Il San Pietro or Le SIrene?
 

My husband and I are visiting the Amalfi Coast for 5 days at the end of July. Il San Pietro has been recommended as a truly extraordinary hotel, however one night at Il San Pietro will pay for 5 at Le Sirene which is also highly recommended. We plan to take the Amalfi Coast in at leisure with slow boat trips, lazy lunches and long dinners.
Your seasoned opinions would be most appreciated.

Il San Pietro is in Positano and Le Sirene seems to be in Capri...perhaps there is one in Positano I don't know about. But anyway, I would NOT pay 5x more for Il San Pietro. In an area so beautiful as the Amalfi Coast what you really want in a hotel is a fantastic view, good service and charm. We stayed at Villa Franca in Positano and Villa Brunella in Capri and found everything to be perfect. That being said, I always reserve a more expensive premium (Deluxe)room with a full sea view because that is what makes the difference to me. I prefer charming hotels with great views and that can be had in that part of Italy for much less money than the San Pietro. Sorry I couldn't help you regarding Le Syrene.

thank you Maggy for your reply and your advice. Le Sirene is in Priano (?spelling)near to Positano; Ira mentions it in his trip report.

Hi FJ,

>one night at Il San Pietro will pay for 5 at Le Sirene ...<

We really did like the LeSirene.

The view (room 12) is as good as any from Positano and the balcony is large enough for two chaises longues and a table.

It is air conditioned.

The owners are very pleasant and helpful.

La Brace and La Strada are two very good restaurants in Praiano.

The orange buses (to Positano) and the SITA buses provide hourly service as far as Sorrento and Salerno.

If you are looking for slowing down and enjoying il dolce far niente, Praiano is the place.

Frances,

REad my review entitled "Nina's excellent Italian Adventure part I". I also included info on our trip to Positano, and the fabulous hotel we stayed at while there.

Check it out.

If you want a great spot to laze away the day and soak it all in, Le Agavi is it.

I think it's as close to the San Pietro as you can get, without the Sky high prices. I would not recommend staying right in the town of Positano unless you enjoy being in the center of the action (and crowds, and noise, etc). We loved staying at Le Agavi.

Ira - I was really hoping that you would post a reply to my question, thank you, and also to you Nina for your suggestion.
Ira - is Le Sirene on a beach or does it have direct access down to a beach?
We would also like to hire a small boat and skipper to take us around the area - would the Le Sirene organise this on our behalf?

Hi Fran,

>..is Le Sirene on a beach or does it have direct access down to a beach?

To get to Praiano beach from the hotel you go up about 20 steps, turn left, go two blocks and go down about 50 steps.
The beach is a pleasant cove with large rocks for sunning.
It is not a sand beach.

>We would also like to hire a small boat and skipper to take us around the area - would the Le Sirene organise this on our behalf? <

I am sure that if it is possible, they will arrange it for you. Just write them.

Just FYI, we thought it would be fun to rent a boat also, so inquired as to the price. It started at 675 euro.

Hi nina,

What size boat!?

Not sure of the exact size Ira, they said it would hold 6 pax plus a driver if we wanted to find someone to share it with. We declined, we've got lot's of opportunities for boating at home, and it only costs us a few bottles of wine ;).

To Ira, Maggy and Nina - just to let you know we will be off to Italy in less than three weeks time.

We are so looking forward to a week of Italian summer; at the moment we are in the middle of a very cold and dry South African winter.

We finally decided to rent a small house in the grounds of a seaside palazzo in Santa Maria Castellabate; south of Salerno and near Palinuro; within easy reach of the Amalfi Coast should we wish to visit. I would also very much like visit Maratea and Rivello - "il dolce far niente" allowing.

Thank you, once again, for your earlier replies to my post. I'll let you know how it all worked out.

Since my wife and I just returned from 5 days in Positano, I thought I might respond to this inquiry. While I note later in this thread that the initial poster has already made a decision, perhaps these comments might be helpful for other interested parties. The hotel referred to in Positano is "Le Sirenuse". It is a very, very beautiful and very, very expensive property. We had cocktails there and the atmosphere was quite enchanting. We spoke with some people who were staying at the San Pietro--which is apparently even more expensive than Le Sirenuse and they said the ambience and servie there were superb, if "a bit stuffy and old guard." Another recommendation that we wish we had chosen for our stay in Positano is The Poseidon. Elegant, beautiful and the staff and service are outstanding. It is also considerably less expensive than the first two.

Hi Jazzman, thanks for your reply; as you noted we have decided where to stay, nevertheless it was interesting to read your post.

Is Positano a place that you would like to visit again?
FJ

I am so confused. I've been to both web-sites and found that for a double (2 people)in high season 2005-

Le Sirenuse is priced as follows:
courtyard view - 420
superior partial view 580
deluxe sea view - 780
and forget about the suites (for me, atleast)

Il San Pietro is priced as follows:
standard - 440
deluxe - 510

Also, Le Sirenuse charges 30/per day for parking and Il San Pietro has complimentary parking.

Seems to me that Il San Pietro is a better deal...

Can anyone confirm this?

San Pietro may be a better deal, but it is not right in town,( located outside of Positano with shuttle service to town) so you can't walk out the door to restaurants and shops. Also it has a very stuffy atmosphere, and at least when we visited, so-so food.

we will be getting married at the San pietro chapel. Did you see/notice it? if so, was it close to this hotel? we are thinking about staying a couple of nights in town, and then a couple of nights (night before and night of wedding)at this hotel. what do think about that idea? or should we stay in positano the 4 nights?

The San Pietro chapel is located in the hotel's parking lot and is tiny. My husband and I stayed at the San Pietro several years ago and while the views are lovely, we found the rooms cold and uninviting, weirdly decorated and the restaurant mediocre and very overpriced. It is nice to have a private beach, but it is small and pebbly and the chaise lounges are laid out on a concrete patio adjacent to the water. We have stayed at the Sirenuse several times and much prefer its in town location, beautiful rooms, up close view of Positano and superb restaurant. Also, the staff at the Sirenuse is friendly, welcoming and willing to help with any request. The San Pietro's staff is none of those things.

Thank you for your post. You are quite right about the San Pietro staff. I emailed them last night about making a reservation for the two nights we wanted in June and I received a response from them stating that they do not have availablity on those dates. The message was a bit cold and they did not offer any suggestions or alternate dates. We will be staying in town! Thank you!

Did you happen to go into the chapel? Can you tell me what you thought about the chapel and it's surroundings? Is it someplace you would consider getting married at? It will just be the two of us. Also, did you happen to notice a hotel called Il Marincanto? That is where we have reservations. Thank you so much for your help!

Dear Elope,

Are you interested in the Le Sirene, which is *not* Le Sireneuse in Positano.

It is a small hotel in Praiano. We stayed there and liked it very much.

See www.lesirene.com