Hotel Villa San Michele, Amalfi Coast

• The Dipino family is on-site daily, so you may feel like you're staying with friends rather than at a hotel.
• Built right into the cliffs facing the Bay of Salerno, you'll enjoy spectacular views over the Amalfi coast and sea.
• There may not be a pool, but you'll have private access to a bathing platform from which you can dive into the sea.
• Located between two bus lines, it's a stress-free base if you're without a car; or, if you have one, there's rare-for-the-area free parking on-site—and it's only a 4-minute drive down the coast to Amalfi.
• Enjoy unfussy Italian cooking with chefs Rosa and Pasquale's daily menus featuring local produce, homemade pasta, and classic Campanian desserts.
• While you have to descend a flight of stairs or two to access your room, there's a suitcase "elevator" that makes the luggage-free descent a little easier.

• With so many steps throughout the property, it's not suitable for travelers with limited mobility.
• The rooms and balcony partitions could use an update, as they feel a little outdated and weatherworn.

Authenticity

Once a private cliffside villa, San Michele is now run by the Dipino family, who've been welcoming guests for more than 20 years—and they're genuinely around, chatting, checking in, and making sure you feel at home. You can expect Campania hospitality (warm and generous) as well as simple, yet tasty, eats with the restaurant's ingredients sourced locally (like fresh-caught fish), from Lattari Mountain cheeses to produce grown in the region's microclimates. San Michele is built right into the rock, like many of the surrounding properties of the Amalfi Coast, with whitewashed walls, blue accents, and terraced gardens of endemic plants and lemon trees. 

Location

You'll find Villa San Michele in Castiglione di Ravello, next door to the small medieval fishing village of Atrani and a 4-minute drive (or 18-minute walk) east of Amalfi. It's literally carved into the cliffs below the coastal road, with uninterrupted views of the Gulf of Salerno. Buses stop right nearby, so it's ideal for travelers visiting without a car—but there's free parking if you're brave enough to tackle Amalfi's famously narrow roads. From here, you can explore Amalfi, Atrani, and Ravello easily.

Rooms & Bathrooms

There are just 12 rooms, each one bright, airy, and facing the sea. Most have either a small balcony or a more spacious terrace (book the Romantic Superior for the latter), and all feature blue-and-white tiled floors, blue walls, and solid blue or patterned textiles. Similar to adjoining rooms, bathrooms are simple and could do with a refresh. Rooms accommodate 2-3 guests, where the Romantic Superior Rooms with Sea View options sleep only two.

Amenities

Breakfast is included and served in a glass-walled dining room suspended above the sea—think pastries, fruit, and customizations upon request, all with a priceless view. You'll also have access to a private bathing platform with ladders straight into the sea, a garden filled with shady corners and fragrant Mediterranean plants, a 24-hour reception, a bar, parking, and laundry service. WiFi works throughout the property except on the bathing platform. There isn't an elevator, but there is a mechanized pulley system that transports luggage down the cliff. 

Family-Friendliness

Families will feel genuinely welcomed here, thanks to the Dipinos' warm, hands-on presence and extras like babysitting on request. The quiet setting, easy access to the water, and bus connections make it a stress-free base for exploring the coast with kids in tow. While rooms aren't huge, all except the Romantic Superior Rooms with Sea View can sleep up to three people.

Wildlife

From the bathing platform, it's common to spot schools of fish darting about, and seabirds cruising along the cliffs.