Caruso

The building is an 11th-century palazzo perched on a cliff 1,000 feet above the sea, which means the infinity pool — cantilevered over the edge with the Amalfi Coast dropping away below — might be the most dramatically positioned in Italy. The gardens are terraced with bougainvillea and lemon trees, and on a clear day you can see from Positano to Paestum. Ravello has been attracting composers since Wagner visited in 1880, and the hotel continues that musical tradition with its proximity to the Ravello Festival. 50 rooms and a sense of elevation — both literal and figurative — that few hotels anywhere can match.