Help! Amalfi Coast Hotel Recommendation in Positano
May 9th, 2012, 09:39 AM
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Help! Amalfi Coast Hotel Recommendation in Positano
There is not very much availability left in Positano when we plan to go in mid June that is also in our budget. Under $400/ night (about 320 Euro).
Please help me choose between Hotel Ancora, Posa Posa, Eden Roc.
The 2 things that matter most:
#1 - VIEW. We want a room with a nice balcony or terrace with views of the sea and some of the town.
#2 - I will be 3 months pregnant so having a place that is close to a bus stop is pretty important. I am sure I will be fine managing stairs some of the time, but want to have another option. Taxi or something else would also be fine. I have no idea if this small town would have that.
Due to #2, I am leaning toward Posa Posa. However, the photos of the views did not look good as the views from the other hotel.
REALLY appreciate any feedback you may have.
Please help me choose between Hotel Ancora, Posa Posa, Eden Roc.
The 2 things that matter most:
#1 - VIEW. We want a room with a nice balcony or terrace with views of the sea and some of the town.
#2 - I will be 3 months pregnant so having a place that is close to a bus stop is pretty important. I am sure I will be fine managing stairs some of the time, but want to have another option. Taxi or something else would also be fine. I have no idea if this small town would have that.
Due to #2, I am leaning toward Posa Posa. However, the photos of the views did not look good as the views from the other hotel.
REALLY appreciate any feedback you may have.
May 9th, 2012, 10:43 AM
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Staycee I don't want to sound negative, but if you really need to avoid steps, you should not stay in Positano. Even if you stay near the bus stop, you will need to walk up and down steps to get anywhere within the town, and taxis are not an option within the heart of the town.
Keep in mind, too, that taxis are quite expensive; even a ride to a restaurant outside town will cost a minimum of 15 euro, or $20US, and probably close to $30. One way.
Is there any chance at all that you might consider a hotel in another town, such as Amalfi, where the center of town is virtually flat? You could get a hotel there with a good view, and would not need to climb steps to reach the beach or the bus stop.
Good luck!
Keep in mind, too, that taxis are quite expensive; even a ride to a restaurant outside town will cost a minimum of 15 euro, or $20US, and probably close to $30. One way.
Is there any chance at all that you might consider a hotel in another town, such as Amalfi, where the center of town is virtually flat? You could get a hotel there with a good view, and would not need to climb steps to reach the beach or the bus stop.
Good luck!
May 9th, 2012, 11:14 AM
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Staycee...I heartily agree with my dear friend EK..however, if you insist, the best bet would be a lodging we really enjoyed, smack on the beach (which is not the sandy type..grayish with stones)...<b>Hotel Bucca di Bacco</b>
The hotel provides a motor-cart ride to amd from the bus stop way up the hill. However, there are many boat options right at the beach for day trips to Capri and Amalfi with local bus up to Ravelo, so you won't be compromising your happy condition. You can opt for a terrace room(a large terrace) overlooking the ocean, and you'll be able to walk from the hotel. (Hotel has elevator). I'll hunt up its web page and send.
stu (Hi EK)
The hotel provides a motor-cart ride to amd from the bus stop way up the hill. However, there are many boat options right at the beach for day trips to Capri and Amalfi with local bus up to Ravelo, so you won't be compromising your happy condition. You can opt for a terrace room(a large terrace) overlooking the ocean, and you'll be able to walk from the hotel. (Hotel has elevator). I'll hunt up its web page and send.
stu (Hi EK)
May 9th, 2012, 11:19 AM
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May 9th, 2012, 01:26 PM
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I really appreciate the feedback. Maybe I sounded too dramatic in my original post. I will be 3 months pregnant, but I'm not immobile or anything. I can still walk steps. I just want another option in case my feet get really tired.
You are both very right, and I should probably stay somewhere else, but Positano is where we have our heart set and well, this will be our last vacation for quite awhile.
So that being said, does anyone have a recommendation of the 3 that I asked about? Or are they all bad choices?
You are both very right, and I should probably stay somewhere else, but Positano is where we have our heart set and well, this will be our last vacation for quite awhile.
So that being said, does anyone have a recommendation of the 3 that I asked about? Or are they all bad choices?
May 9th, 2012, 01:39 PM
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<i>Stu: Don't you wish we were in Italy right now?</i>
You said, Ek..just did a weekend in Colorado for grandson's college graduation and it was like two weeks in Hawaii for me at this stage.
Staycee..I can't help any further..don't know the other establishments. Just loved the Buca, though. Good luck.
Stu
You said, Ek..just did a weekend in Colorado for grandson's college graduation and it was like two weeks in Hawaii for me at this stage.
Staycee..I can't help any further..don't know the other establishments. Just loved the Buca, though. Good luck.
