SusanMargaret

We just returned from Rome, Sorrento and Positano. The hotels we selected - with help from this board - were excellent and ranged in price from 110 to 150 euros a night (in August) including breakfast. Our room in Rome had a large window overlooking a small square and was within a 30 seconds walk of the Campo di Fiori. At both Settimo Cielo and Villa Rosa we had our own terrace overlooking the ocean and both were within easy walking distance of the centre of town. Each room had AC.

petsitter

We stayed at Settimo Cielo in Sorrento in June 2003 and can't say enough about how nice it was. What a view! We are hoping to return to Italy April 2006 and definitely will stay there again. Also, we discovered a little restaurant right next to Settimo Cielo on our last night. We were too tired to walk into town. I don't remember the name but the food was the best we had in Italy and the view was great and it was not expensive.

Ljyoung

Hi SusanMargaret. Thanks so much for posting your comments. We are planning a similar June 06 trip and have reservations at the last two properties on your list. In Positano, I've also considered Hotel California. Our two daughters will be with us and I'm curious if you saw this hotel? I've read that it has fewer steps than VR but similar views as, I believe, it is almost across the street? Also, I've been communicating w/ Joseph at Settimo Cielo and he seems so pleasant. Have you met him? Any tips on room requests for this hotel? Is the hotel restaurant good? Lastly, How did you get around (rental car, buses, ferries )and do you have a web site for Teatro di Pompeo?
Thanks again. Sorry for so many ?'s!

SusanMargaret

I do not recall seeing Hotel California. Directly across the street from VR was La Sireneuse and Hotel Ancora. Friends were staying at the Bourgainvillea, which was a bit farther down the hill, but nowhere near as nice as the VR (cheaper though). We were very impressed with the people at SC. One of them, perhaps Joseph, came outside when we asked what could be seen from the terrace and he pointed out Pompeii Herculanium, Vesuvius, etc. (all of which we could see from our terrace) which was terrific. There was also an older man and a young woman at the reception desk and they were very pleasant and helpful. We requested and got a room with a terrace. We had breakfast in the restaurant which was fine (fabulous views, of course), but did not not have any other meals there. We travelled from Rome to Naples by train (the Intercity - our friends took the Eurostar), then from Naples to Sorrento on the Circumversuviana. We bought bus tickets on the main street and took the bus (with our suitcases) to the hotel (it is on the Capo). After that we always walked in and out of Sorrento. Take the local bus to Positano and other places on the Coast. We really liked Amalfi and Ravello (the bus ride from Amalfi up to Ravello is the best value we ever had for one Euro. We also visited Capri for a day - wow!

SusanMargaret

A clarification. When we were in Positano, we took a ferry over to Capri for a day. We also took a ferry to Amalfi and then took a bus to Ravello. When we left Positano we took a ferry from Positano to Naples, then a bus to the train station in Naples and the Intercity back to Rome. If I had to do it again I would take a cab in Naples from the ferry to the train station (make sure the driver is using the metre). Naples was scary, even for four adults - my husband's backpack was unzipped within seconds of us getting on the bus, so be sure you use a security wallet and keep close to your luggage at all times.

grandmere

I'm glad to hear that the VR is the same lovely place we found it to be in 2001!

Ljyoung

Thanks SusanMargaret for all of the tips. Curious, after your stay, would you have opted to have stayed in Amalfi over Positano or were you simply commenting that you really enjoyed the day trip? Currently we are staying in Sorrento for 2 nights ( will visit Pompeii via train from there), Capri for 3 nights, Positano for 3 nights, Ravello for 1 and Rome 3. Still not sure if I should shift anything around.
Thanks again for the feedback.

SusanMargaret

We were very happy staying in Positano, so I don't think we would have switched to Amalfi. Of course, what would have been really terrific would have been a few days in each of about 10 places! On an earlier question, I don't think there is a Hotel Teatro di Pompeo website, but if you do a search you will come up with a number of sites that contain photos and comments, e.g. TripAdvisor.

Ljyoung

Thank you SusanMargaret. Just wanted to mention - I did find a web page:
www.hotelteatrodipompeo.it. Looks nice!