I’m not sure if it was Ravello’s quiet allure – it has one small square that’s pretty much shut down while revellers party the night away in bass-heavy Positano – or if it was just OD’ing on Alex Polizzi’s Secret Italy, but once I learned of Ravello I knew I had to go.
And I knew that if I made the journey, there was only one place for me to stay: The Villa Cimbrone.
There are other luxury hotels on offer, but none so storied and special; the villa was originally built in the 12th century and past guests include Virginia Woolf, Greta Garbo and T.S. Eliot. It radiates Old World romanticism. That feeling was heightened before we even arrived at the hotel which, being perched on a peninsula 1200 feet above sea level, is only accessible by foot. How charming is that?
We were dropped off in the village square, pointed in the right direction and after a 10-minute walk, past cafes, ivy-covered walls and cliffside gardens, arrived at the gates to the villa (our luggage was transferred ahead on a tiny golf cart).
Our room, a junior suite, was small by industry standards, but we weren’t complaining. I love these cheery colours and the floor was intricate Italian ceramic tiles… so pretty.
Fresh fruit and biscuits made that morning by the pastry chef were a treat.
It’s hard not to fall in love with monogrammed pressed linen sheets.
This is the look I get when I imagine having my own monogrammed pressed linen sheets.
The pool view from our room.
The view to the gardens from our room. This area is reserved for hotel guests only. It was fun to wander around, smelling flowers and picking up fruit – there are pomegranate trees here! – all the while pretending the garden was mine.
This is the music room on the main floor of the villa. All of the common areas are decorated like private spaces so it feels more like someone’s home than a hotel.
Villa Cimbrone is famous for its gardens, which are open to the public from 9 am till late afternoon. Before and after that, they are for hotel guests only so we set out early to discover them.
This statue marks the entrance to one of the most amazing spots on earth: The Terrace of Infinity. Gore Vidal declared the view from here the most beautiful in the world, saying it melded the blue of the sea and sky so it was impossible to tell one from the other.
We were lucky enough to have this all to ourselves – it was a real pinch-me-I’m-dreaming moment.
Back at the villa, that pool beckoned. That’s Evan on our balcony.
We reserved a spot at the hotel’s Il Flauto di Pan restaurant and, when we were there, it had a Michelin star. I’m normally a sucker for Nonna kind of fare, but loved our much more formal meal here, especially my sepia pappardelle with clams and roe.
Even when the clouds rolled in, the surrounds were ravishing and there’s not much that can compare to standing on a Villa Cimbrone balcony and watching the sun rise over Ravello.
