Hello: I've been reading many posts re: Positano hotels. As with everyone, we want to take advantage of the great views from our hotel, preferrably from our own balcony. Curious though if anyone has a recommendation for a property that has a pool, bar and restaurant. I'm sure part of the Positano experience is dining around town but on those nights when we may just want to relax ( we'll have our two children w/ us ), is there a hotel w/ the above mentioned amenities w/ good food and drink on the premises? I might tack on the same question for Capri and Sorrento if someone has any tips.
Any feedback appreciated.

Hi

Please state your budget per night in $$$ terms. Do you need a quad room or two doubles?

Le Sirenuse fits the description perfectly. The pool is small but adequate for cooling off. The bar is on the same terrace. The restaurant is the best in town, or close enough that it doesn't matter. Most room have at least a small balcony and some are quite large.

I don't recall seeing many kids there, though they are probably welcome. If they are the sort who are happy in an adult atmosphere I guess it would be fine.

Covo dei Sarceni has a beautiful pool area loverlooking the dock and beach. I haven't stayed there, but I think it will much cheaper than Sirenuse. Depending on the age of your kids, not sure Sirenuse would be the best choice. I think of it as a honeymoon/couples hotel more than family oriented.

If you post your budget, I'd be happy to make some recomendations for Sorrento and Capri. I think since you're going with kids, Sorrento might be a better choice than Positano, and there are certainly many hotels that offer panoramic views of the Bay of Naples from guest room terraces.

The Hotel Poseidon has all the amenities you describe. The cuisine is OK but not outstanding.

I highly recommend Albergo California. It was moderately priced, has cozy balconies with great views of the town on the cliffside and the sea below. The little old couple that runs the place are amazing friendly and helpful as well. I don't recall that it had its own restaurant, but there was a great seafood place and a nice pizzeria on either side of it.

We stayed at the Hotel Poseidon,, and while it's one of my favorite hotels for adults, I would not recommend it for families with kids. The few times that we visited, the hotel staff made it fairly clear (abrupt behavior, kicking kids out of the bathtub-sized pool for no real reason) that they didn't want to deal with kids at all.

By the way, when we were last there, the food was outstanding-- some of the best we had in Italy. I am surprised and disappointed to find out that this may no longer be true!

In Positano, Villa Franca has excellent views, great restaurant for dining and buffet breakfast, roof top pool, bar service in beautiful lobby and by the pool.

We just came back from Positano with our kids and they loved it. We have also taken them to Capri and it was perfect. I don't know how old your kids are but if you are going in the summer with kids, the location you pick is very important. Because Positano is very hilly and there are lots of stairs to climb, I think it's wiser to stay at the bottom if you have smaller kids. That way you are in the center of it all, near the beach, the shops, the restaurants, etc. We have stayed at Villa Franca, at the top, without the kids and it was wonderful but I KNOW our kids would have constantly complained about all the walking. We love to walk so I found it to be great. On the water, in the middle of the action, there are a few hotels, including Covo di Saraceni (sp?) Buca di Baco (sp?), Palazzo Murat and others. I know Covo di Saraceni has a pool, restaurant, etc. but I've never stayed there so I'm not sure how the rooms are. With the kids we stayed at a bed&breakfast called Villa Rosa which is not on the water but 5 minutes away. It does not have any services but it is SO close to everything. We booked their Suite and it was perfect for the 4 of us. In Capri we stayed at Villa Brunella in a Suite and it was perfect...excellent restaurant, fantastic service, they LOVED our kids and were very caring and attentive towards them. Nothing can compare to breakfast by the pool every morning with the view to die for. Have fun.

Wonderful feedback from everyone. Thank you.
Maggy, thanks for your comments relative to your children. Our daghters, ages 10 & 15, love to explore but I could see them getting frustrated w/ a constant uphill hike. I've read soooo much about Villa Rosa and because of all of the great comments, have contemplated wanting to stay there (despite the stairs )along w/ Albergo California, but also have an interest in a pool etc...
I've noticed that everyone raves about the elevated views, like at Villa Rosa, and have wondered if staying closer to the beach robs us of this beautiful vista?
One thought I'm having is I suspect that we will have those elevated views in Sorrento and Capri - maybe in Positano we can be further down, for the girls sake? Do I also have the understanding that more of the town and shops are further down, closer to the beach?
As far as a quad vs. 2 doubles - we are flexible, as long as the doubles can be adjacent to one another. The budget is also flexible but certainly appreciate a good value where available.
And Weadles, thanks for offering some ideas re: Sorrento and Capri. At this point I'm flexible on the cost of the room. I'll see where we might want to splurge once I start to get all of my ducks in a row. Welcome your input. Also, I should probably do a separate post asking about those two locations.
Any additional feedback is appreciated.

No pool, restaurant and bar, but we stayed in the family suite at the Villa Rosa in March and loved it. We have two children, ages 9 and 14.

