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Hotel Caruso Belvedere

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<p>Once a hideaway for luminaries such as Greta Garbo, the Hotel Caruso, on Italy's Amalfi Coast, had all but faded into obscurity. That is, until Orient Express bought the 11th-century property six years ago and gave it a complete overhaul. Some $37 million later, the whitewashed structure, which sits atop a 1,150-foot limestone cliff in Ravello, has regained its luster. Interior designer Federico Forquet dressed up the 54 bedrooms with bronze lamps and Neapolitan-style furniture, while chef Franco Luise created a locally inspired menu (think: chilled zucchini soup with Parmesan ice cream) that's served outside, overlooking the Gulf of Salerno. The hotel's 45-foot fishing boat whisks guests off on day trips to Positano, but the real draw is the infinity pool, whose waters fade into the mountainous horizon.</p>

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From Food & Wine , DEC 2005

Travelers typically add the Amalfi coast hilltop hamlet of Ravello to an itinerary only after trips to nearby Positano and Capri, despite the cachet of celebrity residents like author Gore Vidal and some of the best-tended gardens in southern Italy. But Ravello has been stealing some attention from its neighbors since the venerable Hotel Caruso reopened this spring after a $30 million face-lift. Originally built in 1893 and frequented over the years by writers Virginia Woolf and Graham Greene, the...MORE>>

– David Kaufman Best New Resorts for the Food-Obsessed

From Travel + Leisure , OCT 2005

Once a hideaway for luminaries like Greta Garbo, the Hotel Caruso, on Italy's Amalfi Coast, had all but faded into obscurity. That is, until Orient Express bought the 11th-century property sixyears ago and gave it a complete overhaul....MORE>>

– Valerie Waterhouse T+L Reports: Star of Amalfi

Last updated December 2005