Travel - June 9, 2016

Hotel Villa Franca Review // Positano

off the shoulder top at villa franca hotel positano

Outfit Details: Top: Chelsea 28 // Jeans: AG Legging Jean // Earrings: Baublebar

Hotel Villa Franca Positano

I’m so excited to finally have a chance to sit down and tell you ALL about Hotel Villa Franca in Positano. As you may have seen, I spent the first part of this week in Positano and had the opportunity to experience one of the finest gems in town – Hotel Villa Franca. And just as I expected, it was fabulous!

If you’ve ever been to Positano, then you know know that the city is built around (or rather “in”) a big hill and Hotel Villa Franca is located a little further up the hill (about a 15 minute walk to city center), which separates you from the crowds and touristy feel of mainland Positano. Should you wish to spend your time in the city center or on the beach, the hotel provides a free shuttle back and forth throughout the day (5 minute ride).

hotel villa franca exterior positano
positano view

Overall Experience

With only 42 rooms and an exquisite attention to detail, this boutique hotel has quite the exclusive and charming atmosphere. The rooms are adorned in quintessential, old school Italian decor furnished with all naturals and subtle pops of color, making for a relaxing, romantic and luxurious bedroom.

There wasn’t much of a grandiose welcome at this hotel (I didn’t enjoy a welcome drink -although maybe I was supposed to?), but walking into the beautiful bedroom with their out-of-this-world sea view and stacked all-white pillows is enough to stop in you in your tracks! And then as you start exploring around the property, you can’t help but fall in love with this little boutique hotel. It’s just so beautiful and the views are ridiculously amazing (as some of you might have seen on snapchat).

Hotel Restaurants

There are two places to eat within the hotel (excluding the breakfast area) – one being a really nice restaurant and the other is a less fancy spot that’s great for lunch! I tried my best to capture as much as possible – so keep scrolling for lots of lots of photos! First up, I’ll introduce you to the gourmet restaurant which is located on the main lobby level.

villa franca restaurant 2

ABOVE: Li Galli Restaurant (the nicer restaurant on the same level as the lobby)

To be honest, I didn’t get a change to try out the gourmet restaurant (Li Galli Restaurant), but the atmosphere alone looks lovely. There’s just so much to see and taste while in Positano I ran out of time before I had the chance to sit and eat at my own hotel – maybe next time! But I’ve heard the food is great! I did however enjoy a few drinks in the bar (which is right next to this) and it was amazing!

villa franca rooftop pool

ABOVE: Galli Grille located on the hotel roof top  near the swimming pool – there are beautiful 360 views of Positano and the ocean

Although I didn’t have a chance to enjoy the gourmet hotel restaurant, I did, however, get the chance to have a meal at the rooftop grill, Galli Grille. It was an experience for the books! It’s the perfect spot to get a spectacular view of the city and enjoy the fresh Amalfi coast air.

eggplant parmasean at gilla grille at villa franca hotel positano
view from lunch at villa franca hotel rooftop
lunch at rooftop restaurant villa franca hotel verticl

I had lunch at Galli Grille my first afternoon and got the eggplant parmesan; it was (of course) divine! But the views were actually what made the experience for me. I mean, really?

Bedroom Details

So remember what I said about my initial gasping when I first walked into the room? Keep scrolling…

hotel villa franca sea view bedroom horizontal

ABOVE: Hotel Villa Franca Classic Room (No. 47) + Sun Hat with oversized Black Bow

Sin’t the room amazing?! There’s just something so airy, glamorous and beautiful about the rooms and then to top it off, the view is UNREAL. – talk about a picturesque Italian fantasy. The all white bedding and minimal yellow and blue-accented decor accentuate the Amalfi coast vibe. And the stacked all-white pillows…YES.

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hotel villa franca sea view bedroom-7

LEFT: classic bedroom at hotel Villa Franca // RIGHT: view from bedroom (Room No. 47)

While I’m talking about the room, I’ll note that the bathrooms at Villa Franca are great – probably my favorite so far on this trip. There wasn’t a bathtub (I guess Italians don’t take baths?), but the shower was very nice. And I think my favorite part was the shampoo and body lotions that the hotel provided. They were in the prettiest bottles and smelt SO GOOD.

hotel villa franca sea view bedroom-6

These blue and white cozy chairs lure you into a corner to relax and read a book. I rarely ever put my AC on and would just open the door, sit in one of these chairs and unwind from the day.

hotel villa franca sea view bedroom-8

ABOVE: view from my hotel room balcony

Is that view not INSANE? If you saw my snapchat while I was there, then you got to see the full 360 view. It really was breathtaking every single time I looked out the window. The hotel is located a little higher on the “hill” than the main square is and so the views are that much better. And while I’m talking about the fact that the hotel is a little ways out, I should note that there’s a complementary shuttle service that runs back and forth all day.

Complementary Breakfast

Like most nice Italian hotels, breakfast is complimentary. I think this might be one of my favorite parts about traveling in Italy (or rather, Europe in general?). Regardless, it’s so nice to start your day with a nice and relaxing breakfast where you can eat as much as you need without having to worry about cost. And Villa Franca had an AMAZING display including fresh juices and fruit, pastries, yogurt and cereals as well as a chef preparing ready-to-order omelettes and eggs.

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hotel villa franca breakfast chef making omlettes
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Note the chef in the photo on the left – he’ll make you anything you wish :)

Rooftop Pool & Terrace

The rooftop pool might have been my absolute favorite part of the hotel – it was AMAZING. From the ridiculous not-real-life views to the small-boutique feel, the pool is THE spot to spend most of your time while staying at Villa Franca.

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I loved the pool so much that I ended up spending 2 of my afternoons there! It’s so nice :)

brighton keller of brighton the day sitting at villa franca rooftop pool bar in Positano, Italy
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villa franca pool

One of the best parts about the pool though is that at any given time (and I was there during the busiest time of year), the pool never feels crowded like most of the rest of Positano usually feels. It’s a very exclusive and VIP feel and I spent as much time there as possible! And I discovered the BEST bottle of rose there! It’s called “VEDERE” and I’m pretty sure it’s a local wine – you MUST try it!

positano ocean view from villa franca pool

Above is one of the views from the rooftop terrace and pool. Since it’s on the roof, you get a full 360 view of the city and ocean – it’s pretty indescribable.

villa franca pool-2
June 08, 2016 at 1032PM

Photo Details: Swim Top: Norma Kimaldi (old) // Bottoms: Nookie (old) // Earrings: baublebar // Lips: NARS “Schiap”

hotel villa franca positano review

Photo Details: hot pink tank // tassel necklace // lip stain (No. 15)

A Big THANK YOU to Villa Franca Hotel for having me! I had a fabulous time :) and let me know if Y’ALL have ANY questions! I’m happy to answer!