Luxury 5-star and 4-star hotels in Ravello, and where to stay for your first visit
Ravello is small, but choosing where to stay here matters more than in most towns, because the right hotel is not just a bed, it is a terrace, a view, and a front row seat to the quiet magic that takes over. This is a town you sleep in, not rush through, and the hotel you pick shapes the whole experience.
Here is my honest edit of where to stay in Ravello, organized simply. First the five star grande dames, the legendary palaces with the history and the headline views, and then my pick for the best four star, for travelers who want that same elegant Ravello experience at a gentler price. Almost all of these sit within a short walk of one another on the town’s most beautiful stretch, near San Giovanni del Toro.
For the full picture of the town, what to do, where to eat, and how to get here, start with my complete Ravello travel guide.
The five star hotels in Ravello
These are the historic palace hotels that made Ravello a byword for romance. Each one is a former noble residence, each has its own character, and each comes with the price tag you would expect.
Caruso, A Belmond Hotel
If you want Ravello at its most legendary, this is it. Caruso occupies an eleventh century palace at the highest, quietest point of town, and its infinity pool, seeming to hang between the sea and the sky, is regularly ranked among the most spectacular in the world. There are just 50 rooms and suites, most with a sea view, terrace, or private garden, which keeps it feeling intimate despite its fame.
The history here is Hollywood-level. The palace was opened as a hotel back in 1893, and over the decades it became a private hideaway for the likes of Greta Garbo, Humphrey Bogart, Virginia Woolf, and Jackie Kennedy, drawn by how impossibly cut off it feels from the world. Rose-filled gardens, frescoed salons, a Belvedere restaurant, a complimentary shuttle down to the coast, and a mini-cruise along the shore round it out.
Best for: travelers who want the single most iconic luxury experience in Ravello, price no object.
Palazzo Avino
The one with the unmistakable pink facade, which is why locals call it the Pink Palace. Set in a twelfth century villa and opened as a hotel in 1997, Palazzo Avino has 43 rooms and suites and is run, warmly, by a family, with a trio of sisters at the helm.
A few things make it wow. It has a Michelin-starred restaurant, Rossellinis, a rooftop sun terrace with a hydromassage plunge pool, and, crucially, its own beach club. This matters, because Palazzo Avino is the only hotel in Ravello with a beach club of its own: the Clubhouse by the Sea in Marmorata, about 15 minutes away by complimentary shuttle, with sunbathing platforms right on the water, a small pool, and a casual restaurant. Since Ravello sits high above the coast with no beach of its own, this solves the town’s one real drawback. As for pedigree, opera legend Placido Domingo was the hotel’s very first guest, and the writer Gore Vidal, who lived in Ravello, was a regular at its restaurant.
Best for: a five star stay with iconic terraces, a Michelin table, and the only hotel beach club in town.
Hotel Villa Cimbrone
Yes, the famous Villa Cimbrone gardens are also a hotel, and staying inside them is a genuine once-in-a-lifetime experience. A meticulously restored twelfth century residence run by the Vuilleumier family, it has just 19 individually designed rooms and suites, each with frescoes, stone fireplaces, and hand-painted Vietri majolica floors.
The wow here is simple: when the gates close to day visitors, the gardens and the Terrace of Infinity are effectively yours, along with a pool framed by avocado trees and the Michelin-starred Il Flauto di Pan. The guest book reads like a history syllabus, D.H. Lawrence, Winston Churchill, John Maynard Keynes, and the Bloomsbury Group all spent time here, and there is a Greta Garbo Suite named for the actress who famously escaped to Ravello.
Best for: a romantic, storybook stay inside one of the most beautiful gardens in Italy.
Palazzo Confalone
Also on the same beautiful stretch of town, Palazzo Confalone is a smaller five star option with garden terraces, sea views, and a rooftop where breakfast comes with the coastline laid out below. It earns some of the highest guest ratings in Ravello for its service and setting, and makes an excellent choice if you want a five star feel in a more intimate, less headline-grabbing package.
