Inside Anantara Convento di Amalfi Grand Hotel: An Escape From The Fast Lane On The Amalfi Coast

Think of the Amalfi Coast, and you naturally conjure up images of pastel towns clinging to cliffs, lemon groves tumbling towards a glittering sea, and that unmistakable sense of cinematic Italian glamour. Yes, it's all that, but the Amalfi Coast has also become a victim of its own beauty, with overtourism making even the most postcard-perfect vistas feel hurried and crowded. Against this backdrop, the idea of slowing down can feel almost counterintuitive. Yet, perched on a cliff overlooking the town of Amalfi, Anantara Convento di Amalfi Grand Hotel offers the perfect refuge.

Scenic Route

The train from Rome brings me to Salerno in just two hours, from where a hotel car whisks me further west to Amalfi. It's the day after Easter, and the coastal route to Amalfi is already busy, a phenomenon that only intensifies during the peak summer season. My driver suggests taking the 'high road' through the verdant peaks of the Monti Lattari instead. The winding route offers sweeping views of Naples, Mount Vesuvius and the sparkling Tyrrhenian Sea. It takes a little longer to reach Amalfi, but the drive reveals a different side of the region, with its hilltop towns, dense forests and terraced lemon groves, making me glad to have skipped the tourist trail.

Convent Secrets

I walk into the hotel’s street-level entrance and hop onto the elevator that cuts through a cliff, depositing me at the reception. After check-in, I’m shown to my room, which is right across from the ruins of a 13 th-century cloister and chapel. Anantara Convento di Amalfi Grand Hotel is built around a monastery dating to 1212, which later became a Capuchin convent in 1583. With the unification of Italy in the 19 th century, many religious orders were suppressed and monastic properties confiscated. The convent was acquired by a local noble family who converted it into the Cappuccini Hotel in 1882.

Anantara Hotels & Resorts took over the property in 2023, undertaking a sensitive restoration that preserved the ruins of the historic cloister and chapel. The monastery's original structure, complete with vaulted ceilings, remains intact, while the former monks' quarters have been transformed into 52 elegant rooms and suites. Although luxuriously appointed with contemporary comforts such as Nespresso machines and Acqua di Parma toiletries, the interiors still retain the quiet simplicity that once encouraged contemplation and reflection. What I love most about my suite is the view. Every window frames a stunning panorama of Amalfi's pastel-hued houses tumbling towards the azure Mediterranean, where fishing boats and gleaming yachts drift lazily across the bay.

A Gourmand’s Paradise

Breakfast is served at Dei Cappuccini Restaurant, which offers both indoor seating and an al fresco terrace. Naturally, I choose the terrace and linger over a leisurely breakfast with spectacular views. Alongside favourites such as Eggs Benedict, avocado toast and freshly baked viennoiserie, the à la carte menu features regional specialities, including beans alla pizzaiola served in tomato passata with a fried egg and smoked provola cheese, a Campanian delicacy. Lunch is at La Locanda della Canonica, the hotel's Mediterranean restaurant perched dramatically along the cliff's edge. The menu features grilled meats and silky pasta dishes, including linguine with clams and Amalfi Sfusato lemon, but I opt for pizza, the restaurant's signature speciality.

Little do I know I'll have to earn my lunch. Under the expert guidance of pizza chef Domenico Trotta, I learn to knead the dough, stretch and toss the base, spread the tomato sauce, add the mozzarella and bake my very own pizza. I also sample the signature Pizza del Convento, prepared using ancient-grain flour in the traditional monastic style and topped with fresh tuna, zucchini flowers, smoked provola and Amalfi Sfusato lemon.

The hotel's elegant Dei Cappuccini Bar is equally inviting, whether for an afternoon pick-me-up or an evening aperitivo. I sign up for an amaro masterclass led by the hotel's history expert, Friar Marcus, who introduces me to the bittersweet digestif he created exclusively for Anantara Convento di Amalfi Grand Hotel. Crafted using just five botanicals, including fennel and basil, the amaro is inspired by a medieval monks' recipe. It also forms the base of several excellent signature cocktails served at the bar.

For dinner, Dei Cappuccini transforms into an intimate fine-dining destination under the direction of Chef Claudio Lanuto, who presents contemporary interpretations of classic Italian cuisine. My meal begins with lentils paired with octopus and nduja, Calabria's famously spicy sausage, followed by the chef's signature spaghetti with Fiascone tomatoes, a rare 19th-century Amalfi heirloom variety considered the ancestor of the celebrated San Marzano tomato. Dessert is the unforgettable Lemon of the Amalfi Convent — an incredibly realistic white chocolate lemon filled with choux pastry, accompanied by meringue and bright lemon gel.

Rest and Relaxation

The lemon theme continues at the Anantara Spa, where I indulge in the signature Citrus Massage Experience. Designed to invigorate both body and mind, the treatment harnesses the uplifting properties of Amalfi's famous lemons. My therapist, Mariantonia, combines fragrant lemon oil with delicate orange blossom, using products from luxury British skincare brand Elemis and local beauty house La Selva di Positano. The 125-square-metre spa also features a hammam, steam room, sauna and two treatment suites for couples.

After the massage, I relax on the outdoor terrace with cookies and lemon water. As the sun sets, a cool breeze blows in from the sea. The coastal road below is packed with day-trippers returning to Rome or Naples, but I can barely hear the noise up on the spa’s terrace. I realise that the Amalfi Coast is best appreciated not at its busiest, but at its quietest — and Anantara Convento di Amalfi Grand Hotel offers the perfect setting to discover that.