Positano hotels with a pool- Poseidon or Eden Roc for the 4 of us?
 

Hi,

I have booked the family suite at Villa Rosa for my teenage son, his friend, my husband and myself for a four night stay in June, but am starting to think we may enjoy a pool during this last leg of the trip. (Thanks Micheline, you got me thinking about this)
:)

So, I've narrowed choices down to Poseidon and Eden Roc with Eden Roc being less $$$. Which hotel would be better suited for the boys? Also, which hotel is closer to the beach and are the views any different? We would be staying in the lower priced rooms in either hotel.
Thanks!

Jayneann,

I love the HOtel Poseidon, but I wouldn't book it based on its pool, which I call the "oversized bathtub". The pool is located on the sunning terrace, and it's really meant for dipping, not much else.

If you really need to have a good sized pool, take a look at Covo dei Sarceni, which is perched over town down near the dock. I haven't stayed at that hotel so I can't vouch for the rooms, but the pool is fairly large.

Last week I stayed at the Eden Roc, and visited the Poseidon. I would suggest the Eden Roc. Much nicer public areas and beautiful rooms, with a most gracious staff. 10 minute walk to the beach

Weadles,

Thank you for your response. I have been pouring over past posts and noticed you are a big fan of Hotel Poseidon. Do you think teens would enjoy their stay? I'm not really interested in a large swimming pool, just one we can cool off in.

mulifat,
Thank you for your reply. Eden Roc does look great. Do I need to book a suite to get good views? I'm not sure I want to be on the first floor of the hotel.

Thanks again- Anyone else????

The Eden Roc's lowest price rooms are about 280 Euros a night. With the exception of 2 rooms, they are all on the first floor.(they other 2 are on the 4th floors) The views in some of first floor rooms are slightly obstructed, but they are still nice views. The next level are on higher floors with spectacular views, but pricier. Maybe see if you can book the 280 price rooms and request a 4th floor room. All the rooms in each category are very desirable, so it is just the views that make the difference

I enjoyed the Poseidon very much. But as another poster says, its pool is very small. And what we liked most about it was the peace and quiet - there were no kids there at all. In fact I've been to Positano 3 times & don't remember seeing any kids there at all, apart from as part of local families at the weekend - it's more of a honeymoon/older couples type place.

Why not just send them to the beach ? I'd have thought that would be more interesting for teenage boys, anyway.

Jayneann,

I have to agree with the other poster who wrote that the hotel is really meant for couples/honeymooners. Our experience is that families are not all that welcome there. On two occasions, we saw the staff being really rude to a few families both at lunch and on the sunning terrace. Now if you can ever get away with just your husband, that would be perfect!

Well, to pile on, I'm not sure Positano is a good choice for teenagers. It's more for couples and people with lots of money. Consider Sorrento. It's a larger, busier town. No beach but swimming from piers. And lots of easy transportation options -- to Pompeii and Herculaneum, the Amalfi Coast, and Capri.

Stay in Ravello - Palazzo Sasso is without a doubt the best hotel, service included in the area. It has a tremendous pool looking out on the water/ area.

Rest in Positano - Da Vincenzo - do NOT miss it.

"Well, to pile on, I'm not sure Positano is a good choice for teenagers. It's more for couples and people with lots of money."

Not really......there were plenty of families in Positano last week, and there are many, many, reasonable hotels where people without lots of money can stay

"Stay in Ravello - Palazzo Sasso is without a doubt the best hotel, service included in the area. It has a tremendous pool looking out on the water/ area."

If somebody was looking at the Poseidon and Eden Roc as their choices, I am not sure the Palazzo Sasso would be appropriate as it is about 150-200 Euros per night more. Although the Palazzo Sasso is a terrific choice, it is not without a doubt the best hotel in Ravello, as many would argue that the Caruso has that honor

Have you considered Le Agavi in Positano? We stayed there in 2004 and loved it. Not only does it have a pool, but it also has a private beach that you get to by funicular.

The rooms were HUGE and the terraces even larger..and the view is out of this world. In fact, our room was much larger than the suite they show on their website.

I also thought their prices were more reasonable, and they had a very reliable shuttle (at least every hour) into town.

The breakfast were outstanding too. I don't know why we don't hear more about this place on the boards, but we were the only Americans there so maybe they just don't get much of an American crowd?

I think it's worth looking into, I wouldn't hesitate to go back.

We've seen plenty of families vacationing in Positano, and you don't have to break the bank to do it. I just think some hotels are more welcoming to families than others.

Mulifat - Thank you again for responding! I am waiting to hear back from Eden Roc. It is number 1 on tripadvisor - whatever that's worth!!!

caroline_edinburgh and weadles - Thanks for the heads up at the Poseidon, although the boys are mature 17 yr olds so I doubt they'd be disruptive around honeymooners. Still, it's one important piece that needs considering!

Mimar - Thanks for posting! I have read that Sorrento is better for families, but visiting Positano is a MUST for me! I simply cannot go to Italy and not stay in Positano for a few days!!! :)

rddevita - Thanks for the recommendation of Da Vincenzo! I've put it on my ever growing restaurant list. We will visit Ravello but I really want to stay in Positano!

Nina - I am also checking out Le Agavi, but it is more $$$ than the other places. It does sound great though!!

I am still not sure what I'm going to do!!! I was content staying in a very affordable place without a pool, but lately I've been reading that Positano beaches get so packed in the summer!!! I thought it would be more relaxing knowing that we had a couple of choices to cool off and to escape the crowds! Heck, what's a few more dollars in the grand scheme of things!!!

We will definitely do at least one boat trip, so we'll get to swim in the Med at one point! Any other suggestions? I'm really open as long as the hotel is in Positano! THANKS!!

Have you considered the Hotel Villa Franca? It has a rooftop pool (not extremely large) but a gorgeous view since it is perched near the top of Positano. They provide shuttles down to the town and beach. It has been several years since our family stayed there (we had two rooms), but I remember the rooms being somewhat large and the breakfast was very good.

Angela m,

Yes, I have and they just sent me an email with what I thought was a decent rate!!! However, when reading reviews, some thought it was just too far away from the beach.

What do you think? Are there restaurants within walking distance? When we do a boat trip, could we arrange to have the shuttle pick us up, or would we have to trek up the hill? Are there shops close by? Thanks!!!

Jayneann,

Definitely book a boat tour w/ Salvatore e Gennore ( spelling?) down at the town dock. They will take you on a wonderful half or full day tour of the area, including Capri. With many of these tours, you can swim off the sides of the boat, which your kids would probably love.

Just so you know, the beach in Positano isn't so great. It was very crowded each time we visited, and the water itself was brackish.

However, the views and the food in the area are hard to beat! Try to make reservations for your family at one of the restaurants in Montepertuso, which is a mountain village about 15 min way by car. Most of these restaurants ( Donna Rosa, Il Ritrovo, La Tagliatella (sp?)) will provide roundtrip transportation for guests staying in Positano. You just need to call ahead.

Have a great time!

I agree that the beach in Positano is no great shakes. Rocky and and the water didn't look that wonderful. But I agree that Positano is heaven on earth if you are there at the right time. Wandering, boating, sightseeing, eating gelato, eating caprese salad, shopping, hanging out. Not that's a vacation!

PS We love, love, love the Villa Rosa but if I could afford Le Sereneuse, I'd stay there!

Yes, the Villa Franca is pretty far up the hill away from the beach, but the walk down is interesting with restaurants and shops along the way. I think their shuttle runs on a schedule, but we never used it--always walked. We noticed alot of people walked down and took the shuttle back up. Like everyone says, the beach is not inviting at all, I was glad to be staying where we were.