A 13th-century Capuchin convent on the cliff above Amalfi, 52 rooms restored in 2023, the original cloister preserved, and a cliff elevator to a private sea platform below.
"A convent for seven hundred years, an Anantara since 2023 — and the rare conversion that genuinely earns the price tag attached to it."
The Convento di Amalfi has been a hotel since the early twentieth century, but the 2023 takeover by Anantara, the Thai luxury group, marked the most thorough renovation in the building's hospitality history. The bones — the 13th-century Capuchin convent, the original cloister with its arched colonnade, the chapel, the cliffside terraces — are unchanged. Everything else has been redone with the kind of cohesive contemporary hand that Italian heritage hotels frequently get wrong but which Anantara, on the evidence of this project, gets right.
The fifty-two rooms and suites are decorated in bright neutral palettes — warm whites, washed timber, soft greys, with restrained Mediterranean accents and pieces commissioned from regional artisans. Almost every room faces directly out to sea; the standard category includes a balcony or terrace as a matter of course. The bathrooms are large, the beds are excellent, and the in-room technology has been thought through. The rooms in the original cellar of the convent are the most atmospheric — vaulted ceilings, exposed stone, and a quiet that the upper floors cannot match.
Dining is split across three restaurants. La Cantina dei Cappuccini, the formal restaurant, is set inside the convent's original wine cellar with the stone vaults intact, serving Campanian cuisine with a contemporary lightness. Dei Cappuccini, the all-day restaurant on the upper terrace, is the better lunch choice — pasta, pizza, salads, and the view across the gulf to Capri. The Bar at the Pool sits on the cliff edge and is the natural place for an aperitivo before the sun goes down.
The cliff elevator descends to a private sea platform with sun loungers, swimming access to the Mediterranean, and a small bar — one of the rare hotels on the Amalfi Coast where guests can swim directly in the sea without booking a boat. The infinity pool above is heated and faces directly out to Capri. The Anantara Spa, opened with the renovation, is among the largest on the coast, and the wellness programming — yoga, breath work, signature treatments — is more developed than at the older heritage hotels.
For honeymooners drawn to the Amalfi Coast but reluctant to spend Le Sirenuse money, the Convento is the best alternative — particularly given the renovation and the cliff sea access. Book a Junior Suite with sea-view terrace, ask the concierge to arrange a private boat to the Grotta dello Smeraldo, and take the cliff elevator down for swimming each morning. The hotel handles honeymoons with the polish of the Anantara group's other resort properties.
The cellar restaurant for the dinner, the cloister for the morning coffee, and the spa programme for the days in between create a low-pressure anniversary itinerary that suits couples celebrating something quietly. The hotel's anniversary packaging is competent — champagne arrival, room decoration, in-room dining — and the price point allows for a longer stay than at the more expensive addresses.
The new spa, the cliff sea access, and the kitchen's willingness to design clean menus make a four-night wellness booking here a credible alternative to Monastero Santa Rosa at a noticeably lower price point. The Anantara wellness programmes — adapted to the property's specific setting — are well executed, and the location in Amalfi town itself means easy access to coastal walks and the village's historic centre when the structured part of the day is finished.
Via Annunziatella 46
84011 Amalfi, Salerno
Campania, Italy
On the cliff above Amalfi town, 5 min by funicular
52 rooms and suites, fully renovated 2023
Premium Sea View from €423/night
Junior Suites from €900/night
Cloister Suites from €1,500/night
Check-in: 3:00 PM
Check-out: 12:00 PM
Open: April – early November
Cliff elevator to sea platform
Three restaurants & pool bar
Anantara Spa
Infinity pool with Capri view
Original 13th-century cloister
Open: April – early November
Peak: June–September
Best value: April, late October
High-speed WiFi throughout
Excellent signal in rooms and on terraces
Smart-room technology in all categories
From €423/night. Anantara has run this property since 2023 — the renovation is the reason this is now a serious recommendation.
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