Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria, Sorrento, Italy

In short… An iconic property that has been in the same family since 1834

The surroundings… Overlooking the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius, the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria is in the center of Sorrento, but feels like it’s an island within it, with its massive garden on three sides, and sea-facing side perched up on the cliffs. It has its own private elevator to bring guests from the hotel down to the port, where ferries come and go from Naples, Capri and Ischia.

The backstory…The hotel has been in the Fiorentino family since it opened, and is now run by the 5th and 6th generations. It has so much history—from being a part of the Grand Tour, to all the famous guests who have come throughout the last 190 years: royalty, musicians like Pavarotti who even has a suite named after him, Sophia Loren… really, everyone who was anyone stayed here at some point. They have a massive archive in the back of house, but much of it is scattered throughout the hotel in vitrines.

The vibe… If you love old school, you will love this place. Walking from its street entrance—which brings you from the busy center of Sorrento through an incredible garden with citrus and palm trees, as well as some Roman ruins found when they built the hotel—to the front doors of the hotel, you really have no sense of time, no signifiers to tell you what century you’re in. The public spaces are completely preserved, but because they aren’t overstuffed with too much furniture or knick-knacks, they don’t feel dusty or old at all.

Pavarotti’s Suite, where he always stayed

The rooms… The first room we checked into was one of their more modern rooms with a beautiful terrace, but we were there for the old-school experience, so as soon as we saw it we asked for a traditional room. If you’re like us, make sure you ask for a classic-style room when you’re booking. Our second room was filled with antique furniture, built-in closets (harking back to a time when people traveled with trunks, fully unpacked and stayed a while), and hand painted ceilings.

The food & drink… The breakfast buffet is served in the beautiful Vittoria restaurant, and if you’re a sweet breakfast person, you’ll be very happy as they have countless cake choices. We went to the hotel’s new bar, La Pergola, with the Fierentino family, and tried their latest cocktails, made by super thoughtful bartenders. This was followed by a great dinner of a whole local fish baked in salt at L’Orangerie, their casual poolside restaurant, which is the only area that has been modernized. Don’t skip their arancello, their version of limoncello made with their oranges. They also make a fantastic limoncello, which I normally can’t stand, but they don’t add sugar and it tastes so much of the place. There’s also a beautiful terrace for drinks and lunch, but we didn’t have time for that on this trip.

Is it kid-friendly? I didn’t spend any time at the pool, but apparently there is a dedicated kids’ pool and play area, and they have family suite options.

Be sure to… Head to Marina Grande, a 10-15 minute walk to the other side of town. Once you’re out of Sorrento’s main square, which is always very busy with tourists, it is a lovely and magical walk. Stop into A. Stinga, an old-world intarsia workshop, where they make the most beautiful wood inlay objects by hand.

Parting words…It’s so rare to be able to stay in a real piece of history, and even rarer to be able to meet the custodians of the property who have grown up in it and around its stories.