How We Stayed At A Luxury 5-Star Hotel on the Amalfi Coast for Free
If you have been in the military, as a service member or as a spouse, for any amount of time, you have likely heard people talk about the amazing benefits that the Amex Platinum offers (it’s me — I’m people), namely that the annual fee for being a cardholder is waived. Side note: one of our favorite benefits of this card is absolutely our PriorityPass membership, which gets us into airport lounges around the world and has fed my child an unquantifiable amount of snacks, juices, and meals over the last 3 years of living abroad and traveling.
The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card offers the same deal on waiving the annual fee. Last year, one of my good friends was telling me about the perks she has found while traveling on points and benefits with her Hilton and Marriott credit cards and, with her help, I successfully talked (bullied) my partner into getting the card because we know we like staying at Hilton properties. We have absolutely made the most of this card and have stayed at some fantastic Hilton properties (favorites include the Hilton Malta in St. Julian’s and then Hilton Evian-les-bains).
As card holders and Diamond members, we get perk like lounge access, breakfast always included, upgrades whenever available, etc. But my favorite benefit of the card is the annual “one night free” at any property. Last year we used this in Budapest to save money on our stay and get one out of three nights free at one of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH). These are independent, boutique hotels that Hilton partners with where Hilton Members can use their benefits and still earn points.
This year, we decided to use our free night at a “local” SLH on the Amalfi Coast, about an hour and a half away from where we live. The Furore Grand Hotel is set on the cliffs of the Amalfi Coast not far from popular spots like Amalfi, Positano, Ravello, and Praiano. It is a seasonal hotel, so it only open from April to October. We were able to make this trip without our son, the first time we have traveled for leisure without him, which was a huge treat. This is absolutely a hotel I would recommend for a couple’s getaway versus a family holiday. It is a 5-star luxury hotel, and the prices of everything once you’re there reflect that.
When we arrived, we were greeted by name at check-in and then shown to the bar for a complimentary welcome drink and aperitivo, a perk for Hilton members. After enjoying our drinks, Roberta the receptionist showed us to the spa, Petra Mare, so we could make appointments for treatments later in the afternoon and then showed us to our room. Again, thanks to being Hilton members, we were upgraded to an absolutely stunning suite. I think this may be one of the most beautiful hotels I have ever stayed in. Our terrace had views of the sea, the infinity pool, and the cliffs looking south towards Conca dei Marini.
After settling in, we headed to the spa for a couples’ massage. The massage therapists were lovely and we both had a fantastic experience. The products they use are exclusive to the spa and are produced locally, which I love. After our massage, we relaxed in the spa area which included a heated indoor pool, two saunas, and a cold plunge pool. It was a perfect afternoon, especially since it was a bit stormy outside.
There are two restaurants on site:
Acquarasa, open for all-day dining and is the hotel’s more “casual” dining option. There is a beautiful indoor space as well as tables outside on the terrace next to the pool.
Bluh Furore, a 1-star Michelin fine dining restaurant (this space is where breakfast is served, so even if you don’t eat at Bluh Furore, you will still have the chance to experience the beautiful view and atmosphere at breakfast).
We opted to make a reservation at Acquarasa. We ate inside, as it was still raining a bit, but it was still a beautiful space and we had a table right by a huge window looking out at the sea. We started with a cocktail and small snack to sit and enjoy the sunset (which we did get a bit of even in the rain) and then moved onto dinner. The food was incredible. We each had a pasta and then split a secondo, or main dish. I highly recommend both the mezzi paccheri with lobster and the risotto with shrimp. After dinner, we split a dessert and decided on the chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. We were both pleasantly surprised to discover that the cake was essentially a molten lava cake, something that felt very much like home to us since we both grew up eating that back in the Midwest of the States.
I will say that dinner was not cheap. The quality of the food and the service was absolutely worth it and deserving of the cost, but it did add up quickly. If you are using your free Hilton night here and still looking for some cost saving, I would recommend going to one of the restaurants nearby on the coast, either in your own car or asking the hotel to arrange a shuttle or taxi.
On Sunday morning, we slept in and then headed down to breakfast. Another perk of booking as Hilton members was that the full breakfast, versus the small continental breakfast, was included in our booking. It was fantastic. We had an amazing selection of pastries, yogurt and muesli, omelettes, coffee, and juice. There was more on the menu we could have ordered but we were completely stuffed.
We spent the rest of the morning until our 12pm check-out relaxing by the pool. We requested a late check-out, which they said they would normally be more than happy to accommodate, but unfortunately there was someone checking into our suite that afternoon. They did reassure us that we were welcome to stay at the hotel as long as we wanted during the day to enjoy the pool, the spa, the restaurant, etc. After we checked out, we decided to have one last mocktail by the pool before taking a short walk along the Passeggiata dell’Amore to a viewpoint for one more moment enjoying the breathtaking views of the coast and the cliffs. If we were to come back, I would walk more of this path. There are beautiful tiles along the way with poems about love and the views are just stunning. I would also make the trek to the Fiordo di Furore, a popular cove and swimming spot that is about a 25 minute walk (down the cliffs) from the hotel.
For anyone visiting the Amalfi Coast and looking for a luxury experience, even for just one night, I cannot recommend this hotel and the incredibly kind staff enough.
