Located in one of the world’s most beautiful and sought after destinations and enjoying a spectacular cliff top setting the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria in Sorrento, Italy, offers travellers five star luxury along with picture perfect views of Mount Vesuvius and the Bay of Naples. Reputedly built on the site of the Emperor August’s villa and set in lush, five acre gardens filled with the unmistakable perfume of its orange and lemon trees, the hotel has been lovingly cared for by four generations of the Fiorentino family and recently celebrated its 175th anniversary.

With Capri – famous for its jet set patronage and chic boutiques just a short boat trip away (use the hotel’s motor boat) and Naples, Amalfi, Mount Vesuvius, Pompeii and Herculaneum within easy reach, the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria is the preferred choice for exploring the area and offers visitors a perfect blend of deluxe hospitality and the warmth and intimacy for which southern Italy is famed.

All of the air conditioned rooms and suites are located in three adjoining buildings – La Vittoria, La Favorita and La Rivale - and have satellite TV, free wi fi, a safety deposit box, mini bar and direct line telephone.

All the bedrooms and salons contain furniture and artworks ranging from Arts and Crafts and Beidermeier furniture to 18th century Neapolitan paintings and dramatic frescoes. One of the most requested suites, the Enrico Caruso Room, with its large terrace and enviable sea view, is kept in the same style as it was in 1921 when the famous Italian tenor lodged there for an extended stay.

The Pompeii Suite links the hotel to the Roman archeological site that was recently discovered on the hotel’s premises and is in high demand, offering a loft sleeping area, two drawing rooms and a breathtaking view of the Bay of Naples.

Sorrento’s mild climate always attracted artists, writers, philosophers and nobility and the resort became a de rigeur stop on the GrandTour. Over the years the hotel’s staff has welcomed many international celebrities and the visitors’ book almost reads like a who’s who of the rich and famous, including Andrea Bocelli, Luciano Pavarotti, Lionel Ritchie, Brian de Palma, Jack Lemmon and even Otto von Bismarck, as well as many European royals; an exquisite Victorian style room used by the late Princess Margaret has been named in her honour. Sophia Loren stayed in the Aurora Suite when she starred in ‘Qualcosa di biando’ which was filmed on the hotel’s terraces.

Several architects and decorators have made unique contributions to the style of the hotel recently including Belgian painter and set decorator Thierry Bosquet, Irish artist Richard Kerr, and London architect Colin Gold in conjunction with Robert O’Dea.

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The elegance and luxury that characterise the Excelsior Vittoria is also reflected in the hotel’s two restaurants. Guests can dine under the vast frescoed ceiling in the Vittoria dining room which is open all year, or in the open air from May to October on the Bosquet Terrace that faces Mount Vesuvius. Both restaurants follow the highest traditions and quality of Neapolitan cuisine, drawing on the best daily bounty offered by land and sea. The new swimming pool restaurant in the park opens from June to September where guests can enjoy tasty and light meals and snacks including typical local dishes, salads and homemade pastas and ice creams.

In their leisure time guests at the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria can enjoy a wealth of pampering treatments at the new holistic centre, lounge in the shade of an umbrella next to the Trani marble swimming pool or stroll the hotel’s park and private gardens, which keep the hotel secluded but in fact lead directly from the main square in Sorrento to the hotel entrance. The main pool has a water massage area and there is a children’s pool and playground nearby. Jazz concerts and intimate parties are held in the surrounding solarium in the summer months. Adjoining the pool and housed in a converted 19th century greenhouse La Serra, the hotel’s holistic centre, is surrounded by olive and orange trees and has been designed following feng shui principles. Offering a seriously luxurious experience for the complete wellness and harmony of body and soul there are exclusive treatments and massages using organic essential oils obtained from Mediterranean plants and flowers.

Honeymooning couples can have special soothing rituals together if they wish.

Whatever the time of year there is always plenty to do; try a cooking class held at the hotel by top chef Vincenzo Galano, have dinner in one of the restaurants located along the coast accessible only by boat, and visit local olive and citrus fruit groves and learn about their cultivation and use. Explore the sensational coast and its ancient fortifications on foot, see religious processions and celebrations, take part in gastronomic and music festivals, or visit museums, exhibitions, theatres and opera. You might start the day by jogging around the extraordinarily beautiful private gardens before breakfast, or just relax by the pool and soak up the Sorrento sun. There are local treasures to be had in the shops and craft workshops in Sorrento including lace, mouth watering sugared almonds and citrus liqueurs and produce such as walnuts and local cheeses including provolone and treccia.

The hotel also offers conference and banqueting facilities in a choice of six theatre style air conditioned meeting rooms which can seat from 30 to 250 guests.

A member of The Leading Small Hotels of the World and having been listed in the Top 500 Best Hotels in The World the Excelsior Vittoria provides luxury as standard, offering its guests quality service in a refined and welcoming atmosphere in a unique natural setting.