Perched on a cliff overlooking Sorrento harbour, the inimitable Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria enjoys a phenomenal location separated from the bustling Piazza Tasso by magnificent gardens and orange groves. It’s a haven of tranquillity and is the first or last stop on many guests’ journies along the wonderful but busy Amalfi Coast. It was wonderful to be welcomed back after ten years by owner and CEO, Guido Fiorentino, and his charming wife, Ornella. Owned and operated by the Fiorentino family since 1834, the hotel has played host to many of the world’s celebrities including Otto von Bismarck, Queen Victoria of Sweden, Sophia Loren, Luciano Pavarotti, Barbara Streisand and the famous Italian tenor Enrico Caruso, who spent the last days of his life there. Ruins of Roman Emperor Augustus’ villa are said to lie beneath the property. The past is also alive in details such as 18th-century columns, frescoed ceilings and the antiques on display throughout. The hotel is grand by name and grand by nature; the ground floor marble hallways and public rooms (the glorious Winter Garden, the frescoed reading room and the music room) are monuments to the Belle Epoque and Liberty styles. This iconic 5-star hotel is a member of Leading Hotels of the World and has 84 rooms and suites in three buildings. Many rooms have fabulous sea views and terraces. The style is classic: clean lines, dazzling white paintwork, elegant fabrics, pale golden parquet floors and marble bathrooms. The Boutique Spa La Serra and its magnificent pool are tucked away among the scented flowers in the beautiful gardens. Before you dine at the gourmet Terrazza Bousquet restaurant (Chef Antonino Montefusco has earned a Michelin star for his wonderful interpretations of the culinary traditions) or the pool-side L’Orangerie restaurant, you can enjoy an aperitivo on the main terrace with sublime views of the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius. Just like Richard Wagner and Oscar Wilde.