Thinking of booking Hotel Minerva or Hotel Belair. The reviews on Trip Advisor are favorable for both. Does anyone have any insight or other recommendations? A colleague suggested the Sorrento Hilton Palace, but I wonder if it will not have any local charm. I'd like a room with a view of the water.

The Sorrento Hilton Palace is a large, beautiful hotel. It's a 10-15 min walk uphill from the town center, and of course, faster coming down. Public areas are gorgeous. The pools and garden area are beautiful. Views are some of the best. The rooms are good. Some have the view of the pools, garden and bay of Naples out the "front", others have a view of the very tall rock cliff in the "back". It is very popular with some tour companies and conventions, so it can be quite busy at times. If you plan many day trips, it is not very convenient to walk to the port or train station often. If you plan on spending some time at the hotel, it's wonderful.

We stayed at Hotel Minerva in 1997. We were skeptical when we saw the outside, but were quickly won over when we went in. Great views ! Our room was next to the street and we needed to use our earplugs as we could hear the sound of vespas all night long. I am not usually bothered by noise, but it was very loud. I would still recommend the hotel.

I agree with both the posters above and would add that the Belair also has lovely views and may not be as noisy as the Minerva.

Many of the hotels that are central don't have views on lower floors and can have problems with street noise. I always stay out of town (10-15 minutes), up in the hills for the views/quiet (they have free shuttle to town and free pick up at the train station on arrival). It's probably more budget than the hotels you chose.
http://www.ilnido.it/index.php

We stayed at the Minerva a few years back, so my experience is not recent, but it was lovely then. If you can get it, they have a suite on a level by itself with a private terrace and fabulous views. It has its own elevator to a level below the rest of the hotel. Ask about it. It was fabulous then. Views are awesome. It was a little bit of a walk into town, but nice. The restaurant across the street was very good, and on up the hill, a short walk, is a tiny restaurant that is also very good. The woman picked fresh things from the garden and a few minutes later, they appeared on our plates.

Meant to add: If you do choose the Minerva, be sure to get a room with a view. Some don't have a good view. The hotel is charming though, with no bus groups when we were there.

We stayed at Hotel Belair last April for 7 days. It was very clean, very nice, has a really great and helpful staff and some great views. It also sits below the street side so it's very quiet. The restaurant was underwhelming for dinner (good for breakfast) but it's close enough to walk to the Centro so we simply strolled down the hill each night for dinner. The walk down to Piazza Tasso is about 10 minutes, maybe a little longer coming back up! It also has a great, clean pool with lovely views. I would absolutely recommend it and if you can swing it, get one of the junior suites. The balconies in those rooms are fabulous!

Thanks for all the responses. Greatly appreciated.