Experience the serenity of this Italian monastery, set in the beautiful Amalfi Coast.
Credit: Monastero Santa Rosa
One of the most beautiful vistas in the world might arguably be the Amalfi Coast of Italy. The steep Lattari Mountains plummet into the Gulf of Salerno. Visitors find hints of the ancient world in the towns and popular beaches along Amalfi and Positano. The Amalfi Coast draws even the most well-traveled visitors, back again and again. Settled on a cliff in a spectacular destination is the amazing Monastero Santa Rosa. The Monastero Santa Rosa has a lot to boast about as it rests majestically on the top of a cliff. This hotel and spa have earned many awards for its services, restaurant, and premises. Originally a true monastery, the hotel and spa now seek to spoil guests with ultimate relaxation.
Let’s Talk Accommodations
Guestrooms
Credit: Monastero Santa Rosa
Monastero Santa Rosa welcomes you to the sanctuary. Since there are only twenty rooms and suites, each space is delicately prepared for guests. The rooms feature vaulted ceilings and you’ll find some preserved hints of the monastery’s origins. Rooms have beautiful vaulted ceilings and spectacular views of the sea below or the spa. You’ll find tall, shuttered windows and little alcoves to sip tea and read. The elegant ambiance is paired with some Italian antiques. You surely won’t find the generic Hilton decor here; it’s a bit like being in a luxurious museum. Choose between deluxe rooms and superior rooms with a sea view or spa view. Bathrooms in these rooms feature Jerusalem stone and dark wood.
The rooms and suites are titled after the herbs that nuns used to use in their apothecary. The hotel has preserved much of the original monastery, so you’ll be staying in the nuns’ rooms. But of course the insides of the rooms are only a bonus. The focus is on the views from the top of that dramatic cliffside, just as it was in the 17th century.
Suites
Credit: Monastero Santa Rosa
Monastero Santa Rosa suites feature a beautiful, silk-canopied bed, a living room, and spacious bathroom. Each one of the 20 rooms is slightly different. Some feature terraces, others include dining rooms, too. The open-space suite was once the nun’s refectory, where the nuns would gather for meals. The corner suites are especially luxurious, too. Relax with the spa bath salts in the beautiful tubs which look out over the sea. You’ll find the fine Italian sheets and furniture around the room to help you feel right at home.
The owner has hand-picked the unique furniture in each suite. The lamps, chairs, mirrors, and headboards around the room will make you feel like Italian royalty. The contrast of white walls with dark wood trims remind you of the simple lives of the nuns who lived here previously.
Let's Talk Dining
Ristorante il Refettorio
Credit: Monastero Santa Rosa
You’ll be amazed at the culinary delights at this restaurant. Executive chef Christoph Bob fell in love with the Amalfi coast. He found the sunshine, soil and sea to be perfect for providing fresh ingredients for his masterpieces. Chef Bob seeks to use only the finest of ingredients, down to the olive oil that is an Italian perfection. Additionally, that olive oil is produced specially for the Monastero Santa Rosa). With only twenty rooms in this “boutique” hotel, the chef is able to suit your special needs. Each dish is delivered as a polished work of art.
Of course, it’s hard to go wrong with the wine in Italy. Still, a sommelier will help you pair the perfect wine with your meal. The wine cellar includes a selection from all over the world, but especially some Italian favorites as well as fine specials.
Additionally, you’ll have the option to dine on the terrace. Right below is the dramatic drop off the coast, and you’ll gaze out into the Gulf of Salerno with an unimpeded view. Or, choose to dine inside and you’ll find yourself cozied up under the arches and vaulted ceilings of the formal dining room. You can enjoy breakfast or lunch under the pergola-shaded garden terraces. Of course, room service will delight you with beautiful dishes on silver platters. However, you might also want to enjoy your lunch while poolside at the infinity pool. At the Monastero Santa Rosa, the chefs, waiters, and staff are there to serve you, wherever you’d like.
Monastero Santa Rosa Bar
Credit: Monastero Santa Rosa
Monastero Santa Rosa bartenders take pride in their creations. Try their signature drink, the Red Basil Daiquiri. The service is incredible but perhaps more delightful is the fact that ingredients come from the gardens right outside; herbs and fresh fruits. You’ll find the bar at the lower terrace level, but you can enjoy some limoncello during aperitivo poolside, or in the gardens.