Best for: a quieter, characterful five star stay in the heart of Ravello.
The best four star in Ravello: Hotel Villa Fraulo
You don’t need a five star hotel to wake up to that Ravello view. My pick for the best four star in town is Hotel Villa Fraulo.
Once the residence of the noble Cortese family, this medieval villa has been restored with real Italian elegance, keeping its ancient vaults and marble while adding the comforts you want. It is intimate, with around 26 rooms, and every single room has a sea view from a private terrace or balcony, which at this price point is genuinely rare.
Just as importantly for anyone driving, Villa Fraulo has valet parking, a rare and precious thing in Ravello, with one entrance for cars below and another leading straight up into the historic center. It sits just steps from Villa Rufolo, on the same legendary street as the grande dames.
Best for: travelers who want classic Italian elegance, a sea-view terrace, a pool, and parking, without the five star price tag.
How to choose where to stay in Ravello
A few quick pointers to make the decision easier:
- If you want a beach club, book Palazzo Avino. It is the only hotel in Ravello with its own, which solves the town’s lack of a beach.
- For the most iconic luxury, Caruso’s clifftop infinity pool and Villa Cimbrone’s private gardens are the two most unforgettable settings in town.
- If you are driving, prioritize parking. It is scarce in Ravello, so a hotel like Villa Fraulo that offers valet parking removes a real headache.
- For elegant comfort at a gentler price, Villa Fraulo gives you the view, the terrace, and the pool without the top tier rates.
- Wherever you stay, request a sea-view room. In Ravello the view is half the reason you came, so it is worth asking for a superior, deluxe, or terrace room when you book.
If you’re pairing Ravello with other Amalfi Coast towns, make sure to reach my guide to the best beach clubs on the Amalfi Coast as well as my complete Amalfi Coast travel guide.
Where to stay in Ravello: the short answer
If you want my one line recommendation: for a five star splurge, choose Caruso, Palazzo Avino, or Villa Cimbrone depending on whether you want the infinity pool, the beach club, or the private gardens. For the best value without giving up the Ravello magic, book Hotel Villa Fraulo.
Where to Stay in Ravello FAQ
Which is the best hotel in Ravello?
It depends on what you want. Caruso, A Belmond Hotel is the most iconic, with a world-famous infinity pool at the highest point of town. Palazzo Avino is the only hotel in Ravello with its own beach club and has a Michelin-starred restaurant. Villa Cimbrone lets you stay inside its legendary gardens. For the best four star value, Hotel Villa Fraulo offers sea-view terraces and a pool at a gentler price.
Does any hotel in Ravello have a beach?
Ravello sits high above the coast and has no beach of its own. Palazzo Avino is the only Ravello hotel with a private beach club, the Clubhouse by the Sea in Marmorata, reachable by complimentary shuttle in about 15 minutes. Other hotels can arrange access to beach clubs down on the coast.
How much does it cost to stay in Ravello?
Ravello’s five star palace hotels, Caruso, Palazzo Avino, and Villa Cimbrone, sit firmly in the luxury range and book up well ahead in summer. A four star like Hotel Villa Fraulo is a more accessible way to stay in the center of Ravello with a sea view, though it is still a special-occasion town rather than a budget one.
Is it worth staying overnight in Ravello?
Yes. Ravello is at its most magical in the early morning and evening, once the day trippers have left. Staying overnight also spares you the difficult drive up and down in a single day, and lets you enjoy the gardens, terraces, and views at a slower pace.
Where is the best area to stay in Ravello?
The stretch around Via San Giovanni del Toro, near the town entrance, is where most of the finest hotels sit, including Caruso, Palazzo Avino, Palazzo Confalone, and Villa Fraulo. It puts you within an easy walk of the main square, the Duomo, and Villa Rufolo. Villa Cimbrone is a little further out, at the far end of the garden walk, which is part of its secluded charm.
