Caruso

Ravello sits on a ridge some 300 metres above the sea, and at the top of the town, past the cathedral square, a gate opens onto the Palazzo d'Afflitto. Caruso, A Belmond Hotel in Ravello takes its name from Pantaleone Caruso, who began letting rooms here in 1893, and its fame from the pool on the garden's edge, where the water seems to spill into the gulf of Salerno.

History

The d'Afflitto family, one of the leading houses of medieval Ravello, built the palace in the eleventh century, and parts of its stonework survive in the walls and arches of the hotel. Ravello was wealthy then, a trading town tied to Amalfi, and the palaces on the ridge date from that period. The Caruso family turned the building into the Pensione Belvedere Caruso in 1893, and it drew the writers and painters who came to Ravello through the first half of the twentieth century. Orient-Express Hotels bought the hotel in 1999, closed it and spent six years on restoration before reopening in 2005 with the pool, the garden terraces and the frescoed rooms repaired. The company became Belmond in 2014.

Architecture and design

The palace stands at the highest point of the old town. Norman arches, a loggia and vaulted ceilings remain from the medieval building, and the eighteenth-century frescoes in the public rooms were cleaned during the restoration. The gardens step down from the house in terraces of lemon trees, vines and roses, with pergolas and a belvedere at the far end. The pool was built at the lowest terrace so that its rim meets the horizon when seen from the loggia above. Interiors mix antique furniture with painted tiles and pale fabrics.

Rooms and suites

The hotel has around 50 rooms and suites, few for a luxury hotel in Ravello of this reputation. Rooms in the main palace have the frescoes and the sea view; those towards the garden are quieter and open onto terraces. The best suites occupy the top of the palace, with a private terrace over the coast.

Dining

The Belvedere Restaurant serves on a terrace above the sea and in a dining room with arched windows. The cooking is Campanian, with lemons from the garden and fish from Cetara and Amalfi. Lunch is taken by the pool. The bar on the loggia is where guests gather at sunset.

Wellness

The pool is the attraction. It is heated and sits at the edge of the garden, 300 metres above the water. A small spa offers treatments, and the hotel arranges boat trips along the coast and walks on the paths that link Ravello to Amalfi and Atrani.

Weddings and events

Caruso hosts weddings on the garden terraces and in the loggia, with ceremonies possible in the gardens and dinner on the Belvedere terrace. The size of the terraces sets the limits rather than any ballroom, and the hotel can be taken over for a whole wedding. Small meetings use a private room in the palace. The season runs from April to October.

Location

Ravello is reached by road from Amalfi, which is seven kilometres below. Naples Capodichino airport is about 65 kilometres away, roughly 90 minutes by car, and Salerno station is the nearest railway stop on the main line. Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone, the two famous gardens of Ravello, are both within walking distance of the hotel, and the Ravello Festival fills the summer with concerts.