This 17th-century former monastery that’s been transformed into the Amalfi Coast’s most stunning hotel lets you live La Dolce Vita

I found myself wanting to set an alarm to get out and make the most of the hotel’s sensational surroundings every morning – as any new parent knows well, you don’t sacrifice a lie in on a child-free holiday for just anything. If you can bear to tear yourself away from that pool, the spa is worth a visit; it houses a traditional sauna, herbal steam room, thermal pool and rather lovely foot spa.

My husband enjoyed the al fresco gym before we spent close to two hours enjoying a lazy breakfast with the most Instagrammable feast (think Italian pastries, made-to-order fresh herb omelettes, and superb coffee all housed in locally made ceramics emblazoned with the words ‘Buongiorno’). I think about that breakfast most mornings as I tuck into my below-par bagel at my desk.

The food at Monastero in general is truly exquisite. The hotel has its own Michelin-starred restaurant, Il Refettorio, which offers a seven-course tasting journey celebrating the ingredients of Campania. The kitchen is helmed by Chef Alfonso Crescenzo, who uses his passion for the area’s bounty and wide knowledge of the Campanian kitchen to offer dishes such as mafalda pasta rolled with ricotta and ‘Moscione di Agerola’ cheese, stewed eggplant and meatballs covered in a “ragù Napoletano”; oil poached lobster served with a cream of Controne beans and zucchini “alla scapece”, and piemonte ‘fassona’ beef cheek with potato and pepper mousse and red wine-poached yellow peach tartare. Salivating yet?

Much like how the Amalfi Coast juxtaposes luxury with soulful local flavour, Monastero Santa Rosa strikes the perfect balance of seclusion without solitude, and luxury without pretentiousness. You’ll struggle to find another spot on the coast that captures the area’s rich history whilst also offering quintessential luxury Italian hospitality quite like this.