Hotel Palazzo Murat
Positano City Centre, Positano
Hotel in Positano, Italy
Book with PearlWhy go
Hotel Palazzo Murat offers a rare combination in Positano: a genuine Baroque palazzo with a walled courtyard garden on one of the town's few flat streets. It books more easily than Le Sirenuse or Il San Pietro, making it the practical choice for travellers who want period character without months-out planning. Best visited in shoulder season for the strongest value.
About Hotel Palazzo Murat
Is Hotel Palazzo Murat worth booking in Positano?
Yes; if you want to sleep inside a genuine 18th-century palazzo garden in the centre of Positano without paying Le Sirenuse prices. Hotel Palazzo Murat sits on Via dei Mulini, one of the few flat streets in a town built almost entirely on a cliff face, which makes arrivals and departures far less painful than at most Positano hotels. The address alone is a practical advantage.
The property is built around a Baroque palazzo and a walled courtyard garden; the spatial anchor here is that garden. In a town where most hotels stack their rooms vertically up a hillside, Palazzo Murat offers a grounded, horizontal sense of space that is rare. Rooms in the original palazzo building have period character, high ceilings, ornate detailing, while rooms in the newer wing trade some of that atmosphere for more standard contemporary fittings. For value-seekers, the calculus is direct: if period character matters to you, pay the premium for the historic palazzo rooms. If you just need a comfortable base and plan to spend most of your time on the water or walking the town, the newer wing rooms cost less and deliver a perfectly functional stay.
Timing matters in Positano. The shoulder seasons, late April through early June and September into early October, give you the leading return on what you pay. July and August bring peak pricing across every property in town, the narrow streets and beach become genuinely crowded. Booking Palazzo Murat in shoulder season means you get the garden courtyard largely to yourself in the mornings, the town is walkable rather than gridlocked. If you are comparing directly, Hotel Marincanto and Villa Franca compete at a similar tier, but neither offers the same historic courtyard setting.
Booking is easy relative to the top-tier properties here. Il San Pietro di Positano and Le Sirenuse fill their leading rooms months out; Palazzo Murat gives you more flexibility. For broader context on where this property sits in the Positano market, see our full Positano hotels guide. If you are planning the wider trip, our Positano restaurants guide and experiences guide are worth reading alongside.
For Italian hotels at a comparable character-to-price ratio elsewhere in the country, Borgo Santandrea on the Amalfi Coast and Castello di Reschio in Lisciano Niccone are worth considering if your itinerary has flexibility. At the higher end of Italian luxury, Aman Venice and Passalacqua in Moltrasio set the benchmark, though at a significantly different price point.
Practical details
- Address: Via dei Mulini, 23, Positano, central, walkable, easier access than cliff-side properties
- Booking difficulty: Easy, more availability than the top-tier Positano hotels
- Ideal time to visit: Late April to early June or September to early October for shoulder-season pricing and lower crowds
- Room tip: Request a historic palazzo room if period character is your priority; the newer wing suits those focused on comfort at a lower rate
- See our Positano bars guide and wineries guide for planning the evenings around your stay
Inside Hotel Palazzo Murat
Planning details
- Location
- Via dei Mulini, 23, 84017 Positano SA, Italy
- Website
- palazzomurat.it
- Phone
- +39 089 875177
The take
The Take
The Vibe
Hotel Palazzo Murat foregrounds its 18th-century Baroque core within a compact, lower-Positano setting. The property preserves the historic palazzo wing and arranges newer accommodation around a planted garden and courtyard, creating a quietly refined retreat tucked into the town’s lanes. Dining is staged in that garden under lemon trees and bougainvillea, the Baroque façade forming a theatrical but restrained backdrop. The overall effect is an intimate, charming stop in Positano that leans on period architecture and cultivated outdoor spaces rather than on dramatic cliffside panoramas.
Best For
Palazzo Murat is best for guests who want close beach and piazza access without the climb of cliff-perched hotels, and for those who prioritize garden terrace dining and a historically rooted atmosphere. The hotel’s restaurant frames meals beneath the courtyard foliage, pairing a Campanian coastal culinary approach with the palazzo setting, which makes it particularly well suited to relaxed dinners and romantic evenings. It reads as a place for couples and small groups who value location, history and an outdoor dining rhythm.
Stay Tips
The restaurant emphasizes Campanian coastal cooking: expect seafood and preparations focused on local produce and summer simplicity. Favor dishes that showcase seafood and seasonal vegetables or citrus accents, which align with the terrace's lemon-tree setting. Given the garden-terrace format and the hotel’s role as a supportive dining venue rather than a destination kitchen, order dishes that highlight regional freshness rather than highly theatrical preparations.
