smarty

Last June we were unable to book at either Le Sireneuse or San Pietro (which we actually prefer) as they were sold out. We decided to try the Poseidon and were not disappointed. It's a lot less actively swanky but still a top flight hotel at about half the price: we paid about $350/night at the Poseidon and had paid about $750/night at Le Sireneuse the year before. I'm not much of a penny-pincher, but still...The other nice thing was that there were so many lovely Italian "tourists" at the Poseidon and mostly loud Americans (of which I am one) at LS. Fabulous views seem to come with much of the territory in Positano, and buffalo mozzarello seems to come with breakfasts all over town.

worldinabag

"I'd give my eyeteeth to be sitting on the Sireneuse terrace right now watching the sun set"

Well that's the deposit on your room taken care of. How are you going to pay the balance?

rbnwdln

First born child?

rje

I love Le Sirenuse enough to have stayed there 3 times, the last time in 2001 (we even got a free upgrade to a suite as there were vacancies).

But last year we found the prices had exceeded what we were willing to spend, so we went to the Miramare and actually thought the views were even better (we were in the famous room with the full length window in the shower...I think it was room 210).

And the breakfast also has great views as it clings to a cliff above the town and sea.

Granted, the rest of the hotel is not quite Le Sirenuse, but it is still really nice, and they give a complimentary boat ride that was wonderful. Wine, fruit, swimming in the warm Mediterranean...not a bad way to spend an afternoon!

I have fond memories of lunches on our room's vine-covered balcony. And drinking Rosa Regale there at night while the lights of Positano twinkled and the full moon reflected in the water.

Weadles

If you can afford Le Sirenuse, go for it, but if not, I'll cast my vote for Hotel Poseidon which is just uphill from Sirenuse.

The jr. suites are quite nice and have gorgeous views from their terraces overlooking town.

The hotel itself offers some of the best service ( and food!!) that we've ever had at a European hotel. And because it's very small, as I've posted before, the staff treats customers like returning houseguests.

Definitely try to have lunch at The Poseidon while you're in Positano. The food is usually outstanding, and the views from the restaurant terrace are unforgettable.

ira

Hi SU,

>With all due respect to Ira, you cannot compare Le Sirenuse to Le Sirene. <

I didn't, nor would I.

The OP stated, "We like small, charming hotels, with happy staff".

I think that Le Sirene fits.

BTW, the sea view from Le Sirene is almost identical to that from Le Sirenuse - shifted about 10 degrees.

Dukey

I am the king of researching everything to death but why people don't accept the fact that they will never KNOW about a place for certain until they actually go there is beyond me.

And then there's the so-called "vibe" you get when you do finally go there and one person's great vibe is another's nightmare sometimes.

europhile

I have to add my 2 cents to this post. I've stayed at Le Sirenuse 3 times, most recently in 2004 on my honeymoon. It is quite beautiful and very refined, but the price has doubled over the course of my stays there and I have to say that it is no longer worth the hype for us, when you balance it against the expense. While we definitely enjoyed it on our last stay, DH and I said we would not likely return (unless money were really, truly no object).

We paid top dollar in 2004 for a room with a wonderful view and small balcony (it ended up being a jr. suite on the 7th floor). But even though we were willing to pay the price, I have to say that money was on our minds and our experience at the hotel was flawed. I found myself thinking, each time something was not perfect, "how much are we paying for this???". For example, the first room they gave us was a deluxe double on the 2nd floor, which had a great view but was located directly below the restaurant. We could not sleep that night for the very loud noises of chairs and tables scooting on the tile floors above us- both late at night and early morning when breakfast started. For the money we were paying, we felt we had to complain and were then moved to the second, much quieter room. If we really, truly didn't care what things cost, then we may have been happy to stay put, but under the circumstances, we couldn't imagine paying 800 euros and not getting a good night's sleep. After we moved, we were much happier, but we did meet another couple who were checking out early because of the noise in their room as well (traffic noise, in their case). We didn't mind paying top prices in the restaurants and bars of the hotel- you really can't nickel and dime here and I believe the setting is worth a premium on the prices. But we were annoyed at the lack of available space around the pool (Americans reserving lounge chairs with magazines but not returning for hours). We were also not impressed with the concierge service, which was indifferent at best. These are service issues, which should not be prevalent at these prices. Still, the setting is undeniably gorgeous and the facilities are the most luxurious in town. We enjoyed the spa and the poolside bar service, on the one morning we could snag lounge chairs (you have to get up early).

