Hotels in Positano
Jan 23rd, 2005, 05:00 PM
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We stayed at the Savoia in June 2003 and were more than happy with the room, the location, the breakfast and everyone at reception.
As we were staying for 5 nights and and they had a suite available we were upgraded from the standard double room we had booked - this was a huge room with tiled floors, beautifully but simply furnished - and two terraces and one window balcony giving views of both the ocean and the hillside of the town. I would have been happy with the standard room for the price we paid - 150 Euros.
We arrived by bus and it was easy to get to - just a ten minute walk down from the bus stop.
The hotel also had the best air conditioning we came across in Italy - we were there during the heat wave in 2003 - so it was really appreciated.
There is a little Deli just across the road and down a few stairs, a bank just about next door, a Tabacchi a few doors down and a pleasant stroll past lots of shops down to the beach.
Can't you just tell - I'd love to be back there right now!!
As we were staying for 5 nights and and they had a suite available we were upgraded from the standard double room we had booked - this was a huge room with tiled floors, beautifully but simply furnished - and two terraces and one window balcony giving views of both the ocean and the hillside of the town. I would have been happy with the standard room for the price we paid - 150 Euros.
We arrived by bus and it was easy to get to - just a ten minute walk down from the bus stop.
The hotel also had the best air conditioning we came across in Italy - we were there during the heat wave in 2003 - so it was really appreciated.
There is a little Deli just across the road and down a few stairs, a bank just about next door, a Tabacchi a few doors down and a pleasant stroll past lots of shops down to the beach.
Can't you just tell - I'd love to be back there right now!!
Jan 26th, 2005, 08:36 AM
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My wife and I stayed at the Marincanto for 8 days in early June 2004 on our honeymoon. In my mind it is THE hidden gem of Positano. I would stay there again in an instant. We stayed one night at the Villa Rosa and were very disappointed, so we decided to walk around and see if any other hotels had vacancy. We initally passed by the Marincanto since it's not in any guidebooks and looked way over our budget. I'm so glad we changed our mind. In my mind the Marincanto has the BEST location in Positano, since it's directly above the best area of the beach (down 150 or so steps...don't stay in Positano if you don't like stairs) and they'll give you a voucher for a discount on chairs in that area ($12 a day to rent a chair as opposed to $14, I think) and of course give you towels as well. This more than makes up for not having a pool -- most pools in Positano are tiny anyway and you have to pay a fortune for a hotel with a pool. Moreover, the hotel has a huge sundeck which has the best views of Positano, period. The buffet breakfast (included) is fine and the terrace is gorgeous -- flowers cascading everywhere. The staff are charming and helpful. The prices at the Marincanto are also a lot less than the others in similar location (Sirenuse, etc.) I'm not sure why this is. Perhaps it's because they don't have a restaurant.
Regarding rooms: You'll definitely get the most bang for your buck in a junior suite (275 euro) or above. You'll get all the luxury of the more expensive hotels at a fraction of the price. If you really want to splurge, the Li Galli suite (375 euro) is pure luxury and has a perfect Positano view for only a little more than a partial sea view room at the Sirenuse.
If you do decide on a double room, get a double room superior. Avoid the double rooms standard, which might not have a sea view. In any event, just make sure you get a room with a FULL sea view -- partial sea view often means a tiny sliver of the sea if you crane your neck while standing on top of a dresser.
We were on a fairly tight budget, so we stayed in "the apartment," aka room 256. This isn't listed on their Web site and they only showed it to us after we pressed them for more room options. It is in its own building a few steps down from the main building. It was cheaper than a double room (I think it was 150 euro) but had two bedrooms (queen bed in one room, two twins in the other) and its own private terrace looking right out over the sea. The reason this room is so cheap is that it's not furnished with much more than the basics -- bed, a/c, small tv that gets only local channels, closet, small fridge. But you still get all the service as the rest of the hotel. The other downside is that since it's closer to the beach, you can hear the boom-boom of the Grotto disco at night (not a problem with other rooms at the hotel). We simply shut the French doors and turned on the a/c and the muted sound, combined with the food/wine of the night's dinner, lulled us to sleep.
I think you get the picture.
Regarding rooms: You'll definitely get the most bang for your buck in a junior suite (275 euro) or above. You'll get all the luxury of the more expensive hotels at a fraction of the price. If you really want to splurge, the Li Galli suite (375 euro) is pure luxury and has a perfect Positano view for only a little more than a partial sea view room at the Sirenuse.
If you do decide on a double room, get a double room superior. Avoid the double rooms standard, which might not have a sea view. In any event, just make sure you get a room with a FULL sea view -- partial sea view often means a tiny sliver of the sea if you crane your neck while standing on top of a dresser.
