The classic Sorrento lodging option—generally reliable and familiar, but not always the best bargain

The classic Amalfi lodging option—generally reliable and familiar, but not always the best bargain

The classic Positano lodging option—generally reliable and familiar, but not always the best bargain

The classic Ravello lodging option—generally reliable and familiar, but not always the best bargain

Boats and yachts near Sorrento where you can spend the night starting at €89 per night for two people—not kidding

A cheap but luxurious little hotel in the heart of the Amalfi Coast town of Amalfi

A cheap hotel with a wonderful hostess

A wonderful hotel with a view

A relatively posh hotel with decent rates

A hotel above the sea

These moderately-priced (and occasionally frescoed) rooms with a view are hidden in plain sight between the cathedral and the port

A legendary hotel in the Amalfi Coast town of Positano

A luxury hotel in a medieval palazzo

A garden hideaway hotel in the Amalfi Coast town of Praiano

Where the modern jet set stays in the Amalfi Coast town of Positano

A simple and inexpensive hotel

A friendly, family-run establishment with some of the cheapest rates in town just 5 minutes from the beach

A cheap but nice hotel

A cheap hotel with a spectacular view

A budget hotel in quiet Fornillo

Lovely rooms with a view (and a great restaurant)

The original Grand Dame of Amalfi Coast hotels still reigns in all its Belle Epoque splendor on the coastal road

A gorgeous cloister hotel converted from a 13th century convent founded by St. Francis

A clifftop hotel on the east edge of town

A family-run hotel on the cliffs west of town

A cheap hotel right across from the Duomo in the Amalfi Coast

A cheap hotel right by the train station

A bargain hotel with killer views of the pedestrian action

An inexpensive hotel bang in the center of Ravello

A fine budget hotel near the rail station

A cheap hotel in the hills with valley views

The classic lodging option—How Italian hotels work and how to book the best hotels at the lowest rates

From hotel savings to better booking engines, alternative accommodations to lodging rip-offs, here is the best lodging advice around

Don't use the most famous booking engines; use the ones with the largest selection and lowest rates

Hotels' official star ratings have nothing to do with how clean, central, comfortable, or charming a hotel is—just how many (often pointless) amenities it offers

Comparison-shop dozens of booking engines at once

All about how I select hotels and other lodgings for this site

How far in advance do you need to reserve a hotel room in Italy?

Hotel sites often feature special sales and promotions you won't find on the booking engines and aggregators

Shop around, ask lots of questions, even haggle, and you can often get a room for much less

A dozen ways to lower your hotel costs in Italy

User review sites are handy, but take their advice with a grain (make that a shaker) of salt

All the steps you can take to find the lowest price on the perfect place to stay in Italy

I don't mean don't eat breakfast—just try to avoid overpaying the hotel for it

A room with "external facilities" (shared bath down the hall) always costs less for this minor inconvenience

Crowd the clan into one room rather than renting two

Get a hotel in the suburbs or next town over to save money

Opaque rates can save you up to 60% if you book a bit blindly

Offer euros rather than Visa, and sometimes you can get a slight discount

A quick guide to Italian hotels and what to expect from them

How Italian hotels differ from American ones

A few notes on bathrooms in Italian hotels

Scams and rip-offs at the hotel—many of them perfectly legal. Avoid the minibar, phone, laundry service, and parking garage