There are hundreds of hotels, B&Bs and holiday apartments around the Sorrento Peninsula, ranging from small family-run guesthouses to some seriously expensive five-star hotels.

The good news is that there are some fantastic places to stay. The bad news is that choosing the right one isn't quite as simple as finding the hotel with the nicest photographs.

Location really matters  

A hotel can describe itself as being in Sorrento but actually be several kilometres outside the centre, possibly halfway up a mountain. That might be absolutely perfect if you want peace, amazing views and a swimming pool, but considerably less perfect if you imagined walking into Piazza Tasso every evening for dinner.

So before booking anything, work out what matters most to you.

If you want to be able to walk everywhere, stay in or very close to central Sorrento. If you want a large hotel with a pool and plenty of facilities, you may need to move slightly further out. And if you're happy to use a car, taxi or hotel shuttle, the hills around Sorrento and Massa Lubrense open up some completely different options with much more space and some incredible views.

Unlike our restaurant guide, we don't claim to have personally stayed overnight in every hotel on this page. We live here, so sleeping in hotels around the corner from our house would get rather expensive and possibly lead to some awkward questions from my wife. However, we have visited them all and we know the locations extremely well.  

This guide is really about helping you understand the different options and, most importantly, choosing the right area and the right type of hotel for your trip.

How to choose where to stay

For most first-time visitors, central Sorrento is the easiest option. You can walk to restaurants, shops, Piazza Tasso, the train station and the port without constantly thinking about taxis or shuttle buses. If you're planning day trips to Pompeii, Capri or Naples, being central also makes life considerably easier.

The compromise is normally space. Central hotels tend to have less land around them, and the hotels with huge swimming pools, gardens and panoramic views are often slightly outside the centre.

That doesn't necessarily mean they're inconvenient. Some of the larger hotels are still perfectly walkable and others provide shuttle services.

Sant'Agnello is another very good option. It's quieter than Sorrento but basically joins onto it, so you can stay somewhere much calmer and still get into Sorrento very easily.

Once you move into Priora and Massa Lubrense, things become more rural. This is where you'll find smaller hotels, agriturismi and boutique properties surrounded by olive trees and lemon groves. You'll usually get more space, better views and a much quieter holiday, but you need to think more carefully about transport.

Hotels in central Sorrento

If this is your first visit to Sorrento and unless you’re in a group, I'd probably start here. You can walk out of the hotel in the evening, find dozens of restaurants, have a few glasses of wine and walk home afterwards. No shuttle timetable, no taxi and no debate about who is driving. There is also much more variety than you might expect.

If location is your priority

Hotel Conca Park is a very useful option because it manages to offer more of a resort feel while remaining close to the historic centre. There is an outdoor pool, spa and plenty of outdoor space, but you're still just above the old town rather than miles out in the countryside.

For families in particular, I think that combination makes a lot of sense. You can have days where you do absolutely nothing beside the pool without sacrificing the ability to walk into Sorrento later.

Hotel Antiche Mura is even more central. It is basically beside Piazza Tasso, so if your definition of a good hotel location is being able to step outside and immediately be in Sorrento, it's difficult to beat. It also has a swimming pool in a citrus garden, which means you don't have to give up having some outdoor space just because you've chosen the centre.

Hotel Tirrenia is another central option, on Via Capo just outside the busiest pedestrian streets. It's a four-star hotel with everything within easy walking distance and offers sea-view rooms as well as more affordable room categories.

If you want a bigger hotel

Hilton Sorrento Palace is probably the obvious choice if you like a larger international hotel with all the facilities that come with it. It has 325 rooms, six outdoor pools, an indoor pool, several restaurants and bars, family rooms and plenty of space around the property. Despite all that, it's only around a ten-minute walk from the historic centre according to the hotel.

If you're travelling with children and want a proper pool day to be an option, the Hilton makes a lot of sense. It also suits people who simply prefer the predictability of a big international hotel. There are some beautiful little boutique properties around Sorrento, but sometimes you just want a big room, a huge breakfast, a pool and somebody at reception 24 hours a day who can sort things out.

