Hotel Desiree or Hotel Il Nido in Sorrento?

Mark, I've stayed at Hotel Desiree, and it was very comfortable and the owners were wonderful. The facilities were somewhat "basic", but the room was clean and comfortable. The views (especially from the rooftop terrrace) are incredible. It's right next to another Hotel, La Tonnarella which has a nice restaurant, and the views from there are also incredible. Happy travels!

I always stay at Il Nido (this will be stay 4 or 5?). it's up the hill but they have very convenient and friendly van service to the town. views can't be beat. breakfast is excellent. dinner is slightly expensive but very, very good - good for the first night if you don't want to go into town. the rooms are very comfortable and clean. Some have great views of the Bay of Naples. For me there really is no other choice in Sorrento.

We have stayed at the Hotel Desiree several times and have always been pleased. The rooms are very clean and we requested a room with a view & balcony. There is a delightful small garden, which is so nice for reading and relaxing in the afternoon and there is an elevator to the small private beach. The staff is very helpful and it is a quiet location, which makes for nice sleeping. Happy travels!

We loved Il Nido! We stayed there for 7-8 nights in Sept 2011, and will stay there again in the future! It's not a fancy-schmancy resort, but it's extremely clean, comfy, QUIET, and just as we expected from the TA reviews. The shuttle bus worked as advertised and we found it to be very convenient; the ride into/out of town was maybe 10-15 mins at most, and they'll pick you up from the train station on your arrival day - just call when you arrive. The breakfasts were great - very large, varied, and frequently replenished - and besides the food and service at dinner, we really appreciated being able to eat and drink ourselves silly then walk down the hall to our room and go sit on our balcony and watch the twinkling lights of the bay until we were ready to go to bed. Or, in my case, pretty much go straight to bed LOL! I was pooped after days spent at Pompeii, etc.! The dinner portions were generous, and everything we ate or drank was very good. Not fancy, just really good. Due to some unfortunate circumstances I needed to communicate with Gianni several times in the months before our arrival; his responses were always prompt and accommodating. If you hate linen towels, bring your own. I happen to love (yes, love) them...and will not forget - again - to bring some home on my next trip to Italy (much cheaper). Why do people hate them so?!? (shaking head sadly) On the matter of the orange juice (read the TA reviews): I only had the juice 1-2 times, and found it was too tart for my taste; I hardly went hungry or thirsty, though. I love playing with those coffee/espresso machines, though ;-) I stayed pretty amped-up on caffeine... Be sure to reserve 'balcony rooms', and whichever place you decide on, reserve ASAP! (and look out for scooters, and the most uneven cobblestones I've ever seen anywhere in Europe)