Concierge.com's insider take:

The Amalfi Coast's first design hotel is no empty style exercise. This boxy, postwar structure that sits in glorious seclusion above a private beach a few miles east of Positano used to harbor an undistinguished package hotel. It was bought up by hotelier David Stein's Franklyn Hotels and Resorts, and reopened in June 2005 as a cool seaside refuge. The all-white decor in the 43 rooms and suites (most with terraces) will feel antiseptic to some, but it's softened by fresh flowers and warm teak flooring, while playful glass sculptures jazz up the lounge and cigar room. The panoramic rooftop restaurant, Un Piano nel Cielo, is a serious culinary player that gives the local tradition a creative twist; for everyday dining, there's a good choice of trattorias in the center of Praiano, a five-minute walk away. The lift to the beach still leaves 190 steps to climb down and up; for those who can't face the legwork, there are two pools, one inside the fitness area and the other outside on a decked terrace. There's no spa, but a masseuse is on hand between 11 am and 7 pm.—Updated by Lee Marshall