La Rosa dei Venti

Long a jet-set playground, Italy’s Amalfi Coast is still accessible, thanks to a handful of affordable hotels that includes La Rosa dei Venti. On a cliff in Positano, La Rosa's seven rooms are furnished simply, with a mix of painted wooden beds and chairs, wall-mounted Madonnas and putti, and bright-hued Vietri ceramic floor tiles. Mezzogiorno sunshine floods through French doors—all of which have Mediterranean views. And just a few yards from the inn’s entrance, 400-odd steps lead straight to the see-and-be-seen Fornillo beach.

Room to Book: The Libeccio room, for its large private terrace with a beautiful view of the sea.

Doubles From $182, including breakfast.≤/em>