Let's Talk Amenities and Activities
The Spa at Monastero Santa Rosa
Credit: Monastero Santa Rosa
The spa space is part of the lavish experience at the Monastero Santa Rosa. The vaulted ceilings and connected rooms open up to various opportunities for pampering. Bathe in the thermal suite, and you’ll find a double-height vaulted Tepidarium with heated mosaic loungers. There’s a rock sauna, hydro pool and Emotion showers, all with private dressing and grooming rooms waiting for you.
Another room, the grandest, features a steam room, wet and dry treatment couches, manicure/pedicures and a relaxation lounge. Additionally, if you’d prefer to spend as much time as possible outside in the beautiful scenery, you can enjoy the private Treatment Garden.
Since the nuns of the monastery grew herbs for healing, the Monastero Santa Rosa includes this tradition in your spa treatment. You’ll enjoy the aromatic oils of lemon, bergamot and petit grain, rosemary, lavender, orange, pomegranate, The wonderful aromas contribute to your complete relaxation during the Monastero Santa Rosa Spa experience.
Relax by the Infinity Pool
Credit: Monastera Santa Rosa
You’ll have the beautiful beaches of the Amalfi Coast right below you, but you might rather enjoy the view from the infinity pool! With the gardens behind you, and staff ready to bring you appetizers and drinks, float away in complete bliss. The view is absolutely stunning; you can see both the mountainsides and expanse of the sea from the pool.
Take a Guided Hike through the Amalfi Coast
Credit: Monastero Santa Rosa
With the small size of the hotel, outings can be better tailored just for you. Sign up for a hike, and you’ll head out with an expert guide who’s more than willing to show off some beautiful vistas. Enjoy the natural beauty in luxury though, as you can choose to enjoy a prepared lunch in a rustic barn along the way, or the kitchen at Monastero Santa Rosa will prepare a packed lunch for you.
Cook and Italian Dish with the Chef
Credit: Monastero Santa Rosa
Spend some time alongside Chef Bob who will let you in on some of his culinary secrets. To begin your class, Chef Christoph Bob will tour the gardens with you, selecting fresh produce and herbs. Then, with these completely fresh ingredients, you’ll head to the kitchen and learn how to prepare a dish. Chef Bob will share the recipes with you so you can recreate it at home!
What Travelers are Saying about The Monastero Santa Rosa
Considered a “boutique property” because of its small size, the Monastero Santa Rosa is able to truly impress each guest who enters the premises. The attentive staff training means that they know exactly how to impress you with their service. Travelers report that the friendly staff is what makes the Monastero Santa Rosa so magical; you’ll leave with some new friends. Plus, guests don’t have to feel like an outsider here; you’re welcome to be part of the serene monastery’s gardens and library. Secondly, guests are absolutely thrilled with the culinary delights in the restaurant. The attentive and eager-to-please wait staff will be part of your enjoyable experience. Plus, guests report never tiring of the views surrounding the monastery, so dining on the terrace is a much-anticipated part of the day. It’s hard to find a place that is described as “dreamlike” and “perfect,” but the Monastero Santa Rosa earns these reactions from travelers. The complete tranquility of the area is not captured in the photographs, and guests feel the need to rave about this in reviews. Guests appreciate the free shuttles available for getting around the Amalfi Coast.
In fact, travelers have a hard time finding any qualms with the Monastero Santa Rosa, besides perhaps the distance from the closest airport. The Naples Airport is 37 miles away. Since it was a monastery, the guest rooms may be small, especially if you’re not expecting the European sizes.
The Monastero Santa Rosa is an absolute dream.
Credit: Monastero Santa Rosa
In conclusion, the Amalfi Coast is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Because of this, Monastero Santa Rosa’s location allows you to continuously enjoy that expanse of blues. The truly unique furnishings and interior of the hotel add to the magic of the place. Additionally, the gardens and tiers on the mountainside invite you into the peacefulness of the property. The modern touches in the 17th-century monastery make your stay totally comfortable. Therefore, the combination of the friendly service, incredible dining, unique historical accommodations, and stunning views leave guests totally enthralled with the Monastero Santa Rosa.
Related Article: Amalfi Coast Hotels: Guide to Finding the Best One
