Sorrento, Italy

I can't say which has best b/c I haven't stayed in all the hotels in Sorrento, but we've stayed at La Tonnarella 3 times and the view cannot be better (same but not better) than any other hotel. We got a room there once that had a large, private terrace with lounge chairs with incredible view of the bay, Capri, Sorrento, Mt Vesuvius and Naples I believe. Other 2 times we had a private patio with a sliver of view. Price based on your choice of private terrace, balcony, window or patio. They have a very good restaurant with a very large terrace for outdoor dining, an indoor dining room and a smaller dining terrace all w/same amazing view. They also have a private beach which we enjoyed.

We stayed at Hotel Minerva and were delighted ! The expansive balcony over the bay and the town is amazing for lounging with wine or eating breakfast. We even had a balcony room. It was easy to walk into town on the sidewalk, even when we came home late at night.

Thanks. I already stayed at the Hotel Tonorella with a great corner room and a veranda. I'll stay there again if I can't find a similar hotel that'as a little closer to the "action".

Hotel Minerva was a 5 minute walk. The views are to die for.

Grand Hotel Ambosciatori

Other options?

We just returned from 5 nights at a B&B in Sorrento after 6 nights at an apartment in Rome, and as I've stated in another thread, I wasn't overly impressed. We stayed in town about 2 blocks away from the train station, on Piazza Tasso, mostly because the picturesque marina hotels weren't open for the season yet, and the few that were had jacked up the rates beyond all reason. Wasn't about to play that game.

No issues with the food, which is very good, heavy to fresh seafood and calamari. Plenty of kinda-touristy shops along the narrow walkways with reasonable pricing. And the train/bus station gives simple access for daytrips to almost anywhere. We did Naples by CV train and Positano by bus, easily done.

Sorrento is pleasant enough. But as we were taking the Curreri Viaggi bus (heckuva deal--10 Euro) upon leaving from Sorrento to the Naples airport, I'll share a couple more impressions of that relatively-unknown stretch between Sorrento and Pompeii, because we took the coastal road--when we came in it was the autostrada.

Vico Equense, which is about halfway between Sorrento and Castellammare di Stabia, looked absolutely idyllic, with its own little alcove. Research says it's still pretty untouched from tourism, and it's a stop on the CV line. Almost wish I'd have stayed there. I had heard the same thing about Castellammare di Stabia, but the bus drove through the center of town at about 9:30 AM, and it was almost third-world chaos, with traffic that rivals Naples. Took about 30 minutes to get one mile, for no apparent reason.

We have friends that usually stay in Salerno that are trying out Vietri sul Mare on the other side in a few weeks. I'll report back as to what they tell me.

Another vote for Hotel Minerva

Another opinion on Sorrento... we love it. Our favorite place in Italy. Been there 3 times for a week each time and hated to leave.

We are going to stay at Hotel Bristol. The views of the Bay of Naples from rooms (with balcony) look spectacular. It is up the hill from town on Via Capo. Hotel Minervetta, which is a boutique hotel, also looked amazing, but was quite expensive and I think only offered breakfast (no restaurant).

Howard, any Sorrento question is answered better if you give the month of the year. Also, do you have a RIck Steves budget or a rich-folk's budget. We enjoyed our five nights at the Ambasciatori, but it's too expensive for the taste of many posters here.

Which cliffs do you mean? You can't see both the water and the hillside (up to Sant' Agata and the hidden Amalfi Coast) from the same single side of ANY hotel in Sorrento - they're 180 degrees apart. But if you stay at the Ambasciatori (or the other five fat-cat hotels ON the cliff that rises from the Gulf of Naples, and pay for a view room, you will see the water, Vesuvius, often Capri, the cliffs on either side of you, and more. You'll take the hotel's private elevator to the private wooden swimming deck (with cafe and bathrooms) at the foot of the cliffs.

As someone else wrote, things might not be quite so full-service in the middle of winter. Best to call the hotel if you're going soon. Sorrento books up months in advance IN SEASON.

Tim--

As I stated, your previous comments on Sorrento have been spot-on. But IF I were to return (probably not, I'll stay in Vico Equense next time), I probably would stay in one of the more expensive places with a view, as 'cost-conscious' as I am. This is because I've realized that view is part of a hotel's (or B&B's) value. At our B&B in town, I just didn't see the idyllic scenes out the balcony window that I was half-expecting, and I was a little disappointed. My bad for expecting that.

However, to be within 5-minute walking distance to any number of great, reasonably-priced trattorias was definitely a plus. We ate very well in Sorrento.

I really like il Nido. It's above the city and has a wide open view from Capri all the way around the Bay of Naples. Sunset dinners on their balcony can't be beat.