Monastero Santa Rosa :

Cloistered nuns and sacred virgins were the furthest thought from my mind when staying at the Monastero Santa Rosa on Italy’s famed Amalfi Coast. Yet my room had once housed them more than 300 years ago.

The property now known as Monastero Santa Rosa was originally erected in 1681 for a Dominican order at the behest of Sister Pandolfi, a descendent of a rich, noble family. The structure was abandoned in the late 1860s, but later converted into a hotel. After the owners died the property was again jettisoned - until Bianca Sharma, an American, spied the white walls above sheer cliffs while yachting on the Tyrrhenian Sea with friends.  

Sharma spent nearly a dozen years perfecting the property into a 20-room luxury hotel and spa, which opened in May, 2012.  Prince Albert of Monaco, suitably, was the property’s first guest. The hotel and spa are open during high season, April through October, although there are plans to keep the spa open year-round. 

My visit occurred in late June when the coast burgeoned with tourists.  Bugs were still being worked out by the staff of 55 (sink stoppers that would not stop along with spotty internet connection), but those were relatively minor and accepted inconveniences as any new hotel finds its legs.  

Landscaping along the five descending terraces had also just been planted (from the same supplier who stocks the Vatican gardens).  Wooden guide rails along the terraces looked a bit naked and sterile against the stunning views – but in time these will largely covered as the plantings grow out, softening the effect.  

Improbable Views of the Amalfi Coast
Monastero Santa Rosa is a seductive place, the sort that has you wondering why the rest of Italy is so important, when, perched high above the Bay of Salerno, you possess such an enviable view of it. 

Sweeping views of the Amalfi Coast and a turquoise jewel of a cliff-side infinity pool are just the beginnings of the charm.  What forms the core allure, however, is the integrity of the structure that architect and site director Franco deMartino retained.  This includes hallways double and even triple the width of most hotels and vaulted ceilings and shorter door heights that may force the tallest of guests to stoop a bit.  (Although I’m sure the doors were just about the right height for cloistered nuns.) 

“I fought hard to retain the original door heights because it was important for the geometry, which includes the slope of the vaults in the hallways - how it all ties together,” said deMartino, seated on one of the hotel’s five outdoor terraces descending the cliff.  “Bianca insisted that I dedicate myself to this project only.”

The hotel has no foundation, originally having been built on flat rocks. The walls are medieval thick, but Venetian lighting along stairways and corridors help to lighten the preponderance of plaster.  

The property is a ninety minute drive from Naples airport, a ten minute drive up from the town of Amalfi (via a complimentary hotel shuttle), 25 minutes from Poistano and 15 minutes from Ravello. The island of Capri is also a 20 minute ferry ride from Amalfi. 

Modern Rooms with Antique Sensibilities
Each room is named for a local herb in the hotel’s private garden (my room was Salvia).  Each abode harbors Italian antiques Sharma has collected during her travels.  Yet all modern amenities are included and sometimes ingeniously incorporated – minibar, safe, flat screen televisions and Internet access.

Some guest beds feature local iron work, and local craftspeople have in fact, been employed throughout the hotel – including for the construction of a striking blue and white ceramic bench placed on one of the terraces.  All rooms include sea views, probably the most important amenity any Amalfi Coast establishment can offer. 

“I’m quite proud to have been able to employ local craftspeople,” said Sharma, looking out along a terrace where two cabanas flanked a ceiba tree. “The property is really a marriage between the old and the new.” 

The nuns’ former rooms soar with the original vaulted ceilings and arched windows.  Yet walls of course have been opened, making way for two sea view rooms with terraces.  All told, there are 12 rooms, 8 suites, and one sea view penthouse that include a dining room with fireplace.  

Rates range from €375.00 to €850.00 for rooms, and from €990.00 to €2500.00 for suites, depending on the month. 

A Hotel That Can Teach You About Light 
Perched on the Tyrrhenian Sea with the Mediterranean in the far distance, this is a hotel that can teach you about light. The property can’t help but be diffused with it – shadings of blues, pinks, violets and grays stretch from every window. Coastline ....