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-   -   Marincanto Hotel Positano (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/marincanto-hotel-positano-429495/)

wanderer May 8th, 2004 06:38 AM

Marincanto Hotel Positano
 
Has anyone stayed at this hotel recently?

I've found some mentions, but they are old. Hotel has recently been redone.

The pictures on web site are nice, but hotels always show their best room(s) on the site. Can find no reviews in guidebooks, tripadvisor, fodors rant/rave, etc. Perhaps we are safer sticking with better known hotel??

I think it is on the same street as Sirenuse.

awbaker May 8th, 2004 08:18 AM

I was going to mention this hotel to you after reading your post re: villa franc's balconies. I thought this hotel looked lovely on the web site. Michelin guide gives it a "very comfortable" rating (check viamichelin.com.) They have been very friendly and prompt in their emails to me. The rates are pretty reasonable, too. But, like yoiu, I couldn't find any current reviews from Fodorites

wanderer May 8th, 2004 05:19 PM

I just emailed them this morning and they got right back to me.

The prices are cheaper than the Miramare or the Villa Franca, and they offer King Bed and Jacuzzi, plus private terrace.

I can't understand, though, why NO guidebook has them listed. I feel a little better that Michelin has them. How reliable are their ratings?

awbaker May 8th, 2004 06:59 PM

I feel the same way. Michelin guides are quite reliable with restaurants reviews (although a current publication disputes this), but I don't know about their hotel guide. Did you view the site through italyby.com or through the marincanto.it site? I will say that Monica has been very prompt and very friendly in her emails to me. I like the idea of a private descent (which Monica said takes less than 3/4 minutes) to the beach.

wanderer May 9th, 2004 01:08 AM

I saw the hotel first on Italyby and was not impressed, then saw the new "it" site, which is after the renovations.

I wish I could find a few people who have stayed here recently....

awbaker May 9th, 2004 04:39 AM

ttt

WanderingTexan May 9th, 2004 06:51 PM

I have friends living in Positano. They recommended the Marincanto. It doesn't have a restaurant so that might explain why it doesn't show up in some publications.

awbaker May 10th, 2004 11:27 AM

Thanks for the information on Marincanto, Wandering Texan. I know you love Le Sirenuse. I wish we could afford to stay there, but we will have to settle for a meal there instead. Good luck with the wedding plans!

Parker May 10th, 2004 11:34 AM

My husband and I stayed in an apartment last summer next door to the Marincanto. To get to the apartment, we had to walk through the patio of this hotel where they served breakfast. It is a lovely hotel, very nice appointments, great lobby. I didn't see any of the rooms, but they're on the right side of the road so views should be stunning. Small and not very crowded. Not too far up the hill. I think anyone would be happy.

wanderer May 17th, 2004 02:35 PM

awbaker -
Are you going to Positano? Did you decide to stay at Marincanto?

After hearing about the steps, and the fact that they are not so bad at the Marincanto (I still don't understand how that is), and the fact that it is on same street as Sirenuse and near a bus stop, we might also just go for it.

Still, if ANYONE has ever stayed here recently, would love to hear your experience.

WanderingTexan May 17th, 2004 07:51 PM

The Marincanto is not supposed to have as many steps... I think that it probably means that you can enter from the street level and the hotel probably has elevators. I do love the Sirenuse, but it is getting too expensive for me too! We decided to stay there for our daughter's wedding because we wanted to be at an hotel that could help us handle any situations or problems we might have, such as getting the wedding gown pressed, etc. I think the Marincanto looks wonderful. I am going to try to remember to check it out while I am there next month. Why don't you post on SeaUrchin's thread and see if she can check it out for you since she is in Amalfi now. awbaker, thanks for the good wishes. We leave on June 12 and the wedding is still on June 16.

passantd May 17th, 2004 07:57 PM

check out hotel Buca Di Bacco...I stayed there last August and loved it. The staff was great, the rooms were nice and the food was amazing....plus you are right on the beach.

http://www.bucadibacco.it/

awbaker May 18th, 2004 12:34 AM

Wanderer -- I did reserve a superior double at the Marincanto. I considered Buca di Bacco, but the rate was 288 for a superior room. I also like the looks of Covo dei Saraceni.

Wandering Texan, great idea about asking SeaUrchin to check it out! I'm going to do that right now. I know you will be quite busy in June, but if you do happen to check out the Marincanto, it would be greatly appreciated.

wanderer May 19th, 2004 01:55 PM

Same here. awbaker, please email me at [email protected] when you return re: the Marincanto.

I finally found a listing for it today - in Charming Hotels of Italy guide. It sounds like the review was written before the remodeled, as it mentioned "decor from the 50s".

How do I post to SeaUrchin's thread?

awbaker May 19th, 2004 03:57 PM

Here's the thread: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34498986

When are you going to Italy? We are going in late August/early September.

wanderer May 19th, 2004 05:45 PM

Not going until May of 05, but we have to make flight arrangements next month since we are using frequent flyer tickets, so thought I'd check out the hotels also.

