wanderer

We are looking at these hotels as possibilities in Positano.

Can anyone give me a comparison - re: location, ambience, rooms? I have read the rants and raves, and tripadvisor.com, and and can't decide, with the exception of possibly ruling out Villa Franca as that seems to have gotten mixed reviews.

We want to be able to walk into town and restaurants. We don't care about a pool, room service, lots of amenities, but would like a nice, comfortable room that has some character and is not spare and spartan.

We also definitely would like a balcony with a sea view.

Rates I have gotten are Bucca - 228 standard, 288 superior, Miramare - 210 standard, 230 superior, Villa France - 190 Standard, 240 Superior, and Villa Rosa - 130 - all euros.

They all look nice on the web site. Villa Rosa rooms look a little sparse, but the balconies look nice. I'm assuming being Positano, these all also have many steps to climb.

AVazzano

Dear Wanderer, We just stayed in the Villa Franca in Positano over the Easter holiday. The rooms were beautiful, we had a balcony with table and chairs, and a great view of the sea, the beach and the cathedral square in Positano. When you see a standard picture of Positano, it is the white building at the very top, so it has a commanding view, all the way to Praiano. They have a bus shuttle to the town below, and back (that's when you'll need it). You can slowly walk downhill, past all the shops along the only downhill street in town. The restaurant is excellent, the breakfast delicious with another great view, the staff very helpful with all our requests. The streets are very narrow, so driving in town is not worth it. You can take boats to all the other Amalfi coast towns, and take the bus at least once to experience the coastal ride. Positano will be beautiful no matter where you stay. Good luck.

wanderer

Thanks for the info on the Franca - what type of room did you have - std, superior or deluxe?

We have decided (after converting Euros to USD) that we cannot afford the Bucca. So it is between the Marimare, Franca, and Villa Rosa.

It seems there is no room type distinction at Villa Rosa. We might be able to swing a superior at Miramare, and at Franca, could only do a Std. room.

Would love to hear from anyone who has stayed at any of these 3.

awbaker

ttt

Larry_M

I replied to a similar request for information earlier today. We stayed at Villa Franca in April, 2001, and were very pleased. Our standard room was very nice, with a gorgeous coastal view from our balcony. The only minor negative was a tiny bathroom, with a miniscule corner shower, but we could live with that for the 3 days we were there.
The buffet breakfast was generous, and the hotel restaurant, where we had dinner our first night, was very good. As I recall, the staff was friendly and obliging in every way. There was a free shuttle bus into town at regular intervals, though I do not know if that is still provided.
If you decide to stay at Villa Franca, I would insist upon the main hotel...the spectacular balcony views are only available there, and not at the rooms in the annex across the street.

Golfergal

We stayed at Villa Rosa in 2002 and loved it. It was high enough up for a beautiful view, but easy walking distance to town. The steps are a bit tough at the end of the day, but helped to work off all that pasta and wine. It is right across the street from Le Sirenuse. I wouldn't say the room was sparse, it was just light and airy versus rich colors and heavy furniture. The bathroom was huge and the tub/shower wonderful. But the terraces are the real draw here. Our terrace was huge and overflowing with flowers and plants. We had breakfast there every morning and a drink every night. It was heavenly. We loved it.

grandmere

I agree with everything golfergal said about Villa Rosa; we stayed there in May of '01, and we thought it was a wonderful little place. I've heard people on here comment about it being "sparse", also, and I don't know where that comes from. IMO, it is perfectly decorated and appointed for its location; it is light and airy, just as a seaside location should be.

gt4889

This is the hotel portion of a Positano trip report that I'm still working on. We just returned from Positano/Miramare Apr 25. Hopefully it will provide some help.

To answer 2 of your specific questions - the Miramare is very convenient to the beach and all parts of town. All the balconies at the Miramare give you GREAT views.

The hotel we chose in Positano was the Miramare. We chose it based on the multitude of reviews we read on this board. It didn?t disappoint. It is located about the midpoint of town b/n the beach and the top which afforded us great views and convenience. Nicola, Giusseppi, and Rosita gave us excellent service. The hotel seems to be located in a mostly residential part of town so it was very quiet an afforded great privacy. However, its location would pose problems to those having trouble climbing steps. The Miramare is only accessible via steps (148 down from the road, 218 up from the beach).

We had room 209 (as the famed 210 wasn?t available). Several people on the board seemed to be in the same predicament so I?ll report a little about the Miramare rooms. 209 has a comfortable-sized bedroom with a queen bed. There is a second room with a small sofa, tv (I couldn?t get any English-speaking stations), and refrigerator. From this room a set of double glass doors lead to the small terrace. Incidentally, the entire back wall is glass so you have a great view of the sea, beach, and town when the curtains are pulled back. The terrace is long but not very deep (3?). On the terrace were 2 chairs and a small table. The view is stupendous but the terrace size is significantly smaller than some of the other rooms. However, that is made up by the fact that the entire wall of the shower/tub is glass (overlooking the sea) giving one of the most unique shower/bath views one has ever seen. I have pictures of the room and bath if anyone would like get a better look.

The only possible drawback to 209 (beyond a small terrace) is that it is directly outside the lobby so if you plan to sleep late, count on hearing the comings/goings and conversations of other guests in the AM.

We peeked in several of the other Miramare rooms. Rooms 210-214 all have very large terraces with table, chairs and chaise lounges and of course, the great views. 203 and 207 looked to be very good rooms with a BR, sitting room, and very large balcony. These rooms didn?t have the glass wall shower thing though. If you plan on going during the warmer months, I?d definitely recommend one of the above rooms if nothing else for the large terraces. Sitting on them, you feel perched directly over the sea at 75?.

Breakfast at the Miramare was outstanding. I?m a big breakfast eater and this is the only European hotel that fully satisfied my American appetite. Many different pastries, breads, delicious fruit (some of the best melon and oranges I?ve ever had), cereal (w/COLD milk), yogurt, meats, cheeses, and juices were included. It was all very good (and plenty of it).

JenniferW

Another vote for Villa Rosa....we just got back from Italy last night and we stayed there for one week.

The room was quite spacious and the balcony was unbelievable....most restaurants did not have this great a view of Positano as our balcony.