Santavenere Hotel

Maratea - Italy

ABOVE: Public rooms of the Santavenere Hotel open onto a tiled veranda overlooking the Gulf of Policastro

It was built in 1956, in the time between Roman Holiday and La Dolce Vita.

It was featured in Vogue, with languorous models posing on its arcaded veranda above the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Its celebrity guests have included Frank Sinatra, Richard Burton, Ivana Trump, Italian film stars, and leading fashion designers--at least one of whom still arrives in summer by private yacht.

Yet most travelers from outside Europe have never heard of the Santavenere Hotel, a five-star luxury establishment above the ancient port of Maratea in Southern Italy.

I was lucky enough to stay at the Santavenere Hotel in October, 2002, when I was in Maratea to cover the second annual Caseus Prize cheese competition. To my pleasant surprise, the hotel's young, impeccably trained, and mostly English-speaking staff managed to provide attentive, efficient service without being the least bit stuffy, obsequious, or overbearing. The hotel was a delight, and I recommend it as a luxurious spot for relaxing, honeymooning, or sightseeing in one of Italy's prettiest yet least crowded regions.

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