Ljyoung,

I agree with some of the other posters who've suggested staying at the bottom of town in Positano. The climb back and forth gets a bit old, especially in the summer heat. The only problem is that you do lose out on some of those great views that are gained by being higher up.

You asked about Capri and Sorrento. In Capri,we stayed at the HOTEL LUNA, which had gorgeous rooms overlooking the sea, and in the distance, the famous I Faraglioni, the rocks of Capri.

The hotel is set in a lemon grove, and is very close to Piazza Umberto, the main street where all the designer shops, restaurants, and gelateria (s) are located.

A complaint about Luna, )but this may be standard for Capri, and some of the hotels on the Amalfi Coast)- you have to pay to sit at the hotel's pool, which seems ridiculous considering the room rates!

In Capri, you should also check out VILLA BRUNELLA and CASA MORGANO, both of which are located on a tiny lane, a very short walk away from Piazza Umberto. These hotels look absolutely beautiful, and are often recommended here on the forum.

In Sorrento, we stayed at the Hotel Tramontano, which has a great location near the old town ( lots of trattorias, shops, etc.) and Piazza Tasso ( cafes, central square in Sorrento). Our rooms were nothing special ( although they had decent beds and AC), but we had two large terraces with spectacular views of The Bay of Naples.

In front of the hotel, there's a small swimming pool, which gets very crowded after mid-morning. There's also a grainy strip of beach, stone swimming pier ( very typical for the area) and cafe-style restaurant just below the hotel. All of these are very crowded in the summer.

Another hotel to check out in Sorrento, is Bellevue Syrene. It's just down the block from Tramontano, and is often recommended on the forum. We had drinks at the hotel, and peeked into two rooms which looked pretty similar to the ones we had at Tramontano. By the way, both of these properties are 4-star hotels.

Good luck with your plans!

Thanks much for the feedback.
tilburg, I see, as on another one of my posts, Villa Rosa gets your nod. Did the children tire of the up and down hike?
weadles, appreciate the hotel tips. I will check out the ones you mention for Capri. I had become interested in the Hotel Mamela - ever been? Also, I'm familiar w/ the two proprties you mention for Sorrento - just having read the numerous posts here for each one. I've been toying w/ the idea of staying in Massa Lubrense as an alternate to Sorrento - any thoughts there? I'm wondering if my two girls ( ages 10 & 15 ),might feel it's too sleepy for 2-3 nights?
Thanks again for the input.

Covo dei Sarceni meets your profile of a hotel wth a view, pool and (small) bar. There is an internet cafe and shops nearby that your kids will enjoy.

We stayed in a huge suite at Villa Tartana in Positano and loved it. It was down at the bottom. No pool. The Covo dei Sarceni will meet your needs. No, I think you don't need a view looking down -- it's quite nice being at the shore and looking up. The beach area is where all the kids hang out anyway, and a short walk up to the main square will give you a great view looking down.

For Capri, my vote is for the Syrene (go to caprionline website), which has, hands down, one of the better pools we've been to, next to a lemon orchard.

Don't forget to stop at the Buonocore at Via Vittorio Emanuele 35 -- the best gelato in all of Capri, perhaps all of Italy.

We stayed at Hotel Michelangelo in Sorrento, which we adored -- good pool, great bar, but no view. The hotel mentioned by Weadles is in a fabulous location, right on the cliff.

I would recommend the Covo dei Saraceni. It is a five-star, but exremely well priced. They have a great pool, and it is right on the beach. The kids would love to be able to explore down there, and even to walk over to Fornillo beach (the smaller beach). The boat rentals are right there as well. Actually, I would recommend the covo over any other hotel in town, especially the overpriced Sireneuse...which I don't think allows children.

Ljyoung,

I'd recommend staying in Sorrento itself. Your kids will find much more of interest-- a wonderful old town full of trattorias, shops, etc., a marina where artists set up each day to paint, gelaterias,etc.etc. Plus, Sorrento makes a very good base for a day trip to Pompeii, which most kids really enjoy.

Regarding Capri, I have heard of the HOtel Mamela, but don't know it personally. I know that online here it garners excellent reviews. You might want to check it out on tripadvisor.com, too.

Good luck!

We've stayed at the Mamela and loved it (May '03). Service was wonderful and the rooms are large and spacious. And, of course the view is spectacular. They did also have a beautiful pool but we didn't really spend any time there. We loved it b/c it was so close to Capri town but still felt a little secluded. I would whole heartedly recommend it. I don't think it had a restaurant but did serve breakfast.

In Capri, we had a great meal at Le Grotelle. It is a restaurant overlooking the water, on a cliff- near the Arco Naturale (sp?). The outside terrace is great for dining and is right at the edge of the cliff. The indoor portion of restaurant is built into a cave.

In Positano, we stayed at Hotel Ancora. The hotel does not have a pool or a restaurant but is next to Le Sireneuse and was not too high up. I believe it is a sister hotel to Covo Di Saraceni (sp?) and so you have pool privileges there.

Have a wonderful time. It's just so beautiful there!
Jane