The best sea view hotel rooms in Italy

Summer holidays in Italy are best spent as close to il mare as possible — preferably al fresco all day long. Waking up to shimmering sea views and being lulled to sleep by lapping waves sets a relaxed pace at these seafront boutique hotels, where the most difficult decision you’ll need to make is between sauntering down to the beach club, basking by the pool, or enjoying aperitivo hour on a Mediterranean-facing balcony.

La Peschiera, Puglia

This former fish hatchery is quite the catch on Puglia’s soul-stirring shores. With just a handful of whitewashed bedrooms and a private stretch of sand at your disposal, the Adriatic’s cooling waters are only ever just a few barefoot steps away — gently breaking on the stones outside each room’s patio. The Sunrise Rooms feel open to the coastal elements, with terraces on both sides for direct beach and pool access. As the only hotel on the Adriatic coast where you can be picked up from your bedroom patio by a traditional gozzo boat, La Peschiera offers scenic sunset cruises and fishing trips to make the most of its waterfront setting.

CPH Pevero Hotel, Porto Cervo

Almost every room and suite at this spiaggia-sandwiched resort comes with sweeping views across Sardinia’s canvas-like coastline of Costa Smeralda. The Presidential Suite at CPH Pevero Hotel is worth the splurge, with its full-height terrace doors flooding the room with glittering sea views — and leading out onto a private pool overlooking the Gulf of Pevero. A short stroll brings you to the golden sands of Piccolo Pevero, where exclusive seating, parasols and sun-lounger service create beachside bliss.

Furore Grand Hotel, Furore

Live the Italian dream at this cliff-clinging retreat on the Amalfi Coast, where every single room and suite overlooks the Tyrrhenian Sea — and the divine trio of Positano, Sorrento and Ravello are within easy reach. The Signature Pool Suites feel like mini villas, with their own gardens and lounger-lined plunge pools just steps from elegant four-poster beds. Take to the seas yourself and find the best hidden coves and beaches by boat, as Furore Grand Hotel’s clued-up concierge has several local skippers on speed-dial.

Grand Hotel Bristol Spa Resort, Rapallo

A rose-pink Liberty-style landmark tucked between rolling green hills and the Gulf of Tigullio, Grand Hotel Bristol Spa Resort has all the glitz and glamour of its Grand Touring days, but is thoroughly up-to-date on all other fronts. Bringing the glorious outdoors into the pastel-hued rooms and suites, doors open onto balconies — and for the most part, sparkling sea views. The Panoramic Suites live up to their name, with spacious sea-view terraces and full-height windows to immerse guests in the much sought-after Portofino coast.

Hotel Miramalfi, Amalfi

Set on the sea’s edge in the bay of Amalfi, boats bob past your bedroom window at Hotel Miramalfi, a chic stay with a legendary beach club which has been hosting the well-heeled since the 1950s. From every terrace and balcony, the outlooks reach across the bay towards colourful houses cascading down the rocky coastline, so whichever room you book, sea views are guaranteed (with interiors dressed in calming blue hues to match). Yet more sea views can be soaked up from the hotel’s Beach Club, fronted by a curving pool that appears to be carved into the cliffside.

Due Lune Puntaldia Resort & Golf, San Teodoro

Perched on the tip of Sardinia’s Puntaldìa peninsula, rooms and suites at Due Lune Pantaldia Resort & Golf are just a stone’s throw from the emerald sea. Several of the individually styled rooms face the water, but we love the suite on the first floor with a panoramic terrace, decked out in daybeds with coral-coloured scatter cushions to lounge on. Yacht cabins provided the designers with inspiration, drawing on wooden slatted headboards, chart lamps — used to consult nautical maps — and classic striped fabrics. Down below, there’s a lagoon-like pool and stretch of parasol-dotted sand, both bathed in golden rays.

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