For those of a certain age it’s likely that your introduction to the work of Franco Zeffirelli was his adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet”, in my case watched on a rainy day in school when the dreamy scenes of Italy transported us away from our cold north London classroom.
Villa Treville Positano is Zeffirelli’s vision of Italy brought to life. Once the director’s own home, it is now an ultra-luxurious hotel. Spread across four cliffside villas surrounded by beautiful gardens and hidden terraces, it overlooks the sparkling Tyrrhenian Sea and the picturesque town of Positano.
Why stay here?
The Callas suite is inspired by Zeffirelli’s close friend and muse Maria Callas
(Image credit: Villa Treville Positano)
The 16 individually designed suites nod to Zeffirelli’s theatrical vision. Spread over two hectares of gardens and terraces with winding connecting paths, even when the hotel is full you still feel like you have the place to yourself.
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I stayed in the Callas suite, inspired by Zeffirelli’s close friend and muse, Maria Callas. With high curved ceilings and tiled floors its iluxurious bathroom features stained-glass windows adding flashes of colour. From the linens to the toiletries, everything is of the highest quality – including quite possibly the best hotel slippers I’ve ever slipped my feet into. Branded in the hotel colours, they were soft and plush, not the usual mass-produced offerings. However, the room’s real highlight is the private terrace with seating that leads round to a private pool overlooking Positano.
As lovely as the suites are, the real magic is in the public rooms. Many of them remain exactly how they were, complete with photographs, artwork, ceramics and the original decorations. The skill in turning this into a luxury hotel is evident everywhere and what could feel like an untouchable museum manages to make guests feel like we’ve been welcomed to stay in the home of the maestro, where previous guests included Coco Chanel, Leonard Bernstein, Rudolf Nureyev, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.
Eating and drinking
The sprawling terrace at Maestro’s restaurant
(Image credit: Villa Treville Positano)
At the heart of the property lies Maestro’s restaurant set on a large vine-covered terrace with part of Zeffirelli’s original tiled kitchen still in use. Overseen by head chef Vincenzo Castaldo, the menu focuses on local and seasonal food, much of it taken from Treville’s organic gardens, blending Italian classics with global influences. With tomatoes straight from the vine and the freshest mozzarella, all the ingredients needed was a splash of olive oil. But oh my, what olive oil. Each meal came with a different one to try, all single estate, organic and extra virgin. The variety of flavours was astounding, especially when mopped up with the freshly baked breads. Among the endless delicious offerings was memorable salt-baked fish and noteworthy salads.
Needless to say, the pasta was exemplary, from simple tomato sauces to truffled masterpieces. In an attempt to help guests master this deceptively simple art form, Vincenzo patiently offers cooking and pasta-making classes.
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Kneading the dough while looking out at the sparkling blue sea and sipping an espresso martini is wonderfully therapeutic. We made cheese-stuffed anolini with a simple sage and butter sauce, and fettucine with fresh tomatoes and basil, but the main lesson was how a few simple ingredients harvested at peak ripeness create much more than the sum of their parts.
Things to do
The tranquil spa is housed in a beautiful greenhouse
(Image credit: Villa Treville Positano)
The spa clings to the side of the cliff and is housed in a beautiful greenhouse taken from Zeffirelli’s set of the opera “La Traviata”. Shielded by lush planting you can see the sea while skilled hands massage you with products from Barbara Strum, a cult brand harnessing science and nature to soothe all skin types, which consulted on the spa’s development. After a sublime massage you can relax in the Turkish bath and the plunge pool set on a private terrace outside the greenhouse.
If sea swimming is more your thing, take the winding path down to The Rocks, the hotel’s decked area with sunbeds and umbrellas. The lovely staff will make the trek down to you with snacks and drinks on request, or you could be whisked away in one of the hotel’s boats to have lunch in one of the many excellent beachside restaurants in Positano or further afield.
The verdict
The Amalfi Coast, a 50km stretch of coastline along the southern edge of Italy’s Sorrentine Peninsula, is already a stunning location but Treville Positano takes that beauty to another level. Through its hidden entrance on a steep slope you enter a sanctuary that harks back to the glamour of the past, where you can almost hear the gossip and laughter of its illustrious owner and his guests.
Finding that balance between theatrical high camp and quiet luxury is quite the trick but nothing feels overdone or out of place. Of course none of this luxury would work without the charming staff who make you feel like an honoured guest for whom nothing is too much trouble. Staying at Treville Positano is the closest I’ve come to experiencing la dolce vita.
Head down to The Rocks to relax under a sun umbrella
After reading politics at Sussex University, Natasha Langan spent a decade in social care before completing a University of Brighton postgraduate course in health promotion, which led to freelance work as a health researcher and sexual health trainer for both the local council and Terrence Higgins Trust. In 2000, she began working as a freelance journalist for the Daily Express, Daily Mail and MoneyWeek, where she then became picture editor. She continues to write the property pages and travel pages for MoneyWeek and for The Week online. She has a particular interest in nature and food, with a love of seasonal and regional produce around the world, especially the cuisine of Vietnam and Thailand.
