi-bedroom Caruso Suites. Belvedere restaurant holds one Michelin star (the formal dinner anchor with the working clifftop-terrace setting); Caruso Pool Restaurant runs the lunch programme on the cliff edge; the Lobby Lounge handles the cocktail register.
Belmond has operated the property since 2005; the LVMH-aligned service standard (LVMH owns Belmond since 2019) places the property at the working LVMH-equivalent service tier in Ravello. The 11th-century palazzo architecture combined with the contemporary Belmond restoration produces a different Amalfi register from the cliffside village hotels. The Ravello altitude position (the property looks down on Positano and Amalfi from above) is the structural difference. Best for the Amalfi Coast clifftop stay at the working highest altitude.