We are a family of 4 (kids ages 9 and 11) going to Italy for 2 weeks next June. We will be ending the trip with 5 nights in Sorrento. We are debating between Grand Hotel Riiviera or Hotel Mediterraneo as they both seem to have Beaxh access and pool. Anyone have any experience with these hotels and input as to whether they are kid friendly.
Thanks,
J
Regarding kid friendly activities. I had the best gelato of my life at David's Gelato, right by the Sorrento train station. They have gelato- making classes. Sadly, we weren't in Sorrento on the days of the classes.
We were just in the area in May. I believe we walked past the Grand Hotel, right off the Plaza. It did look beautiful. The second hotel you named mentioned a shuttle bus into town- does that mean it's not so easily walked? I also got the vibe from reading the description that the second hotel is more weddings and bar activities than family activities. Just my interpretation.
Have a memorable family trip. If you have other questions, pls come back and ask.
Hi,
Thanks for the input. Yes. Mediterraneo is a bit outside of town in Sant Angello but they have a hourly shuttle into Sorrento and it looks like about 25 minute walk. We will definitely stop by David’s gelato.
I'd stay IN Sorrento- it's such a pleasant town to wander- and wear off the gelato!
Hi Josh,
Do you mean the Grand Hotel Royal in Sorrento?
We stayed there for about 8 nights in October 2021 (got a great upgrade from the Grand Hotel de Ville) and had a pleasant stay. The hotel was located away from the more busy touristy areas so quiet at night but still in a convenient location to walk in town. It's a beautiful hotel and I just looked at their website and it looks like they've really gussied things up even more!
When I was there the grounds were very well kept and the pool was kid-friendly. The hotel also offered a tasty breakfast with a lot of variety and at that time, guests were seated in their lovely atrium in compliance with Covid-distancing.
If you have a car there is a concierge service so you don't have to worry about finding a parking space. Not cheap but worth it. (The traffic and parking cops in Sorrento are very busy.)
Hope you enjoy your stay!
Note that Sorrento is NOT known for its sand (or even pebble) beaches. The five or six huge luxury hotels RIGHT on the Gulf of Naples cliffside tend to have boardwalk swimming platforms in the Gulf, private to the hotel, and reached by hotel elevator. Of course they also have nice pool decks and pools. One tiny boutique hotel has been mentioned here as having a beach of its own, but I don't remember the name.
Any other hotel in Sorrento would only be mentioning access to the town's 2 Euro elevator to the marina beach, which is lovely imported sand, but only about 50' wide, and has a marina on both sides. So it has an odor of diesel fuel. Yes, I've been there! This is a first-hand report. (You can also walk down a VERY long staircase and driveway to the marina level for free. Or take a public bus.)
If you are from a part of the US that has no beaches, and are coming specifically for seaside recreation, you need to do some more research. I personally would not go all the way to Europe to use beaches, but that's an opinion, not a "fact." Sorrento is very crowded most of the year, but especially in summer. We mostly took daytrips from Sorrento to places like Capri and Pompeii. Some budget-travelers stay in the less-known towns between Sorrento and Naples that have beaches, but these are a bit isolated, with little else to do. (Have not been to those towns myself.) The Search box top center might reveal some posts about those towns.
We are going to do day trips to Pompeii, Positano and Ischia. We will spend a couple of days at the hotel to use pool and beach/platform. We have a 9 and 11 year old and we will be doing Venice and Rome prior to Sorrento so we wanted to do a little pool/beach time to relax in Sorrento after a lot of City sightseeing.
I thought about staying in Praiano but figured Pompeii/day trips to Ischia would be easier from Sorrento.
Thx
You are correct that Sorrento is, by far, the best location for daytrips. I wasn't sure that was important to you. Note that Pompeii is very hot and sun-exposed, and the Roman paving stones are tough on little feet. Sun protection (and hotel air conditioning) is very important. I suspect Ischia is an easier walking excursion for children than Capri, which is huge and hilly, and highly pedestrianized.
When I mentioned "other towns", I didn't mean the glamorous Amalfi Coast (Priano or higher-end than that, like Positano), which mostly have small, pebble beaches. I was speaking (without direct personal knowledge) of working-class towns ON the Circumvesuviana train line from Naples to Sorrento.
We never bothered to swim at the Ambasciatori gulf boardwalk, but I suspect there is no "shallow" area down there. Of course there is in the swimming pool.
One benefit of the massive size of Pompeii is that you can take the kids there and they will never know that they "missed" the brothel!
For Venice and the kids, I'd suggest Row Venice, which provides rowing lessons on the back canals, 90 minutes, about 100 Euros for your entire family. I believe it's run by women professional rowers supporting themselves. It's harder than it looks, with only one paddle, and you will need breaks, so the family can take turns seeing who masters the skill first. Have fun!
