Naples has spent decades as Italy's loud, chaotic, deliciously uncomplicated understudy while travellers rushed past to the Amalfi Coast. Not any more. Foreign visitor numbers are climbing, the hospitality scene has had a genuine glow-up, and the city's rental market has quietly caught up with — and in some cases outclassed — its hotel offering. Condé Nast Traveller has rounded up the Airbnbs making the case, vetted for Superhost status, guest ratings, amenities, location and decor.
The editorial verdict is that where you base yourself in Naples shapes the whole trip, and they've picked three winners across very different moods. The headline act is a luxury sea-view flat in Posillipo, the wealthy hillside district where the city softens into Mediterranean calm — think terraces and water rather than scooters. For culture hounds, there's an artsy apartment in the historic centre, putting you steps from the layered old town that inspired the likes of Goethe, Shelley and Dumas, all of whom spent years here. And for travellers watching the budget, a history-filled stay in the city centre offers character without the price tag.
Beyond those picks, the guide's neighbourhood breakdown is the real takeaway for anyone planning a stay. Rione Sanità delivers the buzzing, unfiltered Naples experience — street food, markets, everyday chaos in the best sense. Chiaia is the polished side: chic shopping streets and a more residential feel. Posillipo, perched above the bay, is where you go when you want the postcard views and a quieter evening. Same city, three completely different holidays.
It's part of a broader pattern. Naples has long had a solid hotel scene, but the rental market is now curating properties good enough to rival it — design-led boltholes, characterful flats in centuries-old buildings, and apartments where you can actually live like a Neapolitan for a few nights rather than passing through as a tourist. For a city whose main draw is its raw, lived-in energy, that arguably beats a lobby and a concierge.
Who is this for? Anyone plotting a southern Italy trip who wants more space and personality than a hotel room, or who plans to use Naples as an affordable, well-connected base for day trips to Pompeii, Capri and the Amalfi Coast. Prices weren't listed per property, but the budget pick signals there are genuinely affordable options in the centre — useful in a city that has historically been cheaper than Rome, Florence or anywhere on the coast. Book Superhost listings early: as tourism rises, the good ones go fast, especially in spring and early autumn.