T+L Readers Just Rated This Historic Amalfi Coast Resort As the Best in Italy

The Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria is the living embodiment of timeless elegance.

As music wafted out onto the terrace, servers proffered bubbly to the elegantly dressed guests who clinked glasses as the sun set over the Bay of Sorrento. Guido Fiorentino (the hotel’s fifth-generation owner), his wife, Ornella, and their sons Luca and Peter mingled with the guests. I was there for the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria’s 190th-anniversary celebration, but the scene I’m describing could happen any evening at this historic grand dame that’s been continuously run by the Fiorentino family since 1834 and was just voted the number one resort in Italy in Travel + Leisure's 2024 World’s Best Awards. Guido, Ornella, and their sons take great pride in the hotel and can often be found overseeing the property and welcoming visitors to the grounds.

“As a family hotel, where the family is present as we are, it’s very nice that we develop friendships with our guests,” says Fiorentino. “There are a lot of repeat guests. Some have been returning for 50 years — every year at the same time, in the same room.”

I, too, am a repeat guest, though I haven’t been back every year. I first stayed at the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria in 2016 with a new flame, and it was the most idyllic backdrop I could have imagined for a new romance. Marco took a train and a ferry from Rome to meet me in Sorrento. I went down to the port to greet him, and we sipped Aperol spritzes on the Terrazza Vittoria as the sun set over the deep blue sea. The rest is history.

Of course, I’m far from the most illustrious guest to have fallen in love with this classic grand dame. The hotel is named for Queen Victoria of Sweden, who stayed there many times in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There are one-of-a-kind suites dedicated to other famous guests, including Princess Margaret and tenor Enrico Caruso, who stayed there in 1921 and gazed at the same view of the Bay Sorrento that you can admire today. His suite feels like a time capsule, with his piano in the corner, antique silk-upholstered Louis XVI armchairs, and black-and-white photographs of him.

“When I started, I was a little bit scared because the average age of our clients was 65 plus, and I thought, ‘I don't want this type of hotel.’ So I did the work to attract younger people, and then I discovered that young people love to come here because the hotel is like this,” says Fiorentino. “We have to modernize — to make sure the WiFi is working, to put in plugs to charge the phones, to heat the pool — but I don't think that we have to change the style of the hotel.”

I certainly hope it never changes. Every time I return, I can’t help but feel like I’m stepping into a gentler time, back when ladies wore gloves and sashayed through the white-paneled winter garden with its potted plants and Art Nouveau chairs by Ernesto Basile. There’s nowhere else quite like it.

Here, our full review of Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria, also ranked the seventh-best resort in Europe and the 88th-best hotel in the world.

Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria

• The hotel exudes classic old-world elegance with precious antiques, frescoes, and black-and-white photographs.

• Many rooms have sea views, and some have terraces.

• Between the Michelin-starred Terrazza Bosquet, the casual Terrazza Vittoria, poolside restaurant L’Orangerie, and the new Champagne bar La Pergola, there are plenty of excellent dining and drinking options.

• La Serra spa and the outdoor pool offer a relaxing respite from the crowds outside the hotel.

• The hotel is right in the center of Sorrento, the gateway to the Amalfi Coast.

The Rooms

Of the hotel’s 80 rooms, 49 are suites that offer a range of perks. All rooms have antiques and marble bathrooms stocked with the hotel’s own branded bath products. Some have hand-painted tile floors, while others have a fireplace or clawfoot tub. The top suites are one-of-a-kind suites dedicated to illustrious past guests, including Princess Margaret and musicians Enrico Caruso, Luciano Pavarotti, and Lucio Dalla. The Caruso Suite feels like a time capsule, with the famed tenor’s piano, antiques, and black-and-white photographs of him.

Food and Drink

You definitely won’t want to skip breakfast in the opulently frescoed Vittoria room, where a buffet is laid out every morning with local treats, like sfogliatella, torta caprese, and plenty of other options, both sweet and savory. Sipping a cappuccino out of a porcelain cup emblazoned with the hotel’s logo is a treat. And that’s just breakfast — you could eat all your meals on the property and be very satisfied.

The Terrazza Vittoria on the hotel’s tranquil terrace serves club sandwiches and other international classics with mesmerizing views of the Bay of Sorrento. In the evenings, guests flock to watch the sunset with an Aperol Spritz. The Michelin-starred Terrazza Bosquet serves elegant tasting menus inspired by local flavors. For casual poolside dining, L’Orangerie is the place to go. And new this season is La Pergola, the champagne bar at the hotel’s entrance.

Activities and Amenities

The large outdoor swimming pool has hydro-therapy jets and a solarium. There’s a separate pool for children and a garden with soccer fields. The Fiorentino family has deep roots in Sorrento and Naples, so they’re well-positioned to offer tips for what to do in the area. The concierge can help make your stay memorable by arranging local experiences like an appointment with the best tailor in Naples, boating excursions to Capri or the Amalfi Coast, or a visit to the workshop of the artisan who makes the beautiful inlaid wood objects that can be seen around the hotel.

The Spa

La Serra Boutique Spa is located in a 19th-century greenhouse by the pool, surrounded by orange and olive trees. It has three treatment rooms (one with a jacuzzi) and offers a variety of massages, facials, and other treatments using Valmont products. Beauty treatments include manicures and pedicures.

Family-friendly Offerings

According to Fiorentino, families with kids often visit during the summer when school is out of session. Kids are pampered with child-sized bathrobes, plush toys, pastels, and a sketchbook. They have their own pool and can play soccer and other games in the garden. The concierge can also organize kid-friendly activities in and around Sorrento.

Accessibility and Sustainability

Unfortunately, because of the historic nature of the building, there are no ADA-compliant rooms. However, the Fiorentino family is working toward making the hotel more sustainable. Currently, 40 percent of the hotel’s energy comes from renewable sources; electric cars and tools have replaced gasoline-based vehicles and lawnmowers. The hotel is also transitioning to LED lighting to reduce its carbon footprint and working to eliminate single-use plastic.

Location

The hotel is located in the heart of Sorrento, considered the gateway to the Amalfi Coast. The best way to get there is to fly or take a train to Naples and get a car or boat transfer to Sorrento, which the hotel can arrange. Ferries and private boats dock in the port below the hotel, with an elevator that brings guests to the marina. In high season, when the roads along the coast get clogged with cars and buses, the best way to get around the coast is by boat.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Stay

Leaders Club members can earn and redeem points and enjoy free upgrades, complimentary breakfast, early check-in, and late check-out. The resort fee includes parking, gym access, golf cart transfers to the port and train station, and soft drinks in the minibars.

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