Thanks for the link.

pjmay Jun 7th, 2004 07:17 AM

I am so happy to top this message with a GREAT review for Marincanto Hotel!

We just returned from our honeymoon, & havent had time to do a trip report yet, but the one thing i definitly wanted to do when we got back was give this hotel a good review. We too couldnt find many fodors recommendations on it but loved the website & the rates were way more reasonable than the Sirenuse & many others, so we decided to go for it.

We booked a Junior Suite Special - 320 Euro/ night, & it was fabulous! It honestly looked exactly like the pictures on the website, we were not disappointed at all. The room was huge with a living area & a big white bed separated from the room with tall white sheer curtains - so romantic! the bathroom was pretty big, nice new tile, with a good sized shower. & the BEST part of the room was the double jacuzzi! it was connected to the bathroom, but could also be accessed from the terrace. it faced the ocean on one side & the other side was glass doors looking out onto our terrace with the same view as our terrace - the ocean & the town. The terrace was very big, i think the standard rooms had smaller terraces, but even they were a nice size, but ours was larger & the view was unbelievable.

The hotel staff was really nice, and as mentioned, there are no steps to worry about here. you enter from the street level & take an elevator down to the lobby. The breakfast was good, & the hotel has beautiful views from the breakfast patio, as well as a large sun deck they have with lounge chairs - no pool though.

Honestly, i know everyone raves about the view from the Sirenuse, but I cant imagine much better views than those from our room & from the hotel itself. We even went on the Sirenuse balcony to see what we were missing, & felt like we werent missing anything. The view from there was spectaular, but so was ours.

This was our first trip to Positano, and only my second trip to Italy, so we dont have a ton of experience or many hotels to compare it to - & this room/rate was really a "splurge" for us, but honestly i would recommend this hotel to anyone, it was the highlight of our trip!

i hope to do a trip report soon, this board was so helpful to us, but i hope for now this post can help someone else!

awbaker Jun 7th, 2004 09:09 AM

Thanks for the review, pjmay! I booked a superior double for August. I couldn't decide between the junior suite and the superior double because the descriptions were the same. Maybe the J.S. is bigger? I asked Monica at the hotel, but kept getting the same description. So I'll check out the superior double and report back to everyone. What is the private descent to the beach? Is this a private stairway or elevator? Did the hotel have a restaurant or bar? Were the towels and linens good? Did they have a blowdryer?

I'm so glad someone finally stayed here to report back to us! Congratulations on your marraige! I hope you can do a trip report, too.

pjmay Jun 7th, 2004 10:01 AM

happy to give the report awbaker!

the private descent to the beach is a huge set of steps. we ran fast down them on the day we were catching a ferry to Amalfi, & we woke up late... theres aLOT of steps! but, going down them isnt bad, & the views are great! i dont think id have attempted walking back up them, the walk up the hill on the street past all the shops & restaurants was much nicer & easier.

also they drop you off at a part of the beach that isnt really usable. you have to walk a little bit to the rocky part where everyone is. there are a bunch of lounge chairs set up on the beach pretty close by. i THINK they are for guests of a specific hotel, but Im not sure. We sat on them anyway, b/c more than half of them were empty & no one said anything, but in high season when you're there, they may all be full, & you may have to use the more public part of the beach. as far as i could tell the marincanto didnt really have a private beach or anything.

the hotel didnt have a restaurant or bar i dont think, but they did serve a nice breakfast every morning.

the towels were great, fluffy & white. we really missed them when we got to Rome & basically were toweling off with a pillowcase!

they had a blowdryer, but dont count on it. it was like a vacuum hose & not powerful at all. i have long hair & after a day or 2 i just stoppped trying to blowdry it & went frizzy the whole time! if your hair is short you should be ok though.

as for the difference between the rooms, im not sure what a Superior Double is. I had asked Monica before about the difference between a "Jr Suite" & a "Junior Suite Special" & she said the "Jr Suite Special" was larger & had the double jacuzzi so thats what we booked.

If I were you Id find out if your room definitly has the jacuzzi. Unless you dont care about that. But i saw that you are spending 288E & we spent 320E. for an extra 32Euros I think its definitly worth it.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

awbaker Jun 7th, 2004 10:16 AM

Thanks so much for the additional info! We actually were quoted 220 euros for the superior room, 275 for the j.s. or 320 for the j.s. special. I think I will still stick with the superior room reservation. I'm so glad to hear that the rooms are as beautiful as on the web site.

Here is how Monica decribed the differences in the rooms (superior vs. the regular j.s.):

the superior rooms have either Jacuzzi bath (front view) or Jacuzzi shower;
the junior suites all with Jacuzzi bath (front view).
Both rooms terraces are enought ample to sit outside and enjoy the sun, the beautiful view of Positano.

Did you stay in Capri also? If so, where did you stay there? We are booked in a j.s. at Caesar Augustus.


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