Head-to-head · Amalfi Coast
The two honeymoon picks on my World’s 50 Best list. One is the classic, on the cliffs just outside Positano; the other is the modern statement above Conca dei Marini. Here is how I would choose.
Toured both · October 2026
A sea view from every room, a beach club that keeps the sun when the rest of the coast is in shade, the iconic tennis court and a long list of inclusions.
My Il San Pietro review →
Spectacular and very modern, above Conca dei Marini, with a beautiful, massive, proper beach, fantastic dining at Alici and refined but warm service.
My Borgo Santandrea review →| Il San Pietro | Borgo Santandrea | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | On the cliffs just outside Positano | Above Conca dei Marini, just along the coast from Amalfi |
| The feel | Nautical and bright: blues, whites and tiles | Very modern, in the rooms and in the facilities |
| Service | Very private: you will only see other guests | Refined but warm |
| Rooms | Every room has a sea view, facing sunrise or sunset | Very modern; the private pool rooms are not that private |
| Room to ask for | The sunset side; Signature or Prestige for more space | Ask me first, and think twice about a private pool room |
| Beach club | On the sunset side, with sun on the water late into the afternoon | A beautiful, massive, proper beach; the sun leaves the water early |
| Don’t miss | The iconic tennis court, and a complimentary 2-hour yacht cruise | The beach, and dinner at Alici |
| Arriving | By boat from Naples or Salerno | By boat from Naples or Salerno |
| Best for | Honeymoons, tennis, fall trips, privacy | A modern, spectacular statement and a real beach |
Work with me and you get Fora perks, plus someone who knows these hotels personally and personalizes your stay: I request the sunset side at Il San Pietro, steer you away from the overlooked pool rooms at Borgo Santandrea, and arrange the boats and transfers. Same rate as booking direct.
Il San Pietro is the classic, done properly: sea views from every room, the iconic tennis court, and a beach club on the sunset side. Borgo Santandrea is spectacular and very modern, and that makes it feel different from every other hotel on the coast.
The afternoon sun decides a lot of fall trips. At most hotels on the coast, Borgo Santandrea included, the water goes dark early, and your swim time ends around 4:30 or 5pm. Not at Il San Pietro.
If you want sunsets, privacy and a hotel that fills your days, pick Il San Pietro. If you want something new and modern, with a proper beach, pick Borgo Santandrea.
At Il San Pietro, every room is impeccably kept and has a sea view. Some face the sunrise, others the sunset, so tell me which you want. The base rooms are fantastic; Signature and Prestige give you more space.
Borgo Santandrea is very modern, in the rooms and in the facilities. The private pool rooms are not that private, though: you can look down on your neighbors, and they can look down on you. Tell me what matters to you and I will request the right room.
Il San Pietro’s beach club is on the sunset side, which is a huge selling point. In the fall, the best time to visit, swim time ends around 4:30 or 5pm at most hotels on the coast. Not here.
Borgo Santandrea has the better beach itself: beautiful, massive and a proper beach. But it is one of the hotels where the sun leaves the water early. Come in May to June, or September.
Il San Pietro fills the days for you: a complimentary 2-hour yacht cruise, cooking and pizza classes, a daily cocktail masterclass, Pilates and yoga, the iconic tennis court and Michelin-starred dining.
At Borgo Santandrea, the beach is the day, and dinner at Alici is fantastic. Service is refined but warm.
Both are honeymoon picks of mine. Il San Pietro is #06 in The Fifteen, my honeymoon shortlist, and the privacy is the point: no one can look down on you.
Borgo Santandrea is No. 84 on my World’s 50 Best (51–100), and my other honeymoon pick there. Choose it for the statement and the beach, and skip the private pool rooms if privacy is the priority.
It depends on what you want. Il San Pietro is the classic, with sea views from every room, the tennis court and the sunset beach club. Borgo Santandrea is the modern, spectacular statement, with a proper beach. For a fall trip, the afternoon sun at Il San Pietro is hard to beat.
Borgo Santandrea has the better beach: beautiful, massive and a proper beach. Il San Pietro’s beach club is on the rocks, but it is on the sunset side, so you keep the sun on the water late into the afternoon.
Both are on my honeymoon lists. Il San Pietro is #06 in The Fifteen, and the privacy is the point. At Borgo Santandrea, skip the private pool rooms if privacy matters, because they are overlooked.
Think twice. At Borgo Santandrea, the private pool rooms are not that private: you can look down on your neighbors, and they can look down on you. Not everyone will mind, but it is important to know.
Il San Pietro, on the cliffs just outside town, with free boat and car shuttles in. Borgo Santandrea is above Conca dei Marini, just along the coast from Amalfi, on the quieter side of the coast.
Yes. A few nights at each splits the trip between Positano and the Amalfi side of the coast, and I arrange the boat between them.
Tell me your dates and who is coming, and I will tell you which one fits and which room to ask for.
Il San Pietro review → Borgo Santandrea review → Il San Pietro or Santa Caterina → Where to stay on the Amalfi Coast →