Stu
May 9th, 2012, 02:53 PM
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Hey Stacee,
Ok i really really hope i don't cause a big dilemma and am sure many will disagree with my view, but have you considered amalfi town itself? I wasn't sure whether to bring it up as you do seem set on positano but on balance i thought i would as it really was very nice and it may just be better for you (it also may not)
We spend a week on the coast and were so so so happy we chose to base ourselves most of the time in Amalfi. It was very very pretty and had lots of little restaurants and a nice main stretch with a beautiful Church, from there you can easily day trip to positano, or up the hill to Ravello (which is lovely too and has amazing views- that is where the famous picture is taken from)
Amalfi is one of our absolute fondest memories. We stayed in
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev..._Campania.html
http://www.residenzaluce.it/photogallery.asp?l=2&c=1
its on website but i dont think does justice. We had a great split level room (superior i think was its room choice)
and had a balcony (although not sea view as this is off the main street on a square, our view was to people watch on the main street but we loved it. We also had a jacuzzi tub.
We spend two nights in positano but truthfully it was probably our least favourite place there, don't get me wrong it was still very very nice (the whole coast is) and am sure many will disagree but we just preferred Ravello and Amalfi.
They seemed to handle tourism better while maintaining the Italia charm. Amalfi was full of little shops, old ladies sitting in a square, yummy gelato places and iced orange juice, kids playing in the evening on the pedestrian streets, market stalls setting up in morning).
Ravello very luxurious and stylish but smaller than amalfi, with lemon trees everywhere bewteen amalfi and ravello. Atrani beach is the next tiny hamlet round from amalfi and it apparently has a wonderful wonderful fish restaurant.
Positano's magic is more about how it looks from a boat or coming around the coast on the approach as all the houses appear to cling to cliff and it really is very pretty, or climbing all the steps and following the windy paths up the cliff, like i say its still lovely so don't be at all worried if u stick with it, its just amalfi was so nice i felt i had to say just in case you were not 100% decided. Apart from the beachy bit which felt very touristy it is also very quiet as you go up the windy streets
Positano does also have lots of expensive restaurants with lovely views of the coast while amalfi has more local feel places where you can watch life on the square go by. It just felt a bit more relaxed/casual to us but hey this is just our preference....
Amalfi is also far less strenuous to walk around then positano i seem to recall and is bigger \(but still small, they are also only little places) and it is in a better position to things imho as it is very close to ravello and atrani.
We didn't stay in any of those places unfortunately in positano (i cant for the life of me remember where we stayed there as was just one night but pretty sure not any of those three)
Apologies if i have made your decision harder!!
Maybe you could split your trip if its for more than 5 nights?, they are so close to each other that you could easily travel between two to change over without taking up much of your time whatsoever...
Ok i really really hope i don't cause a big dilemma and am sure many will disagree with my view, but have you considered amalfi town itself? I wasn't sure whether to bring it up as you do seem set on positano but on balance i thought i would as it really was very nice and it may just be better for you (it also may not)
We spend a week on the coast and were so so so happy we chose to base ourselves most of the time in Amalfi. It was very very pretty and had lots of little restaurants and a nice main stretch with a beautiful Church, from there you can easily day trip to positano, or up the hill to Ravello (which is lovely too and has amazing views- that is where the famous picture is taken from)
Amalfi is one of our absolute fondest memories. We stayed in
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev..._Campania.html
http://www.residenzaluce.it/photogallery.asp?l=2&c=1
its on website but i dont think does justice. We had a great split level room (superior i think was its room choice)
and had a balcony (although not sea view as this is off the main street on a square, our view was to people watch on the main street but we loved it. We also had a jacuzzi tub.
We spend two nights in positano but truthfully it was probably our least favourite place there, don't get me wrong it was still very very nice (the whole coast is) and am sure many will disagree but we just preferred Ravello and Amalfi.
They seemed to handle tourism better while maintaining the Italia charm. Amalfi was full of little shops, old ladies sitting in a square, yummy gelato places and iced orange juice, kids playing in the evening on the pedestrian streets, market stalls setting up in morning).
Ravello very luxurious and stylish but smaller than amalfi, with lemon trees everywhere bewteen amalfi and ravello. Atrani beach is the next tiny hamlet round from amalfi and it apparently has a wonderful wonderful fish restaurant.
Positano's magic is more about how it looks from a boat or coming around the coast on the approach as all the houses appear to cling to cliff and it really is very pretty, or climbing all the steps and following the windy paths up the cliff, like i say its still lovely so don't be at all worried if u stick with it, its just amalfi was so nice i felt i had to say just in case you were not 100% decided. Apart from the beachy bit which felt very touristy it is also very quiet as you go up the windy streets
Positano does also have lots of expensive restaurants with lovely views of the coast while amalfi has more local feel places where you can watch life on the square go by. It just felt a bit more relaxed/casual to us but hey this is just our preference....
Amalfi is also far less strenuous to walk around then positano i seem to recall and is bigger \(but still small, they are also only little places) and it is in a better position to things imho as it is very close to ravello and atrani.
We didn't stay in any of those places unfortunately in positano (i cant for the life of me remember where we stayed there as was just one night but pretty sure not any of those three)
Apologies if i have made your decision harder!!
Maybe you could split your trip if its for more than 5 nights?, they are so close to each other that you could easily travel between two to change over without taking up much of your time whatsoever...
