If you read my latest post, you know that the first proper stop on our big Italian family vacation in 2025 was in Raito, Italy, which is located just above Vietri sul Mare on the Amalfi Coast. Very swoon. And, we stayed at the absolute loveliest hotel, Hotel Raito. This post describes our wonderful time at Hotel Raito and provides a detailed review of our stay!

Pros of Hotel Raito: Absolutely amazing views, stunning pool, our balcony was gorgeous, did not feel insanely crowded, on site parking lot.

Cons of Hotel Raito: A bit pricey, not within walking distance to much, quiet at night, some parts are a bit dated.

HOTEL RAITO’S LOCATION

Hotel Raito is located in the heart of Raito, a tiny Italian Hamlet located above Vietri sul Mare. Raito has a population of just 996 people. Raito is surrounded by the Lattari Moutains and the neighboring village of Albori (which is even smaller). This is definitely a place to get away from the tourist masses frequently Sorrento, Amalfi, and Positano.

The closest train station is in Vietri sul Mare, but we took a private transfer – organized by Hotel Raito – from the larger train station in Salerno, only a few minutes further away. There are also airports in Salerno (Costa diAmalfi) and Naples.

HOTEL RAITO

Hotel Raito is truly a grand hotel, built into the side of the Lattari Mountains. The main entrance is at street level, where guests are greeted with the checkin desk and Hotel Raito’s main restaurant, Il Golfo, which offers a large patio with sweeping views of the Gulf of Salerno (hence the name).

Many guest rooms, as well as Hotel Raito’s spa are located on the floors above this street-level area, which are connected via stairs and normal elevators. Other rooms, including ours (!) are located on the floors below street level, which require connecting via stairs or a smaller, outdoor elevator.

These lower levels are also home to Hotel Raito’s GORGEOUS pool area, as well as the pool bar and Hotel Raito’s casual restaurant, Il Grill & Pizzeria.

All in, the hotel is pretty vertical, but its relatively easy to get around. If you have any mobility issues, I recommend staying in the rooms above street level, as these elevators are larger and the surfaces are flat (not necessarily true on the lower levels).

OUR ROOM AT HOTEL RAITO

There are several types of rooms available at Hotel Raito, from standard rooms to those with outstanding sea views. We booked a Deluxe Sea View room (Room 514!), as I was very optimistic about good weather, which proved to be a good idea! I loved, loved, loved our balcony (the rest of the room was pretty unexciting).

While I forgot to take photos of the room (big regret!), it consisted of a Queen size bed (or a European King) in the middle of the room, a mini fridge with a mini bar and coffee and tea machine, a small closet area, and a very dated bathroom with a toilet, bidet, and the tiniest shower. The best part of the room, however, is, by far, the large balcony overlooking Vietri and Salerno! The splurge was worth it for this balcony alone.

I would note in booking rooms, certain rooms have recently been redone, while others have not. It is unclear from the hotel’s website which rooms are which… The photographs are apparently all of the recently redone ones.  While our room was totally fine, I suspect it was not one of the refurbished rooms. This all goes to say, temper your expectations and don’t expect your room to look exactly like that on the hotel’s website.

THE POOL AT HOTEL RAITO

Hotel Raito is home to one pool, and what a pool it is. With views overlooking Salerno city, Vietri sul Mare, and the Gulf of Salerno, it’s certainly a special place to swim. The main pool is large, deep enough to swim, and not heated. It is open from May until at least the end of September. The main pool offers a swim up bar that is open during pool hours, which I believe last until 6 PM. It was manned until just before 6 PM in late September.

A children’s pool is located just off of the main pool. Like the main pool, it is not heated. We saw no one using this pool during our stay.

The main pool is surrounded by lounge chairs, some of which are shaded during part of the day. We moved them to stay in the sun. Hotel Raito also has some foam “pool noodles” for guest use.

THE RESTAURANTS AT HOTEL RAITO

Hotel Raito is home to three restaurants/bars: Il Golfo (or “Gulf”), Il Grill & Pizzeria, and The Pool & Lounge Bar. We dined at Il Golfo and The Pool & Lounge Bar, and both were quite good. I would note that if you do not have a car, you will either be stuck eating at Hotel Raito or taking the bus or hotel shuttle into Vietri. We did not really see anywhere else to eat in Raito.

Il Golfo is the hotel’s primary restaurant. This is where guests eat breakfast daily and also a la carte dinner. Il Golfo is located on the main level (street level) of Hotel Raito, and it offers indoor and outdoor seating. If you have a choice, definitely eat outdoors for the insane views. Il Golfo is open for dinner until 10 PM, even when the hotel is not too busy (speaking from experience).

