We are booked in the famed Room 210 in early September and are also booked in a deluxe double at the Sirenuse. I am having a difficult decision deciding which hotel we should stay at - the steps at the Miramare concern me. We are in our 50's and we are not extremely athletic/active. Is it 100 steps or 148 steps up?? How long is the walk to restaurants and shops? Does the Miramare have better views of the sea then the Sirenuse?? I heard the Sirenuse can be noisy?? Help!!

I am also researching hotels for Positano in September... The Miramare was booked for our dates, and I guess I will try again as there may be others like yourself you might cancel.

The price difference is so huge between your two hotels. I wish I could report something first hand, but my mother has stayed at La Sirenuse and says that it is a top hotel memory for her.

My son and daughter-in-law were married in the UK on 11 July and spent their "honeymoon" at La Sirenuse - they are very experienced travelers and loved the place.
I'm planning to visit next August/September.
M

I've stayed at the Sirenuse a few times and have never found it noisy. The view from all of my rooms has been breathtaking. If you are willing to spend the extra money, I don't think you could be displeased with the Sirenuse.

We stayed in Room 210 at the Miramare, and, dollar for dollar, it is a fabulous room and a much much better value--the views are breathtaking, the room is huge, and the terrace is simply glorious. We enjoyed the service, the views, the location. You even have a fantastic sea view from your shower. From your terrace on 210, you can look across town directly into the Sirenuse and see, with the exception of the largest suites over there, the miniscule balconies on the rooms over there. There is not even a place to sit! I think a deluxe double at the Sirenuse is over twice the price of Room 210. I am so glad we decided to change our reservations from the Sirenuse to the Miramare.

However, your concerns with the steps at the Miramare are legitimate. I did not count the number of steps up or down, but it is at least 100 steps going either direction. The advantage of the Sirenuse is that it opens up right onto the main road, so there are no stairs at all.

Obviously the Sirenuse has more amenities--a pool, a restaurant, a fitness center, a spa. If those are important to you, just remember that the Miramare doesn't have them. It does, however, have a beautiful breakfast room with views match.

A tough decision, but if you don't mind the steps, I'd go with the Miramare in a heartbeat. Plus, with that fabulous terrace and view, you may not want to leave your room to be bothered with those stairs. Good luck!

Thanks for the feedback; I am still having trouble making a decision......if we had four nights in Positano, it would be easy, we would do two nights at each.

Has anyone stayed at both the Sirenuse and the Miramare????

We stayed in the Miramare (room 201) this past June for our honeymoon and LOVED it! We had a large balcony and the views are amazing. And with Positano, you have to walk either up or down to get anywhere so I wouldn't worry about the stairs at the Miramare too much. It's very close to many restaurants. Our favorites were Il Ritrovo (this restaurant is way up so they send a driver to pick you up) and Restaurant Max. We found that the restaurants in town were generally better than the restaurants right on the beach. And you should definitely take a day trip to Ravello, it's gorgeous.

As another poster stated, IF steps are a concern to you, then forget the Miramare! I have stayed in both these hotels, and also the Palazzo Murat. They are all wonderful, but, obviously the Sirenuse is much more $$$. However, the Murat and the Sirenuse are more convenient if you do not like steps. There are many nice hotels in Positano with great views. Of them all, the Sirenuse is the most upscale, and it is nice to have a pool.

Sorry, I forgot to add-- yes, in general, Positano has lots of steps. However, the Miramare basically has two sets of long and steep steps before you reach Positano central. The first group of stairs, which are really behind the hotel, get you to a second long and steep stone staircase that takes you down to one of central streets with stores, restaurants, etc. If you only plan to go out infrequently, it might not be an issue. But, going up those things is a huge workout.

Ask each hotel about the square meters of the room type you have reserved, my guess is that the double at Sirenuse will be under 25 square meters, quite small for two people. My guess is that the Miramre room will be larger by a good measure. A deluxe double at Sirenuse may also be one of the rooms which are on the same level as the pool, which many posters here have said is quite noisy. I don't like the pool at the Sirenuse, too crowded and not enough loungers and the restaurant is right there as well. Sirenuse is a wonderful hotel IF you splurge for the larger rooms.

I think you would be fine with the Miramare. The hills and stairs are not really that tough if you take your time and its not 90sF. I also think that the Poisden is a great choice, the top of the line of that class of hotel, IMO.

We just came back from Italy and stayed in the famous room #210 at the Miramare. I am 49 and not terribly active myself. There are about 180 steps going up and 211 going down. They are steep, but not difficult if you don't rush. I was slightly out of breath, but I survived. I would not have traded the experinec of the Miramare for anything!!
The view from the room and the balcony CAN'T be beat. The bed is right next to a window of glass overlooking the terrace, with two double doors that open completely! We looked at the Sirenuse, which is a much larger hotel, and much more expensive. It seemes lovely, but kind of formal. The views from the pool area were nice, but not as nice as the Miramare.
We stayed at the Poseidon two years ago. It is a very nice hotel, but as the hotel basically faces the town, your view of the sea is more limited. As stated above, it is on the road, so you can walk the road, and have only a handful of steps to get down to the beach area.
If you have big problems with steps, bypass the Miramare. If you can quickly walk up a couple of flights of steps here with relatively no problem (other than a little gasping), you'll be fine.

Hope this helps.