Le Sirenuse Positano review: Inside Italy’s most luxurious coastal hotel
Reimagined from a former 18th-century palazzo, this extraordinary property epitomises everything that we love about Italy’s famous coastal holiday hub.
Iconic may be an overused word when it comes to hospitality but Le Sirenuse, sitting on a cliff in the heart of Positano on the Amalfi Coast, has clearly earned the title. The hotel was born a lifetime ago when Positano was just a sleepy fishing village. That was back in 1951 when four siblings from the noble Sersale family – Paolo, Aldo, Franco and Anna – opened the doors of their family’s holiday villa to guests.
Le Sirenuse takes its name from the “mermaid islands” just off the coast from this picturesque town overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. The former 18th-century palazzo has a timeless elegance and sophistication that reflects the personal style of the family that created it. Over the years, the Sersale family has managed to celebrate the building’s history without losing an intimate feel of a family home or close connection to the sea.
With the region’s rugged mountains and sparkling waters winding around the narrow coastal road of the Sorrentine Peninsula, it’s easy to see how it has captivated waves of invaders. The Romans were on to something when they showed up here in 100BC. These days, Positano is overrun with hordes of daytrippers and Instagrammers looking to tick the Amalfi Coast off their international bucket lists, and Le Sirenuse is a welcome oasis from such madness. Here you can escape the gelato-munching tourists crowding the alleyways or rows of bikini-clad sunseekers cramming the beach in summer months.
The hotel’s classic brick red and white exterior is largely hidden from the street but as soon as I step across the hotel’s threshold, I get a sense of what makes it special. Spectacular views of the Mediterranean stretch across a wall of arched windows on the other side of the lobby and a smiling staff member appears with a complimentary glass of champagne as I check in. There are more smiles from the clerks at the reception desk and apologies for the cloudy skies.
Beyond the lobby, a labyrinth of corridors leads downstairs to 58 whitewashed rooms and suites, most offering tiny private balconies and breathtaking views of the sea and the pastel-coloured villas and apartments stacked on top of each other up the forbidding hills of the town.
En route to my room, there is plenty to see. The late Franco Sersale was a passionate photographer and art collector and filled the hotel with antique furniture and art works. His son, Antonio, and his wife, Carla, have embellished the family collection and added contemporary art to the walls of the hotel, which they describe as “a museum hiding in plain sight”. On the landing of the fourth floor is a vibrant mural of a bird of paradise plant by American artist Alex Israel, while an 18th-century portrait of Cardinal Antonino Sersale, a former archbishop and papal ally, hangs nearby.
Outside Aldo’s, the terrace cocktail bar and seafood grill, is a contemporary ceramic work of a mermaid by British artist Lucy Stein. Along the corridor to my room, 40 delicate prints depicting Italian folk customs line the walls. A large model of a historic sailing ship is an apt reminder of our proximity to the sea.
All the guestrooms feature vaulted ceilings and colourful tiled floors. Antique chests, gilt mirrors and historic prints complement modern furnishings and comfortable armchairs. Coffee machines, flat-screen TVs, safety deposit boxes and complimentary wi-fi are provided, as is airconditioning to beat summer heat. White Carrara marble bathrooms come with fluffy towels, plush robes, Dyson hairdryers and the hotel’s line of Eau d’Italie products created by Antonio’s cousin, Marina.
Every year the hotel shuts its doors in the winter months, giving the family time to rejuvenate the rooms; a subtle ambient fragrance adds to the room’s freshness.
When temperatures soar, guests gravitate to the pool, which has been transformed by Swiss artist Nicolas Party. Using mosaic tiles in shades of blue, Party produced an immersive aquascape of billowing geometric shapes that reinforce the hotel’s connection to the sea. It’s still a little early in the season for a dip or a water excursion on the hotel’s private boat, so I head to the hotel spa. Designed by Italian architect Gae Aulenti, the spa features teak, marble and stainless steel, which combine to create a sleek, modern space. There’s a range of massages and facials as well as a full gym and sauna.
In the evening, guests gather at the Don’t Worry Music Bar, aptly named after Martin Creed’s neon artwork hanging from the ceiling. Filled with sofas in autumnal colours and potted plants, this salon has been redone to give the feel of an old-fashioned speakeasy and has a whimsical charm. The centrepiece is a stunning 18th-century walnut bar where you’d half expect to find authors such as Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald sharing tales of their adventures. Sip a cocktail in a cosy corner while enjoying the DJ’s vinyl classics before or after dinner.
Breakfast and dinner are served at La Sponda, the main restaurant, which also has spectacular views of the water and the tiled dome of the town’s famous Church of Santa Maria Assunta. More than 400 candles, suspended across the ceiling, give the setting a romantic glow and there is a hint of bougainvillea winding around the pillars on the terrace. Musicians serenade the guests with romantic Neapolitan melodies as specialties such as lemon risotto with capers, pasta al pomodoro or freshly caught fish and mouthwatering shrimp are served. Executive chef Gennaro Russo believes simple, seasonal ingredients are the secret to the hotel’s dishes, all complemented by an extensive wine list. After dinner, the only dilemma is whether to fall into bed or return to the speakeasy bar.
In the know
Le Sirenuse is a five-star luxury hotel in Positano on the Amalfi Coast, a 90-minute drive from Naples or a three-hour drive from Rome’s Fiumicino Airport. Open from March to November. Rooms range from €800 ($1422) to €5000 a night, including breakfast and boat excursions.
Josephine McKenna was a guest of Le Sirenuse.
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