Casa Angelina 23rd to 26th April 2013Emma Macfarlane – Director of Sales, Travel TradeFrom the moment we arrived at Casa Angelina we could not fail but to succumb to the relaxed and welcoming feel the hotel exudes. This trip was a surprise for my husband for his birthday and a chance to celebrate, without the children, our tenth wedding anniversary. On first glance this hotel can come across as being clinical and stark however this could not be further from the truth and we felt completely at home here. How lucky I am to be involved in the promotion of Casa Angelina to the UK retail agency market as for me, it knocks spots off other hotels I have visited in this stunning part of Italy and I cannot think of a better or more romantic place to have spent the last 3 days. It is a perfect and fitting member of the Workham portfolio. If only we could have stayed longer, a week here would be ideal. We found ourselves feeling jealous of the family that had just arrived to spend 14 nights at the hotel.This hotel is an utter gem. Not only does it cling to the cliff side of the small coastal village of Praiano offering stunning views of the Amalfi Coast from every aspect but each individual element of the hotel lends itself to the most fabulous experience and it is all expertly done. The staff are young, dynamic and utterly professional. The service is exemplary here and nothing is too much trouble – we felt the service we received was individually tailored to us. Everyone knows who you are from the moment you arrive and the service is personal yet unobtrusive which adds to the warm welcome. Obvious you may think as I sell the hotel but this expertise was shown to each and every guest. The hotel is painted white throughout and is kept pristine (we saw several people with paint brushes throughout our stay) yet is brought to life by the warmth and character of beautiful, individual artwork strategically placed throughout the property. There is even a Murano glass man above the front door to welcome you.Casa Angelina is a boutique property and beautifully small at only 39 rooms. The categories range from the Junior Suite, of which there is just one at the top of the building with every technological convenience you could imagine and the most fabulous sea view bath, through the romantic sea view rooms to name but one to a perfect bijoux room for the single working traveller. L`Occitane products feature throughout the rooms. The 4 Eaudescea suites are a must for honeymooners and completely unique. These suites are in homage to the sirens that tempted Ulysses at Li Galli Island, the former residence of Nureyev and which can be seen in the distance and are idyllically placed near the beach and La Gavitella restaurant. They are built into the cliff and offer perfect seclusion and privacy. A lift takes you part of the way down followed by 200 steps but each one is so worth it – room service is well utilised down here! As such this property lends itself to the younger generation and in high season welcomes children only over the age of 10. Having left our children at home we were glad to not see anyone else`s! From the beach you can take a boat out and potter round the calm waters of the coastline. It would be incredibly easy to while away several days down there sunbathing, dipping in the water and enjoying the excellent menu at La Gavitella restaurant. Sadly we missed the opening date by a couple of weeks but could visualise the sheer chilled out atmosphere and easy feel. The hotel offers a boat excursion to Capri from the beach which is incredibly good value at €60 per person for the day and includes drinks on board and the opportunity to bathe in the clear waters of the Mediterranean along the way.Casa Angelina has teamed up with some of the best suppliers around the world to ensure that the design of the hotel and the technology on hand does not disappoint and just add to the excellence of the experience. Bang & Olufsen, Bellora, Nespresso and Faber Castell, to name a few, enhance the Casa Angelina Lifestyle. No corners have been cut – free wifi too is always well received!The cuisine at Casa Angelina is superb. One of the many highlights of our stay was dinner in the hotel`s signature restaurant, Un Piano del Cielo. The name of the restaurant means `a storey in the sky` which makes perfect sense when you are lucky enough to have dinner on the terrace overlooking the twinkly lights of the coast`s towns and villages with Positano in the distance. As proper foodies (my husband is a catering operations director and we both just love food) we were blown away. The creativity and skill twinned with beautiful ingredients and stunning presentation ensured that dinner at Un Piano del Cielo has shot to the top of our list of most amazing restaurant experiences.Lunch on the terrace of the Marrakech Bar was delicious – my husband`s seafood salad was unlike any other he had eaten and he`s had a few. The Marrakech Bar comes to life in the evening when the coloured lights in the ceiling start twinkling and the Limoncello Mojitos are flowing!We did not do a lot during our stay as the lure of pure relaxation at the hotel and a chance to finally get into a good book was too much to ignore. We did however take advantage of the plunge pool and sauna (although we should have used the gym equipment to work off some calories) and the complimentary limo shuttle to and from Positano. We also enjoyed dinner one evening in a charming local trattoria in Praiano where the food was locally sourced, very well cooked and delicious. About 100 steps take you up to the village and the small Casa Angelina torches help guide you back!This hotel surpassed my already high expectations having spent time with the lovely Annarita Aprea, Director of Sales for the hotel. To experience it though has been key to my understanding of just what an excellent hotel this is and one which I cannot wait to tell everybody about. It is so wonderful however, it`s tempting to keep it a secret!We loved every minute of our stay at Casa Angelina. My husband`s expectations of our travel experiences together have always been high since I took him to Necker Island almost 16 years ago – Casa Angelina only upheld those expectations.Please do let us here at Workham know when you make a booking at Casa Angelina so that we can ensure your clients are flagged up as VIP`s and are well looked after. In fact, that goes for any of the Workham properties. We are very happy to ask the hotel to put a note from you in the room for your clients and will always make sure they are extended the best possible service.