I hope no Hideaways member visits my native Italy without spending at least
one night at the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria in Sorrento. Everything you'd
want to experience in Italy—the beautiful blue Mediterranean, the
history, the culture—is right at your fingertips.
A very private enclave overlooking the Bay of Naples, this hotel is a hidden
gem in the center of Sorrento, an upscale resort town with a year-round season.
It's hard to know what to describe first—the ambiance and charm of the
hotel, which reminded me of a Roman Empire villa, or its in-town waterfront
location.
Steeped in history
Everything about the Excelsior Vittoria speaks of Italy's past. The cliff it
occupies was once the site of Emperor Augustus' private villa, and the first of
the hotel's three sections—La Vittoria—was built in 1834. Restoration
of this building and the others (La Riivale, 1882, and La Favorita, 1920) has
been faithful to the hotel's turn-of-the-century charm; you'll see frescoed
ceilings, beautiful vaulting and moldings, and antique furnishings.
Spring 2001
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