Ravello Art Hotel Marmorata

A 15-minute drive from the hilltop center of Ravello, Hotel Marmorata is private and quiet, tucked into the cliffs with a stairway leading directly to the sea. The property attracts international tourists seeking seclusion, though it might feel a bit remote to those who want to walk to restaurants and shops.

This former paper mill has a buff masonry facade with terraces at different elevations and a salt-water pool cantilevered over the cliffs. Dining is on a terrace under a canvas awning with plantings of bougainvillea and lemon trees. The hotel has a rambling feel with arched ceilings and tucked away rooms, such as its discrete bar with cane seats. There are antique furnishings placed selectively on the honed tile floors, but the overall effect is spare and cool, with the vistas of the sea the most salient design feature.

Ravello Art Hotel Marmorata is on its own street off the statale, the main road that wends its way along the Amalfi Coast. It is about 15 minutes by car to the hilltop town of Ravello, with its cobblestone streets and shops selling lemon-motif ceramics, and a 10-minute drive to the town of Amalfi. There is very limited public transportation and walking on the busy, narrow road can be dangerous. The hotel runs a shuttle, but guests report that it's infrequent so a car is necessary. For sight-seeing beyond water vistas, the town of Minori is a three-minute drive, while the Amalfi Cathedral can be reached in six minutes by car. Guests intrigued by the hotel's provenance can visit an actual paper museum a 10-minute drive from the hotel. It's 40 minutes by car, longer in the summer high season, to Positano, one of the bigger towns on the coast. Sorrento, where guests can find a train station and ferry terminal, is about 75 minutes away. Naples International Airport is about 80 minutes away by car.

Scenic views are the design focus of rooms at the hotel. Windows are generously proportioned and offer dramatic sea vistas or charming views of courtyard gardens. The rooms, ranging from singles to family-size, have tile floors and sparse furnishings. The decor takes its cues from old cruise ships, with polished teak wood and brass fittings on cupboards, cane-seated chairs, and framed maps on the walls. Each room has an air-conditioner, minibar, safe, flat-screen TV, and free Wi-Fi. If babies or toddlers are in residence, the hotel provides a bottle warmer, changing table, stroller, free laundry for as many as five days, and a baby bathtub. For older children, the hotel offers PlayStation. Bathrooms have hand-painted tiles and old fashioned white porcelain fixtures -- higher category rooms have soaking tubs -- but for some, the pan-style stall shower will feel dated and the relatively tight space, cramped. But those with windows to the sea or garden help add an airy feel. Hairdryers and toiletries are provided, as are robes and slippers. Room service is offered during limited hours.

The Ravello Art Hotel Marmorata is focused on the expected features (sun, sea, and dining) and some unexpected ones (full business amenities). The hotel's on-site restaurant, L'Antica Cartiera, serves traditional Italian fare and offers stunning views of the sea. During warmer weather, alfresco dining is available on a charming terrace under a white awning. Besides offering a kids' menu, the restaurant also provides placemats and crayons, child's size chairs, and colorful dinnerware. There is also a bar, tucked into a wing. In the summer, the hotel charters a boat for its "floating restaurant."

The Ravello Art Hotel Marmorata has a lovely outdoor salt-water pool perched on a sundeck with gorgeous views over the sea. A dramatic staircase leads to a private beach and swimming cove. Free towels, chairs, and umbrellas are provided; a picnic can be prepared for a fee. The hotel also has a room with massage tables; other spa treatments can be arranged at another hotel. The small fitness room feels like an afterthought and offers limited equipment, including a treadmill, cycling machine, and some free weights. Business travelers are catered to with two meeting rooms that can host 40 to 70 people, with flip charts and audio-visual equipment, plus there is banquet space for 560 in three rooms. In a region where parking is notoriously tight, the hotel provides a parking lot free of charge, if guests book directly. The front desk provides free luggage storage and can arrange car rentals. A free area shuttle is also provided, but the airport shuttle incurs a fee. Wi-Fi is free, but guests complain of spotty service.