May 9th, 2012, 04:28 PM
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HG001: I think you gave a great run-down of the two towns.
I am also a big fan of Amalfi and would not choose to stay in Positano. I know that there are other parts of the town that are less touristy, and I do have friends that return every year, but when I was last on the main street, in late September last year, Positano was absolutely heaving with English-speaking tourists that I found it a big turn off. I did not get any of that sense of an Italian town as I do in Amalfi, as you described so well in your post above. No stretch of food shops for locals, butcher, baker, etc etc...just a lot of fancy boutiques and ceramic shops, and "at" galleries. And the scrum at the bus stop reminded me of a soccer stadium..well, not that bad, but still kind of frenzied. I'm being harsh here, and surely if one is situated at the pool at one of the lovely Positano hotels, or at the beach during the day, one can return to town in the evenings when things have quieted down a bit. It's just not for me.
I did go to the town beach in Amalfi and thought it was very pretty, even if the rocky sand is kind of dark. But the setting is glorious. I think most people who dislike Amalfi have visited only on a day trip and have not explored the town further than the main piazza below the cathedral. And since many buses start their runs in Amalfi, it is easier to get a seat!
Stacey I hope I did not confuse you further with my rambling! Hope, too, that someone else can offer advice on the hotels that are in the running..
I am also a big fan of Amalfi and would not choose to stay in Positano. I know that there are other parts of the town that are less touristy, and I do have friends that return every year, but when I was last on the main street, in late September last year, Positano was absolutely heaving with English-speaking tourists that I found it a big turn off. I did not get any of that sense of an Italian town as I do in Amalfi, as you described so well in your post above. No stretch of food shops for locals, butcher, baker, etc etc...just a lot of fancy boutiques and ceramic shops, and "at" galleries. And the scrum at the bus stop reminded me of a soccer stadium..well, not that bad, but still kind of frenzied. I'm being harsh here, and surely if one is situated at the pool at one of the lovely Positano hotels, or at the beach during the day, one can return to town in the evenings when things have quieted down a bit. It's just not for me.
I did go to the town beach in Amalfi and thought it was very pretty, even if the rocky sand is kind of dark. But the setting is glorious. I think most people who dislike Amalfi have visited only on a day trip and have not explored the town further than the main piazza below the cathedral. And since many buses start their runs in Amalfi, it is easier to get a seat!
Stacey I hope I did not confuse you further with my rambling! Hope, too, that someone else can offer advice on the hotels that are in the running..
May 10th, 2012, 08:26 AM
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I saw this thread earlier and was reluctant to add on since the OP was emphatic about Positano. But now I will! Add on to eks and HG001, that is, with apologies that I can't speak to your Positano lodgings!
I wanted to suggest the hotel we stayed in, since it meets the criteria of a balcony with views of the sea, and at a bus stop. We enjoyed our stay at Hotel Miramalfi just outside Amalfi in late spring 2010.
<i>Pros:</i> Every room has a balcony looking out to sea, and breakfast is served on a wide terrace also overlooking the sea. You can see the town beach at Amalfi just off to the left. There is an elevator in the building specifically to take you down the cliff to the hotel's (not large) pool, where there are also sunbathing nooks built into the cliff and ladders into the sea. Staff was friendly and very helpful. There is a Sita bus stop right at the hotel. We loved Amalfi (basically I'd repeat everything eks has said about it). Also, I'll reiterate that the Sita bus terminus is in Amalfi, so it's easy to board there - and when you do get on the bus at the hotel stop, it's not as crazy-busy as the ones I experienced in Positano!
<i>Cons:</i> It's about a 10-15 minute walk into Amalfi, either on the sidewalk of the busy road and through a tunnel (which we only did once) or down a long flight of stairs (and up on the return), through a little park and along the seafront. We enjoyed this walk, but it's definitely not what you've asked for. However, you could always take the bus or a short taxi ride.
I wanted to suggest the hotel we stayed in, since it meets the criteria of a balcony with views of the sea, and at a bus stop. We enjoyed our stay at Hotel Miramalfi just outside Amalfi in late spring 2010.
<i>Pros:</i> Every room has a balcony looking out to sea, and breakfast is served on a wide terrace also overlooking the sea. You can see the town beach at Amalfi just off to the left. There is an elevator in the building specifically to take you down the cliff to the hotel's (not large) pool, where there are also sunbathing nooks built into the cliff and ladders into the sea. Staff was friendly and very helpful. There is a Sita bus stop right at the hotel. We loved Amalfi (basically I'd repeat everything eks has said about it). Also, I'll reiterate that the Sita bus terminus is in Amalfi, so it's easy to board there - and when you do get on the bus at the hotel stop, it's not as crazy-busy as the ones I experienced in Positano!
<i>Cons:</i> It's about a 10-15 minute walk into Amalfi, either on the sidewalk of the busy road and through a tunnel (which we only did once) or down a long flight of stairs (and up on the return), through a little park and along the seafront. We enjoyed this walk, but it's definitely not what you've asked for. However, you could always take the bus or a short taxi ride.
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