Luxury means something different to every traveller. For some, it is the finest suites, Michelin-starred dining and spectacular views. For us at Once in a Lifetime Holidays, true luxury goes far beyond beautiful surroundings - it is about how a hotel makes you feel.
The hotels that stay with us long after we return home are rarely the ones that are simply the most expensive or fashionable. They are the places where the hospitality feels genuine, where every detail is thoughtful, and where guests are welcomed not as room numbers, but as individuals. The places where you leave feeling less like a customer and more like part of the family.
That is exactly why we are launching our new series, Hotels with a Heart - Our Secret Gems, a collection of extraordinary properties that have captured our hearts for all the right reasons.
Our very first feature could only be Palazzo Avino, nestled in the stunning hilltop town of Ravello on the Amalfi Coast.
Perched dramatically above the coastline, Palazzo Avino is without question one of the most elegant hotels on the Amalfi Coast. The views are breathtaking, the interiors effortlessly refined and the dining exceptional.
Yet what truly sets this hotel apart is something far more difficult to create - warmth.
From the moment you arrive, there is a feeling that nothing is too much trouble. Service here is polished yet wonderfully personal, with a team that instinctively understands how to make guests feel relaxed, cared for and genuinely valued. There is no sense of formality for the sake of it; instead, there is an atmosphere of understated luxury where hospitality comes naturally.
Ravello itself is also part of the magic. Whilst many visitors flock to the busier towns of Positano and Sorrento, Ravello offers a quieter, more sophisticated escape. The pace is slower, the atmosphere calmer and the views absolutely unforgettable. It is the kind of place where mornings are spent lingering over breakfast terraces overlooking the coastline, and evenings are filled with candlelit dinners and soft Italian music drifting through the streets.
What we loved most about Palazzo Avino was the balance it achieves so effortlessly - world-class luxury without pretence. It feels intimate rather than overwhelming, stylish without being intimidating and luxurious without ever losing its soul.
In a world where many luxury hotels can feel increasingly corporate or transactional, Palazzo Avino reminds us that hospitality is still an art form. It is a hotel with heart in every sense of the word.
For clients looking for a truly special Amalfi Coast experience - whether celebrating a milestone, planning a romantic escape or simply wanting to reconnect with the joy of travel - this is a property we recommend wholeheartedly. Because sometimes the most unforgettable luxury is simply being made to feel completely at home in one of the most beautiful places in the world.
- Joan Jones
Finalist, Luxury Travel Designer of the Year 2026
