Villa Scarpariello Review (Amalfi Coast, Italy)

If you are heading to the Amalfi Coast Villa Scarpariello is the place to stay.  I have definitely found heaven on earth.  It was the first villa that I rented.  I was in charge of putting the trip together, so it had to be perfect.  Villa Scarpariello surpassed every expectation I could have had.  First let me say that the pictures on line are EXACTLY what you get.  The villa sits on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean (I could stop right there).  It contains 10 apartments ranging in size from 1 bedroom to 3 bedrooms.  Every villa has an ocean view.  The floors are beautifully tiled and the rooms are elegant, yet comfortable.  The kitchens are equipped with everything you need to make a fantastic dinner.

You share the pool, grounds and the ocean with the rest of the guests, but each apartment is very private and we never heard anyone being noisy or felt that we didn’t have our own space.  I went and picked the fresh figs from the trees outside our door to have with our cheese and prosciutto.  I also had fresh lemons and limes at my disposal.  By the way, the lemons do not taste the same in Italy.  They are so sweet you will swear you have never had a lemon before.  And did I mention they are the size of Oranges!

Piero and Dominick, who run the place, are incredibly friendly and helpful.  I am going back there again this year and can’t wait.   If you are looking for the vacation you will never forget you should go here.  It is truly a little slice of paradise.  It was so amazing I almost want to keep it my little secret!

Great websites for renting Villas or Apartments

www.rentvillas.com - They have select villas and Apartments in Europe, Turkey and the Caribbean.  They have tons to select from, anything from 2 people to large groups.  They have been around since 1984 and are very reliable and have stuff in every price range.

www.villeinitalia.com - A great site for anywhere in Italy you might want to go.  They offer everything from Luxury rentals to weddings and affordable villas.  Their pictures are quite extensive and their prices are very specific.  No hidden costs there.

www.summerinitaly.com - Another great site for Italian Vacations.  Again they offer lots of pictures.  Italians who really know the areas and have people who have seen all the villas run it.  I had great correspondence with them and they would continually help me try to find what I was looking for.

www.vrbo.com  - This site is great.  It has been around since 1995 and it was started by home owners who self-mange their second home rentals, ie Vacation Rentals by Owner.  Make sure you get a lot of pictures if you use this site!  They don't always have a lot on the site.  I like to see as many as possible before renting.  I have found some really interesting villas from vrbo.  I rented my first villa from a site that I found through them.

www.tendencygroup.com - I used them for Apartments in Barcelona.  They have some really great stuff.

www.friendlyrentals.com  - I have booked an apartment in Barcelona with them.  Their apartments are great, however you need to ask for measurements if size is an issue.  They are a little smaller than they appear in the picture.  Not an issue, just a little smaller.  But overall exactly what you are expecting.

www.villascarpariellorelais.it – My first true love.  This villa is spectacular in every way.  There are 10 apartments in the villa, all ranging from 1 bedroom to 3 bedrooms, most come with their own kitchens.  Basic daily cleaning is included.  You will feel as though you stepped into a fantasy when you stay here.  All the rooms have ocean views.  There is a salt-water pool and access to the ocean (which you share with the other apartments).  The staff is wonderful and I can’t wait to go back this year.  Completely affordable and in my opinion, Ravello is the most beautiful place to stay on the Amalfi coast.

I am sure there are others out there, but the ones I have mentioned have reasonable prices and great apartments and villas.  Also Fodor’s travel guides have some good sites listed in their books for apartment rentals.  There are plenty of sites out there that are geared towards those with unlimited budgets and they are listed in Travel & Leisure and other travel magazines.  I decided to focus on amazing accommodations on any budget (you will think you can’t possibly afford it! Oh how wrong you are).  I will keep you posted as I find more.