OK TOTAL CHANGE OF PLANS... Need great hotel in Positano.. 3 friends traveling wanting quite but fun place with post card beautiful view. This was a dream/promise since college for 40th b/days.. Must pick perfect hotel. Want nice but not 5 star hotel with great view/terrace from room and other ares of hotel. Please help. Going in October so I know weather might be cool at night. Do hydofoils run from Positano to Amalfi in October... want to just do the coast and from what I have read on Fodors its best to avoid Sorrento if you want the old world/small village charm. Most important thing is location to town and view from hotel terrace/dining rooms and private terrace/balcony. Thanks to all or Fodors travelers, I have potentially avoided a terrible mistake in vacation planning. Thanks!!!

LauraW, I don't think staying in Sorrento would be a terrible mistake, but you will love Positano anyway. One thing though it does not necassarily have what one would call old world charm but it does have beautiful views and houses spilling down the side of the mountain to the sea.

Try putting Positano in the search square and you will find more information on hotels by Fodorites than you can digest.

I liked the Villa Franca which had all of what you are looking for. It is at the top of the hill going towards town so it has the views of the town and the sea.

myself and 2 friends stayed in a lovely B&B in Positano...has a magnificent view over the sea, is only a few metres from the beach and has a terrace, where we had breakfast each morning. Our ensuite (very large) even had it's own terrace facing the church.
La Tartana is a lovely place to stay.
We caught the ferry to Capri, lovely trip..

addit: our room with three single beds had its own terrace...

Hi Laura,

We stayed at the Hotel Le Sirene in Priano, about 6 km east of Positano.
You might want to consider it.

See my trip report

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34451044

Sorrento vs Positano - tough call! Sorrento is bigger, more of a regular town. Positano is small, very picturesque but IMO a mjor tourist town. When we were there in June on a daytrip from Sorrento it was crawling with tourists. You can have excellent views in either.

Laura - how long are you staying in Positano? My husband and I rented an fabulous apartment (La Cisterna) right up the street from the Siranuse this past summer. Great location and views, access to private beach, kitchen, and maid that washed and ironed our clothes. Cannot recommend it enough! Here's the website: http://www.torresponda-positano.com/. Ciao . . .

We stayed at Albergo California last October and liked it alot-great location to beach/shopping, rooms have terrace (make sure to request one) and a huge terrace out front. Our room and bathroom was huge for Italian standards.