If you want history and a sea view

Imperial Hotel Tramontano is one of Sorrento's grand old hotels and occupies a fantastic position right on the cliff in the historic centre.

The hotel dates back to the nineteenth century and has that traditional grand-hotel feeling rather than trying to look ultra-modern. Most importantly, you're right in town while also getting the sort of sea views normally associated with hotels further out.

If you want modern minimalism, it probably isn't the obvious choice. If you like historic hotels with a bit of character, it absolutely is.

If you want to stay down by the sea

Sorrento is built on top of cliffs, so staying “in Sorrento” doesn't necessarily mean you're anywhere near the water. There are, however, a few interesting options down at sea level.

Marina Piccola 73 is a small boutique property right beside Sorrento's port. It's in a restored nineteenth-century building and has a beautiful terrace overlooking the Bay of Naples. The location is particularly interesting if you're planning lots of boat trips or trips to Capri because you're already down at the port rather than walking or taking the lift down from town.

On the other side of Sorrento is Marina Grande, the old fishing village.

Hotel del Mare is a relatively simple hotel in Marina Grande and makes sense if you like the idea of staying in the fishing village rather than the main town. The hotel itself even acknowledges that the rooms aren't particularly large, so I wouldn't choose it because you're looking for a giant luxury suite. I'd choose it because of where it is.

Hotel Admiral Sorrento is also directly in Marina Grande and adds a swimming pool and sea views to the equation.

La Finestrella also has rooms if you’re looking for a boutique style stay.  

Staying down here is quite a different experience from staying around Piazza Tasso. Marina Grande becomes much quieter in the evening and has plenty of seafood restaurants, but remember that central Sorrento is above you. You therefore need to be happy walking uphill or using transport when you want to get into town.

Sant'Agnello

Sant'Agnello joins directly onto Sorrento and is one of the areas I'd seriously consider if you want to be near Sorrento without necessarily being in the middle of it. It's calmer, generally less crowded and still very convenient.

The standout hotel in Sant Agnello is Hotel Mediterraneo Sorrento. This is a five-star hotel sitting on the cliffs above the sea with a swimming pool, rooftop spaces and some pretty spectacular views. It's in Sant'Agnello rather than central Sorrento, but the hotel says you can walk into town in around 15 minutes and also provides a courtesy car.

For me, this is the sort of hotel you choose if you want the hotel itself to be part of the holiday. If you're going to be out sightseeing from 7am until 10pm every day, there isn't much point paying for beautiful pools, terraces and rooftop bars that you're never going to use. If, on the other hand, you want to spend a couple of afternoons doing absolutely nothing, this style of hotel starts to make much more sense.

Priora and the hills above Sorrento

Head a few kilometres uphill from Sorrento and the whole character of the area changes. There are olive trees, narrow roads and huge views across the Bay of Naples. The obvious compromise is that you're no longer walking into Piazza Tasso in five minutes.

Relais Palazzo del Barone is one of the prettiest small properties we've (ever) visited. It's surrounded by greenery in the hills outside Sorrento and has just eight rooms and suites, so it feels much more like staying in a private villa than a conventional hotel.

It's around 6km from Sorrento and provides a complimentary shuttle into town during the main season, which makes the location considerably easier than it might initially appear on a map. If you want somewhere romantic, quiet and personal, this is the sort of property I'd look at before one of the huge hotels.

Hotel Il Nido Sorrento describes itself as “budget minded”, which I quite like because there aren't many hotels around here actively trying to convince you that they aren't luxurious enough. It's around 5km from the centre of Sorrento and has panoramic views over the Gulf of Naples. Many of the rooms have sea views and there is also a panoramic restaurant.

This is exactly the sort of place I'd look at if the view and value matter more to you than being able to walk to Piazza Tasso every night.

Massa Lubrense

Massa Lubrense is where the accommodation options become much more interesting. You're outside Sorrento now, and that means you can find little boutique hotels, converted country houses, agriturismi and properties surrounded by actual countryside rather than other hotels.