We were on a fairly tight budget, so we stayed in "the apartment," aka room 256. This isn't listed on their Web site and they only showed it to us after we pressed them for more room options. It is in its own building a few steps down from the main building. It was cheaper than a double room (I think it was 150 euro) but had two bedrooms (queen bed in one room, two twins in the other) and its own private terrace looking right out over the sea. The reason this room is so cheap is that it's not furnished with much more than the basics -- bed, a/c, small tv that gets only local channels, closet, small fridge. But you still get all the service as the rest of the hotel. The other downside is that since it's closer to the beach, you can hear the boom-boom of the Grotto disco at night (not a problem with other rooms at the hotel). We simply shut the French doors and turned on the a/c and the muted sound, combined with the food/wine of the night's dinner, lulled us to sleep.
I think you get the picture.
Jan 26th, 2005, 10:29 AM
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We booked Villa Rosa for 5 days in June. Can you share what was wrong with it in your eyes? Except for the apartment you mentioned, which doesn't sound all that great, the prices are quite a bit more at the Marincanto. But let please let me know what displeased you about Villa Rosa. We may need to rethink our reservation. Thanks!
Jan 26th, 2005, 12:10 PM
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I basically second everything timmytim
said. Marincanto was wonderful, I am so glad we went for it despite a lack of reviews about it on here.
i gave a bit of a review on it in a post titled Hotel Marincanto back in June if you want to do a search for it on here.
We had the best time there, & if you can - get the Junior suite special, w/ the double jacuzzi right out on the Terrace, it was seriously heavenly!
One of my best memories of our honeymoon is of the delicious breakfast on the beautiful terrace at the Marincanto on our first morning there.
After breakfast we walked down the steps to the sundeck & saw the most amazing view I have ever seen.
I highly recommend it. Good luck!
said. Marincanto was wonderful, I am so glad we went for it despite a lack of reviews about it on here.
i gave a bit of a review on it in a post titled Hotel Marincanto back in June if you want to do a search for it on here.
We had the best time there, & if you can - get the Junior suite special, w/ the double jacuzzi right out on the Terrace, it was seriously heavenly!
One of my best memories of our honeymoon is of the delicious breakfast on the beautiful terrace at the Marincanto on our first morning there.
After breakfast we walked down the steps to the sundeck & saw the most amazing view I have ever seen.
I highly recommend it. Good luck!
Jan 27th, 2005, 07:20 AM
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To rbnwdln regarding the Villa Rosa: The VR is not a bad hotel per se. In fact, it has many quailities to recommend it. It depends on what you're looking for.
The good: For Positano, the VR is pretty inexpensive. The staff are extremely friendly -- as was everyone else we met in Positano, by the way. All the hotels employ local people who will cheerily direct you to the best restaurants (there really aren't any "hidden/locals only" ones -- you'll meet fellow tourists, usually Americans, at all of them). It's on the "good" side of Poistano, i.e. the side from which you get the postcard views. Breakfast delivered to your room is a nice touch. The rooms are impeccably clean. Each room has its own very spacious sun deck/terrace with table, 2 chairs and two chaise lounges. And the views from the 3rd floor and up are as good as it gets in Positano.
The bad: Though clean, the rooms are very small, much smaller than the "apartment" we eventually got at the Marincanto. Bed, mini-fridge, a/c, small dresser, small closet and tiny bathroom and that's it -- very little room to move around (unless you stay in a suite, which at 240 euro is no longer a bargain). Though every room has its own sun deck, not every sun deck has a view. The terraces of the three rooms on the first floor have a view that's 90% blocked by the back of the Sirenuse. The views from the terraces on the second floor are also somewhat blocked. It's only the terraces from the rooms on the 3rd, 4th and 5th floors that have totally unobstructed views. And believe me, you want a view in Positano. Also, the hotel is set up in a zig-zag pattern, with one set of stairs on the oppostite end of each floor. So you have to walk all the way to the end of the second floor to go up to the third floor, then all the way to the other end to go up to the 4th, etc. This isn't so much a hassle from a walking point of view, since you're going to be walking up and down hundreds of steps anyway in your daily peregrinations. What it means is that, especially on a lower floors, you'll constantly hear the sounds of other guests walking to and fro and their room doors opening and shutting. And the doors are paper thin. You can hear every footfall and syllable uttered. Also, the terraces have little privacy (except the three on the first floor, which have no views). So if you don't mind talking to your neighbors and hearing every word they say, then it's not a problem. I was on my honeymoon and wanted a greater degree of privacy.
The VR is also above the main road, so you can hear every bus, motorcycle, car, scooter, etc that passes by. This constant vehicular sound, which drops off later in the evening, somewhat diminshes the Positano experience. As for the breakfast delivered to your room, it's a nice touch, but they do it because there's nowhere else in the hotel to eat. At the Marincanto we were able to enjoy an all-you-can-eat buffet on their own spacious outdoor eating area. The VR's breakfast is a typical continental one -- coffee, OJ, croissants. Good quality, but no seconds.