When we return to the area, which we absolutely will, I think we're more likely to book a return visit to Palazzo Sasso. We loved this hotel, and found it as beautiful as Le Sirenuse but much quieter. True, the town can't compete with the stunning Positano, but the hotel can, in my opinion. We may try San Pietro next time if we really want to stay in Positano. San Pietro is slightly out of town and we've been there twice for drinks/dinner. They do have a shuttle into town for guests. It may be worth a try. It's your call ultimately whether the expense of the place will make you disappointed if it's not the idyllic experience you have in mind. As I said, if money were not an issue at all, I would have had fewer issues with the hotel in general. As it was, I didn't feel that it was an experience worth the money we were paying. Hope that helps.

caroline_edinburgh

Europhile, what time of year did you stay in Ravello ? I stayed in June & found it rather cold, presumably because it's high up. It was OK in the sun, during the daytime, but cold in the shade & at night. When we couldn't take any more sun by the pool & wanted to lie in the shade, we had to cover ourselves with towels like invalids' blankets !

Endlesssummer, you don't really get 'town views' as opposed to 'sea viws' in Positano. Because the buildings are all built into the hillside, it's basically just view or no view at all.

endlessummer

Thanks to Europhile and Ira, we have decided against Le Sirenuse. Perhaps we'll have dinner there one night. I just kept hesitating pushing the 'send' button on the reservation page. Europhile's latest experience echoed too much the experiences I have had in other top notch establishments and I'm just not prepared to risk €800 a night for a room there and then have to do the early morning sun lounger grab!

Thanks to Ira's comments on view, we had a look at Praiano and were delighted to find Casa Angelina. Have booked a lovely room there for half the price of LS. Happy to do the boat transfer to Positano for dinner and back!!

Thanks again everyone!!

Pausanias

Good call. At well over $1,000 US a night including dinner, it just isn't worth it.

ira

Hi E,

>..were delighted to find Casa Angelina. ....Happy to do the boat transfer to Positano for dinner and back!!<

Good for you.

There is no ferry service between Praiano and Positano.

Both the Orange bus and the SITA bus go between the towns.

If you will be stayaing out beyond about 8:00 PM, plan on taking a cab.

ekscrunchy

Not sure if you know this, or if it is applicable, but if you have a Visa Signature rewards card, you can avail yourself of a deal where you will get one free night at Le Sirenuse for every two paid nights. So if you stay 6 nights, you only have to pay for four.

Same deal is valid on "over 100 participating hotels" affiliated with Leading Hotels of the World.

endlessummer

Thanks all! Unfortunately I haven't got a VISA signature card but thanks for the tip anyway. Ira, sorry I should have specified that the hotel has a little boat which they say we can take to Positano and back, which is what I meant. But thanks for the tip on the bus because we'll be sure to use that too.

I can't tell you how excited I am about this trip! Why didn't I go sooner???

europhile

Caroline- we were at Palazzo Sasso in early September. We were also in Ravello in June years ago (at Villa Cimbrone) and the weather was great. I guess it just depends on the year.

ira

Have great visit, E.

dorkforcemom

I've been following your post as I, too, struggle with hotel choices when I travel. A vision implants itself in my mind of what my expectations are...then when I juggle that against the cost, it's time to decide the value of a stay. That said, I hope you enjoy the Amalfi Coast as much as we did this past October.