The Amalfi Coast's Best Kept Secret – The Story of Il San Pietro di Positano

History

The San Pietro di Positano hotel was designed and built by Carlo "Carlino" Cinque. With this property, he fulfilled a lifelong dream: to create something truly special on the Tyrrhenian coast. Cinque was no novice in the hotel industry. In the 1960s, when the Amalfi Coast's now global popularity was still in its infancy, Carlino was already investing in the future of tourism in the picturesque town.

He bought a house in Positano, renovated it, and then turned it into a hotel, naming it Miramare, and opened its doors to an ever-increasing number of guests. The Miramare gradually grew and became one of the most popular hotels on the Amalfi Coast. Cinque, after leaving the day-to-day management of the hotel to his family, set out to fill his time with more pleasant activities. He toured the area, discovering hidden coves, beautiful headlands, and secret stretches of coast. He would often row his small boat down to the promontory jutting out of the sea, known locally only as La Punta - the Point - and would often lower his lobster traps into the water at the base of it. He would go more and more to the base of the promontory - a promontory with its own secluded stretch of beach, topped by a tiny white-walled chapel among the verdant vegetation, which captured his imagination.

He decided to acquire the land for himself, and here he planned to realize his grandiose plans. He could not have found a better place for the special hotel he had imagined than the La Punta escarpment. As it turned out, he soon had the opportunity to start making his dreams come true, as the piece of land in question was owned by his brother-in-law. He bought the area from him in 1962, which the land registry described as: “a rocky escarpment with a small 17th century chapel on it”.

Cinque's plan was to create a hotel on the cliff that would disturb the natural environment as little as possible, blend into the landscape, remain hidden from prying eyes and offer beautiful views of the sea and the houses of Positano. Positano was then just a mediocre fishing village, but as the example of Miramare showed, more and more world travelers were discovering the beauties of the Amalfi Coast for themselves.

Foreign tourists were no strangers to the locals. The region was a popular destination for the world-traveling public, and as early as the 18th century, noble travelers on the Grand Tour arrived here, eager to see the famously beautiful Tyrrhenian coast after visiting Pompeii. Technological advances over the centuries made travel easier, and by the 1960s, few secret paradises were hidden from the jet-setting wealthy who wanted to see the world. Cinque recognized that the Amalfi Coast was about to explode in tourism and wanted to welcome its guests with something truly exclusive.

The cliff face

His undertaking to build a luxury hotel on the promontory was, of course, considered impossible madness by all his contemporaries. However, Carlino refuted them. He knew exactly that he could not entrust the realization of his dreams to just anyone. He did not, since he took on the roles of architect, civil engineer, construction manager and interior designer.

Building the hotel was no easy task. In order to connect the parts accessible from the road with the hotel unit housing the rooms and the observation deck, he had to carve a tunnel into the solid rock. A tunnel over a hundred meters long had to be made so that the elevator that would transport future guests could operate unhindered and unobtrusively, embedded deep inside the cliff face. It took him eight years to complete.

Opening

The hotel opened to the public on June 29, 1970, Peter's Day, with 33 rooms. Over the years, it has been expanded and improved, but it still retains its unique atmosphere. Although the hotel is classified as ultra-luxury and is visited by film stars and royal families, it has remained a true family business. Since then, stars such as George Clooney, Peter O'Toole, Liza Minelli, Dustin Hoffmann, Gregory Peck, Julia Roberts, and Laurence Olivier have stayed at the hotel.

Even after Carlino's death, the descendants of the Cinque family kept the place as it was envisioned by the founder: a quiet haven, in carefree tranquility, among flowers, above the blue sea.

The rooms

The bedrooms and suites, with their flower-adorned terraces like swallows' nests, are arranged in rows on the cliff side, each with its own private outdoor space. Each room has an extraordinary view of the sea, some rooms overlooking Positano, some suites overlooking Praiano.

All rooms have been redesigned in recent years by interior designer Fausta Gaetani. Hand-painted ceramic tiles, fabrics in sunny Mediterranean colours, antiques and stylish details, offset by the stark white paintwork, create an elegant, fresh atmosphere. Guests can find pampering extras in the rooms, such as cashmere blankets in the wardrobes and bathrooms equipped with special bubble baths and aromatherapy bath salts.

The programs

There are places where people don't travel to do anything. Guests don't come here to take part in various tours, sightseeing tours, picnics, they enjoy the quiet peace and comfortable solitude.

This doesn't mean the hotel is short on activities, of course; the hotel's private boats take guests on unique boat trips from the pier on the private beach. The spa's personalized treatments are refreshing for body and soul, and the bar and San Pietro's two restaurants offer plenty of culinary excitement.

And of course, not least: gastronomy

One of the most important elements and jewels of the hotel is its 350 square meter kitchen. Under the direction of chef Alois Vanlangenaeker, an international team of thirty-five chefs is responsible for the cuisine of two restaurants. The first, Zass, awarded one star by the Michelin Guide, presents all the colors and flavors of Campania and the Mediterranean. The service is extremely attentive, and most of the ingredients come from the hotel's own thousand square meter kitchen garden. Needless to say, the restaurant's terrace impresses its guests with its sea view.

The elegant world of Zass fine dining is open to everyone, while the more casual Carlino, located on the hotel’s private beach, is only for hotel guests. It serves lighter fare. The menu is inspired by the sea, and the setting sun, illuminating the Amalfi Coast with its last rays, provides the perfect setting for the dishes.