Breakfast at Il Golfo: Breakfast at Il Golfo is included in most room rates (at least in 2025), so almost everyone at the hotel eats breakfast here. Breakfast is served daily from 7:00 – 10:30 at Il Golfo only. Both indoor and outdoor seating is available, with tables done in white tablecloths, making the scene feel much like a wedding. Breakfast consists of a large buffet, comprised of multiple tables of food. On offer when we visited were a dessert table, with lots of homemade desserts, several hot stations, including eggs, sausage, bacon, grilled tomatoes, etc., lots of fresh fruit, lots of meats and cheeses, loads of breads, and more. I definitely couldn’t name everything. In addition to the buffet, a small made to order stand is available, serving things like waffles, crepes, and even freshly piped cannoli! Wait staff also comes to take your coffee order – the cappuccino was particularly great at Il Golfo.

Dinner at Il Golfo: Dinner at Gulf is offered until 10:00 PM daily, and is a la carte from a decent sized menu. On offer are, of course, seafoods and pastas, most with a seafood focus (though you can find non seafood dishes). The seasonal menu is located here. During our dinner at Il Golfo, I ordered the Linguine alla Nerana con Zucchine, which is apparently a local dish, and my friend ordered the Fettuccini with tomato and Parmesan Cheese. Both pastas were delicious; they certainly did not feel like hotel restaurant fare. I also had a fun dessert – Ricotta, Pear, and Hazelnut. The one thing lacking from Il Golfo is the vibe – you are really just eating in a hotel restaurant. Perhaps this would have felt different in high season when it is warm enough to sit outdoors on the terrazza. I would also note that Il Golfo is open to non-hotel guests. This would make a good stop for a nice dinner if in the area with a car.

Il Grill & Pizzeria:  Il Grill & Pizzeria is an outdoor, casual restaurant specializing in pizza.  Located close to the pool area, it was unfortunately was closed for the season when we visited (the website says open May – September). The seating area, however, looked very nice! You can view the menu here.

The Pool Bar & Grill: The Pool Bar & Grill is Hotel Raito’s pool bar. Accessible via the actual pool or a small patio on the opposite side of the pool, this restaurant serves casual drinks – beer, wine, and cocktails – as well as simple sandwiches with chips. We had multiple drinks and one of the sandwiches during our stay. Both were good and reasonable given the circumstances. I thought the sandwich, which was Italian ham, cheese, lettuce, and tomato on pita bread, was very tasty and quite large (Dan and I shared). I suspect the menu may be a bit larger during more prime months. The Pool Bar & Grill is only open until 6:00 PM, and it began closing down at least an hour before (including running out of wine….).

The Hotel Bar: Aside from the Pool Bar, Hotel Raito has one proper bar, which also doubles as the bar for Il Golfo. The Hotel Bar (for lack of a better word), is adjacent to Il Golfo and is quite small, although it does have some seating, including bar seating. Drinks were pretty decent and included cocktail and Amalfi (i.e., lemon) themed drinks.

HOTEL RAITO’S SPA

Hotel Raito has a spa on site, which hotel guests can use for a small fee (I think 9 euro per day? – it didn’t charge us). The spa hosts a sauna that was kind of hot (more “warm”, despite us asking to turn it up), a steam room that was better than the sauna, an indoor heated pool that was very nice (but could have been warmer), and a relaxation room with complimentary tea, water, and snacks overlooking the Salerno Bay. We spent about an hour in the spa one afternoon. We were the only people there, and it was, indeed, very relaxing. Definitely not the best spa I have ever visited, but serviceable. I believe it also offers treatments (like massages, etc.); we did not explore these options. If you intend to visit the spa, bring a bathing suit and I suggest making a reservation, especially in high season. We were able to walk right in but I can see it filing up during busier times. Swim caps are not required.

OTHER AMENITIES AT HOTEL RAITO

Wifi: Wifi at Hotel Raito is good, good enough to work remotely via VPN (unfortunately speaking from experience).

Complimentary Shuttle to Vietri: Hotel Raito offers a complimentary shuttle into Vietri sul Mare 5 times per day for 8 people (or so). Book a spot on the shuttle with the front desk when you want to use it. And, pro tip, it does book up. If the shuttle is full, taxies are about 15 euro each way and can generally hold 4 people (larger vans also available). You can also book a private shuttle at 10 euro per person for any time using the hotel’s shuttle. The drop off point in Vietri is directly in front of Bisogno Ceramiche (i.e., a favorite shop of mine!).

Complimentary water and snacks: In a very nice touch, Hotel Raito sets out water and small snacks in front of the checkin desk daily.

Tour Bookings: Hotel Raito offers several standard tours of the area for booking – including an Amalfi Coast cruise, Pompeii, and cooking courses. We booked on our own so I cannot comment on these tours. Prices appeared to be the same as third-party companies.

And, while not affiliated with Hotel Raito, if you stay at Hotel Raito, you absolutely must book a wine tasting and dinner at the neighboring Le Vigne di Raito. We had a tour and dinner here one evening, and it was absolutely fantastic. The best thing is that it is only a 5 – 7 minute walk from Hotel Raito’s front desk! You will need to book in advance, FYI. I cannot say enough good things about this place!

STEAL OUR TRIP

Hotel Raito: Via Nuova Raito, 9, 84019 Vietri sul Mare SA, Italy. Hotel Raito organized our transfer from the train station to the hotel.

Le Vigne di Raito: This is the website with information on booking tours and dinner.