Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria

Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria has been run by the Fiorentino family since it was founded in 1834. It sits on Piazza Tasso in the centre of Sorrento, on the cliff edge above Marina Piccola, looking across the Bay of Naples to Mount Vesuvius. Behind its gates are five acres of gardens, with citrus trees and palms. The old town begins just outside, and a private lift leads down towards the port for boats to Capri, which the hotel puts at around 25 minutes away by sea. Past guests named by the hotel include Enrico Caruso, Sophia Loren and Luciano Pavarotti.

Accommodation runs from rooms and suites to one-of-a-kind historic suites and private villa apartments. Expect frescoed ceilings, Vietri tiles and marble bathrooms, with garden or sea views depending on category.

Terrazza Bosquet is the hotel's Michelin-starred restaurant, open for dinner. L'Orangerie serves casual Mediterranean dishes by the pool, Terrazza Vittoria offers open-air dining, and breakfast is in the period Ristorante Vittoria. For drinks there are Vittoria's Bar, La Pergola champagne bar under a century-old wisteria, and the Orangerie Poolside Bar.

La Serra spa occupies a restored 19th-century greenhouse beside the pool, which has a solarium, whirlpool and children's pool. There is also a Technogym fitness room. Naples International Airport (NAP) is about an hour away by private transfer, traffic permitting.