Finally, the VR is really not a hotel, but a guest house. It's got rooms and the hallways that connect them, but nothing more. There's no place, other than your room, which is tiny, and your sun deck, which may or may not have a view and may or may not have neighbors 10 feet away who feel like chatting, to really relax and get away from it all, so to speak. The Marincanto has open space where you can walk around, relax, have an evening cocktail, and really feel like you're in your own little world. It's tranquil. Since it's below the main road you can't hear the sounds of traffic at all. And it is the only hotel that has direct access to the best part of Positano's beach. You can go down in the morning and reserve a spot, and then go back and forth as you wish -- no need to pack all your belongings and shelp them down.
Don't get me wrong -- the VR is not a bad place at all, *especially if you're on the third level or higher.* Many people love it. But for 10 euro more a night my wife and I had total privacy, a much bigger room in a real hotel with a much better location. The only downside to the "apartment" was the sound of the disco at night, which basically went away when we closed the terrace doors and turned on the a/c.
One final note: early June is an excellent time, maybe the best, to be in Positano. The weather is great and it's not overly crowded yet. You'll love it.
The good: For Positano, the VR is pretty inexpensive. The staff are extremely friendly -- as was everyone else we met in Positano, by the way. All the hotels employ local people who will cheerily direct you to the best restaurants (there really aren't any "hidden/locals only" ones -- you'll meet fellow tourists, usually Americans, at all of them). It's on the "good" side of Poistano, i.e. the side from which you get the postcard views. Breakfast delivered to your room is a nice touch. The rooms are impeccably clean. Each room has its own very spacious sun deck/terrace with table, 2 chairs and two chaise lounges. And the views from the 3rd floor and up are as good as it gets in Positano.
The bad: Though clean, the rooms are very small, much smaller than the "apartment" we eventually got at the Marincanto. Bed, mini-fridge, a/c, small dresser, small closet and tiny bathroom and that's it -- very little room to move around (unless you stay in a suite, which at 240 euro is no longer a bargain). Though every room has its own sun deck, not every sun deck has a view. The terraces of the three rooms on the first floor have a view that's 90% blocked by the back of the Sirenuse. The views from the terraces on the second floor are also somewhat blocked. It's only the terraces from the rooms on the 3rd, 4th and 5th floors that have totally unobstructed views. And believe me, you want a view in Positano. Also, the hotel is set up in a zig-zag pattern, with one set of stairs on the oppostite end of each floor. So you have to walk all the way to the end of the second floor to go up to the third floor, then all the way to the other end to go up to the 4th, etc. This isn't so much a hassle from a walking point of view, since you're going to be walking up and down hundreds of steps anyway in your daily peregrinations. What it means is that, especially on a lower floors, you'll constantly hear the sounds of other guests walking to and fro and their room doors opening and shutting. And the doors are paper thin. You can hear every footfall and syllable uttered. Also, the terraces have little privacy (except the three on the first floor, which have no views). So if you don't mind talking to your neighbors and hearing every word they say, then it's not a problem. I was on my honeymoon and wanted a greater degree of privacy.
The VR is also above the main road, so you can hear every bus, motorcycle, car, scooter, etc that passes by. This constant vehicular sound, which drops off later in the evening, somewhat diminshes the Positano experience. As for the breakfast delivered to your room, it's a nice touch, but they do it because there's nowhere else in the hotel to eat. At the Marincanto we were able to enjoy an all-you-can-eat buffet on their own spacious outdoor eating area. The VR's breakfast is a typical continental one -- coffee, OJ, croissants. Good quality, but no seconds.
Finally, the VR is really not a hotel, but a guest house. It's got rooms and the hallways that connect them, but nothing more. There's no place, other than your room, which is tiny, and your sun deck, which may or may not have a view and may or may not have neighbors 10 feet away who feel like chatting, to really relax and get away from it all, so to speak. The Marincanto has open space where you can walk around, relax, have an evening cocktail, and really feel like you're in your own little world. It's tranquil. Since it's below the main road you can't hear the sounds of traffic at all. And it is the only hotel that has direct access to the best part of Positano's beach. You can go down in the morning and reserve a spot, and then go back and forth as you wish -- no need to pack all your belongings and shelp them down.
Don't get me wrong -- the VR is not a bad place at all, *especially if you're on the third level or higher.* Many people love it. But for 10 euro more a night my wife and I had total privacy, a much bigger room in a real hotel with a much better location. The only downside to the "apartment" was the sound of the disco at night, which basically went away when we closed the terrace doors and turned on the a/c.
One final note: early June is an excellent time, maybe the best, to be in Positano. The weather is great and it's not overly crowded yet. You'll love it.
Jan 27th, 2005, 07:54 AM
#9
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"The only downside to the "apartment" was the sound of the disco at night, which basically went away when we closed the terrace doors and turned on the a/c."
We also heard the noise from the disco, Music on the Rocks, at the Miramare on one of the weekend nights that we were in Positano. The Miramare is on the opposite side of town, so I'm not sure if you can away from this at any of the hotels.
We also heard the noise from the disco, Music on the Rocks, at the Miramare on one of the weekend nights that we were in Positano. The Miramare is on the opposite side of town, so I'm not sure if you can away from this at any of the hotels.
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