Relais Blu

Rooms

The hotel’s 11 rooms are pared down white canvases streaked with colour: aqua cushions, a vivid emerald and turquoise striped headboard, a royal blue armchair or a terracotta urn on the floor. Wall-to-wall windows make the most of those gob-stopping coastal views; some rooms also have glassed sun-rooms and/or private terraces with white-cube sofas. Bright, uncluttered and immaculately clean, it's the perfect environment to chill out and focus on the sea, the sun, the silence and each other.

There is a choice of Superior Rooms, Deluxe Doubles and Special Rooms (king-size everything with superior views and intricate artistic detail such as veined parquet floors, baskets of lemons, bowls of fruits or sea shells). As each offers a spectacular view, we'd have been happy in any of them, though we did love that the Deluxe and Special Rooms have balconies or gardens. All rooms have air-con, jetted bath-tub, drench shower, flat-screen TV (with Sky, for heaven's sake)... even a personal workstation with free high-speed internet connection. If you want our advice, don't even switch it on.

Features include:

• Fan
• Minibar
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

If you’re a foodie, you'll be in heaven. Roberto Allocca serves up excellent modern-Italian dishes with an emphasis on fresh ingredients. We indulged fully, so as to be able to report on it all...

Il Relais Blu is Michelin-starred, fine dining heaven. It's open to external guests, but Mondays see it reserved for hotel residents. Grab a table out on the terrace, laid with crisp white and aquamarine linen, and sip a glass of Prosecco as the sun sets over Capri. Restaurant Brasserie Sal is also open daily for lunch and dinner, serving a selection of raw and grilled fish alongside Neapolitan specials.

We opted for traditional potato pasta with ham followed by blue fish wrapped in courgettes. Dessert was either homemade tiramisu or a strawberry cake. Don't do as we did and get heavily stuck into the homemade bread beforehand, even though it's that perfect mix of crispy yet light.

On our second night, we ate from the a la carte menu, which was wonderfully eclectic. Starters included amberjack carpaccio with sea urchins and veal tartare with quails eggs. Our hearty secondi course consisted of grouper with escargot and almonds, pork ribs with wild fennel and honey sauce, lamb served any way you like it. It sounds far-fetched but it really was all cooked perfectly.

A relaxing Italian breakfast (eggs to order, fresh fruit, pastries, homemade breads, cakes, juices, coffee) was served until 11.30am so it means you can have a lie-in and treat it as brunch/lunch.

If you're seeking a sunset aperitif on the terrace, head to Gaga' Cocktail & Lounge Bar: the menu of jam-based cocktails and the smoked Negroni is available daily. Plus, there's a small kitchen serving Mediterranean salads and sandwiches.

Features include:

• Bar
• Breakfast
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby
• Room service
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Keep it local: chill out by the pool, or drive to nearby beaches at Giardino Romantico and Nerano. From just below Nerano you can wander round to a beautiful secluded bay - we'd certainly recommend it as we were the only people there!
  
• Spoil yourself in the spa: there's a sauna, steam room, hot tub and selection of treatments
  
• Explore the stunning terrain - the hotel can suggest a series of walking itineraries
  
• If you can tear yourself away, take a day-trip to Pompeii, climb Mount Vesuvius, bags a bar-seat or a beach-bed at glamorous Positano (30 minutes by car), or explore the cathedral and cloisters of bustling Amalfi (an hour's drive on a good day)
  
• Drive (or take a taxi) into Sorrento - it’s only 10km, but it takes 20-30 minutes on winding country roads; this elegant seaside resort town offers ferry services to Naples, Positano, Amalfi, Capri and other islands (Ischia and Procida)
  
• For true romantics, Antonino and Bianca can organise a private boat to seek out your own patch of perfect seaside; there are some wonderfully secluded coves (most with volcanic pebbles rather than sand) and hidden sea-caves
  
• Explore the Punta Campanella Marine Park: beneath that blue-blue sea is world of protected underwater life. The hotel can arrange guided diving and snorkelling trips

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Boat trips
• Cooking classes
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Sailing
• Scuba diving
• Snorkelling
• Swimming
• Windsurfing

Kids

Children can be accommodated, but this is not the ideal place to bring children; Relais Blu can provide for them but there's nothing for them to do.

Family friendly accommodation:

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Relais Blu is in the hamlet of Termini in the Massa Lubrense area, in the heart of the Marine Reserve of Punta Campanella. It's on the Sorrento coast, south of Naples and 30 minutes from Sorrento.

By Air:
Naples Capodichino (45km) is the closest. Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving it.

From the Airport
The hotel can arrange an airport transfer - see Rates or you can take a taxi or drive.

By Car:
The hotel is fairly remote and we strongly recommend you hire your own car - see our car rental recommendations.

By Boat from Naples:
There are plenty of ferries and hydrofoils which connect Naples with Sorrento. From there it is 10km by taxi to the hotel.

By Public Transport:
If you're feeling brave, you could take the bus from the airport into Piazza Garibaldi, then a 'Circumvesuviana' train to Sorrento, then a taxi to the hotel.

All Circumvesuviana bus and train timetables

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

Read our guide to Getting to Italy and Getting around