For some people, this is much better. For others, it's a terrible idea.

If your perfect holiday involves leaving the hotel after breakfast and walking around shops and restaurants all day, stay in Sorrento. If your perfect holiday involves opening the curtains, seeing Capri across the sea and hearing virtually nothing, look seriously at Massa Lubrense.

Small and boutique

Torre Cangiani - Farm and Organic Farming takes the idea even further.

This is an agriturismo rather than a traditional hotel, only around 5km from Sorrento, with a handful of rooms and an apartment. It's surrounded by countryside and feels properly rural despite being surprisingly close to town.

Don't come here expecting room service, three swimming pools and a rooftop DJ. Come because you want something small, authentic and quiet.

If you want something more luxurious

Villa Fiorella Art Hotel is at the other end of the Massa Lubrense spectrum.

It's a five-star art hotel with sea views, a swimming pool and contemporary artwork throughout the property. It feels considerably more polished and modern than the traditional hotels you'll find elsewhere around the peninsula.

If you want the peace and views of Massa Lubrense without giving up the luxury-hotel experience, this is one I'd look at.

Good mid-range options

Hotel Bellavista Francischiello — which you may also hear people simply call Francischiello — has been run by the same family for generations and sits on the road between Sorrento and Massa Lubrense.

Its big selling point is the view towards Capri. There is also a panoramic pool, spa, restaurant and parking, which makes it particularly practical if you've got a car.

It's a good example of why I wouldn't automatically stay in central Sorrento. If you don't mind travelling a little, your money can sometimes buy you much more hotel.

Hotel La Primavera is a smaller and simpler option in Massa Lubrense itself. If you want a straightforward base in Massa Lubrense with restaurants and shops around, then this is a good option. Rooms are small but the ones with a sea view are lovely!

Positano

Positano is expensive. There isn't really a polite way around that. You're paying to stay in one of the most famous coastal towns in the world, and hotels that would cost considerably less elsewhere can become extremely expensive here.

But there is also something to be said for actually staying in Positano rather than visiting for four hours in the middle of the day with everybody else. The town changes considerably once the day-trippers leave.

Palazzo Murat is right in the centre and is one of the hotels we'd look at if you want the classic Positano experience.

It's a historic property surrounded by gardens, with a swimming pool, and sits directly on the pedestrian route down through Positano towards the beach. That location is a big part of the attraction.

Positano involves a lot of stairs, so don't underestimate the value of where your hotel actually sits vertically as well as horizontally. A hotel might appear 300 metres from the beach on Google Maps while those 300 metres involve what feels like climbing Everest.

If you're going to spend the money to stay in Positano, pay close attention to exactly where the hotel is.

So where should you stay?

For a first visit, particularly if you're planning to explore Capri, Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast, central Sorrento is still the easiest all-round choice.

If you want a traditional hotel right in the middle of everything, look at places such as Antiche Mura, Tirrenia or the Imperial Hotel Tramontano.

If you're travelling with children and want a large pool area and resort facilities, Hilton Sorrento Palace or Conca Park may make more sense.

If waking up beside the water appeals to you more than being beside Piazza Tasso, look at Marina Piccola 73, Hotel del Mare or the Admiral.

If you want something more luxurious and don't mind being slightly outside Sorrento, Hotel Mediterraneo in Sant'Agnello is a completely different proposition.

And if peace, views and space are more important than walking into town, start looking towards Palazzo del Barone, Torre Cangiani, Villa Fiorella, Francischiello and the other properties around Massa Lubrense.

There isn't really a “Best Hotel in Sorrento”.
There is a best hotel for you.

Someone travelling with two young children who wants a giant swimming pool has completely different requirements from a couple on their honeymoon who wants a tiny boutique hotel overlooking Capri.

That's why we recommend choosing the area first and the hotel second.

Once you've found somewhere on this page that sounds like your sort of place, click through to our individual hotel guide. We'll show you where it is, what the rooms and facilities are like, what we particularly like about it, how practical the location is and anything we think you should know before booking.

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