If I had a dime for every time I heard someone say “a hotel is just for sleeping", I would still be an Italy travel planner, albeit one with a lot of dimes. The reason being due to how strongly I feel that a hotel is as important and, dare I say, life-changing to the vacation experience as anything else.
Allow me to begin by saying that, of course, not every traveler has the budget for high end hotels. This is really meant for those that do and still stick to their strict belief that a hotel is an inconsequential part of a trip and need only be clean and provide a bed. If free breakfast is included, that is enough to make them feel they are being given the five star treatment. I very respectfully disagree.
From the time I was a teenager, I dreamt of a life of travel. I subscribed to the most popular travel magazines and was mesmerized by the colorful photographs that transported me to all sorts of faraway places. But, what really enthralled me were the annual “Best Hotels” lists. I had always thought the destination- and the experiences to be had within it- was the whole point of travel. But, NO. These lists taught me about a world I never knew existed; a world where the hotel service is such that they know what you want before YOU even know you want it; a world where the hotel itself is so jaw-droppingly beautiful that the moment you arrive you are already dreading your departure; a world where you can sit on a terrace or private balcony with scenery that is so beautiful it can literally bring tears to your eyes; a world where every worry, stress or need you have will be taken care of for you with pleasure. So, now, not only did I dream of travel, I dreamt of one day being able to check off at least some of the hotels on these lists after experiencing them for myself.
I got married on the younger side and, for a few years, my husband and I were DINKS (double income, no kids). So, what to do with our “disposable income”? Travel, of course. Here was my chance to begin living my dream. Italy was at the top of my list. And, so too, many hotels in Italy topped the Best Hotels lists, as well. So, Amalfi Coast, here we come! And, the Il San Pietro was going to be my first five star hotel experience. Let me tell you… if your first real travel experience is to Positano, staying at the Il San Pietro, you have set the bar for all future travel REALLY high.
The Amalfi Coast is a magnet for tourists from all over the world for its not-to-be-believed scenery and quintessential “la dolce vita” vibe. The famous Amalfi Coast road twists and turns with sheer cliffs on one side and a drop to the sea on the other. Every hairpin turn affords another must-photograph view. The towns dotting the coast are filled with pastel colored houses, endless restaurants and cafes where the food alone is worth crossing an ocean for, authentic Italian boutiques and, of course, beaches and views for days. That is what you came to Italy for. Who cares where you sleep? You will be outside exploring all the little cobbled alleyways or whiling away the hours at an outdoor cafe or shopping until you’re down to your last euro. But, no. No no no no no. That’s the “ a hotel is just for sleeping” mentality. But then…. you drive into the entrance of the Il San Pietro. Quite suddenly, you forget why you came to the Amalfi Coast because now all you want to do is stay at the San Pietro and never leave.
The hotel is quite literally built into the cliffs and seems to hang over the sea. As you descend the stairs with views over the whole town of Positano- and the coast beyond- your senses are overloaded. You want to stop and stare at everything around you but yet you also want to run and explore what you haven’t yet seen; the fresh white lobby with windows framing the coast beyond; the terrace over the sea where you already want to be sipping an aperol spritz; the elevator that is built into the cliffs and takes you down to the “beach” where you will lie on your lounger for days, listening to nothing but the lapping of the waves. You may only get up to walk a few feet to eat a fresh from the garden lunch where only a railing separates your table from the water beside you.
The San Pietro taught me that a hotel can be a destination within a destination. It’s like getting two trips in one. You will talk about the magnificence of the hotel as much as you will talk about the exquisite beauty of the Amalfi Coast. You will talk about what it was like spending each evening watching the sunset over Positano while sipping an aperitivo on the hotel’s stunning terrace as much as you will talk about the day you spent sailing along the coast on your private boat. You will describe what it was like doing yoga or the treadmill outside under lemon trees as much as you will describe the scenic hikes you took on the Path of the Gods, way up in the hills over the town. You will remember the lunch you had a few feet away from your lounger by the sea, where you ate burrata with vegetables so fresh you knew they were picked that morning from the hotel’s garden, as much as you will remember the long hours you lingered over dinner at the seaside restaurants in the heart of town.
So, no. Hotels are not “just for sleeping”. The right ones can- and will- enhance your travel experiences beyond what you can ever imagine.
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