Planning details
Location
Recognition and awards
Also consider
Also Consider
- Il San Pietro di Positano; Notable alternative
- Le Sirenuse; Notable alternative
- Covo Dei Saraceni; Notable alternative
- Hotel Marincanto; Notable alternative
- Villa Franca; Notable alternative
Hotel context
In the Positano hotel market, Palazzo Murat sits in a mid-to-upper tier defined by historic character rather than headline amenities. If your priority is prestige and service depth, Le Sirenuse remains the clear answer; it is the best-serviced and most consistently reviewed property in town, but it prices accordingly and books out well in advance. Il San Pietro di Positano competes at that same top tier with dramatic clifftop positioning and its own beach access; again, expect higher rates and tighter availability.
Palazzo Murat's direct competition is Hotel Marincanto and Villa Franca. Both offer comfortable, well-located stays without the palazzo's courtyard setting. If the historic garden atmosphere is not a factor for you, Marincanto and Villa Franca are worth comparing on price before committing. Covo Dei Saraceni skews more boutique and works if you want a smaller, more intimate property closer to the waterfront.
The case for Palazzo Murat comes down to the courtyard and the address. No comparable property in this price range gives you a walled Baroque garden in the centre of town. If that setting is important to your stay; morning coffee in a historic garden, easy walking access to the main streets; it earns its rate. If you are primarily looking for sea views and beach proximity, the other properties in this tier may serve you better. For a full picture of the options, see our complete Positano hotels guide.
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Around this place
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Compare Hotel Palazzo Murat
| Venue | Awards |
|---|---|
| Hotel Palazzo Murat | 2025 Michelin Selected Hotels |
| Il San Pietro di Positano | 2026 Virtuoso Luxury Hotel Collection2026 Forbes 4-Star2026 Relais Chateaux Hotels2026 La Liste Top Hotels2025 Forbes 4-Star2025 Relais Chateaux Award2025 Michelin 3 Keys2024 Michelin 3 Keys |
| Le Sirenuse | 2026 Forbes 5-Star2026 Virtuoso Luxury Hotel Collection2026 Mr & Mrs Smith Luxury HotelsLeading Hotels of the World 20262026 La Liste Top Hotels2025 World’s 50 Best Hotels · #942025 Forbes 5-Star2025 Michelin 1 Key2024 Michelin 1 Key |
| Covo Dei Saraceni | Preferred Hotels L.V.X. Collection 2025 |
| Hotel Marincanto | 2026 La Liste Top Hotels |
| Villa Franca | 2026 Virtuoso Luxury Hotel Collection2026 Forbes Recommended2025 Michelin Selected HotelsSmall Luxury Hotels Member 2025 |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time to book Hotel Palazzo Murat?
Book for late April to early June or September to mid-October. Those shoulder windows give you Positano's warmth and views without the July-August peak crowds that pack Via dei Mulini outside. The Amalfi Coast books out months in advance for summer, so if you want the palazzo garden in peak season, reserve at least three to four months ahead.
Do loyalty programs work at Hotel Palazzo Murat?
Hotel Palazzo Murat is an independent property on Via dei Mulini, Positano, so major chain loyalty programs such as Marriott Bonvoy or IHG One do not apply here. Check whether the hotel participates in Small Luxury Hotels of the World or a comparable consortium at the time of booking, as independent Amalfi Coast properties sometimes join affiliate programs. Rate parity across booking channels is worth verifying directly with the hotel.
Is Hotel Palazzo Murat family-friendly?
Positano itself is a steep, stair-heavy town, properties on Via dei Mulini sit in that mix, which makes navigating with very young children or strollers genuinely difficult. Palazzo Murat's garden setting gives families more outdoor space than most central Positano options, which is an advantage. Families needing flat access and a larger pool are better served by looking at Il San Pietro di Positano or Hotel Marincanto.
How is the location of Hotel Palazzo Murat?
The address at Via dei Mulini, 23 puts you in the centre of Positano, a short walk from the main beach and the town's shops and restaurants. That central position is the property's strongest practical argument: you are not dependent on a shuttle or a long stair climb to reach the water. The trade-off is that central Positano is busy and audible in peak summer; guests wanting seclusion should consider Il San Pietro di Positano instead.
How is the dining at Hotel Palazzo Murat?
The hotel's garden setting is the backdrop for its restaurant, which adds atmosphere that most Positano dining rooms lack. Specific menu details and current pricing are not confirmed in available data, so treat any third-party descriptions of specific dishes with caution and check directly before booking around a meal. For dedicated fine dining on the Amalfi Coast, Le Sirenuse's La Sponda remains the reference point.
Which room category is best at Hotel Palazzo Murat?
Rooms in the original 18th-century palazzo building are the reason to book here rather than a newer Positano hotel, so prioritise those over annex accommodation if availability allows. Sea-view rooms in central Positano command a premium across every property, Palazzo Murat is no exception. Confirm whether your preferred room faces the garden or the street, since that distinction shapes the experience significantly.
