Sorrento lodging in May - I need location input !!

We loved Il Nido! The shuttle was easy and quick and, if you want to take a Sita (sp?) bus down the coast, there is a stop right by the hotel. Breakfasts were delicious and the fresh orange juice machine produced the best juice ever. We ended up eating all of our dinners there, too. Wonderful meals and beautiful views.

We stayed in Villa Monica B&B last February and we loved it!!! ... I think is exactly what you`re looking for... check its reviews in tripadvisor, they seem very accurate to me... I fell in love with this place, its wonderful hosts and this part of Italy!. Congratulations on your trip, I dream on going back soon!

Carla, I spent four nights at Il Nido this past May. My experience was mostly very positive, but with a couple cautions. The location is very nice, beautiful views from the balcony of the restaurant and from those rooms with views. The people are very friendly and helpful. The restaurant is terrific and relaxing, diverse menu, moderate prices, and the buffet breakfast included with the rooms is abundant, varied and very good. The room rates are very affordable and a good value, although I would suggest getting a room with a balcony and/or view. I had an economy room without those things, and that part of the hotel and my room were OK but not better than that. The shuttle works well and goes each way on an hourly basis like clockwork, in about 10 minutes. It functions mornings and late afternoon through late evening, but not in the middle of the day. One time there was heavy traffic and the ride down took 30 minutes. The one caution I would add is that your schedule may not always coincide with the shuttle schedule. One time I arrived in Sorrento by train very late afternoon, from Pompeii I think, quite tired, and rushed to walk to the shuttle meeting point from the station, as I really wanted to drop some things off in my room, change my shirt, and use the loo and clean up, before returning to town for dinner. I just missed the shuttle, would have had to wait another hour to catch it, or get an expensive cab. In the end I did not go back to my room, poked around town for a couple hours, then caught the van to have another fine dinner in the hotel. Not a bad result, just not my own preference or plan. Also, on my departure day, I had an early and long travel day (Sorrento to Naples to Bologna to Verona) and I was worried that the first hotel shuttle might just miss my train time, so I arranged a cab for a little earlier. Once again, no great shakes, just that the distance and the shuttle schedule made things a little difficult, and created a little angst I did not welcome. And yes, the Sita bus to,the Amalfi coast stops right by the hotel, which works well as long as the bus is not already packed so does not stop or leaves you standing most or all the way. I caught it very early and lucked out with seat all the way.

We spend up to 6 weeks each year in Sorrento and my preference is to stay in or very near town. Have done the out of town stay but eventually got fed up with relying on hotel shuttles/public transport to get into town before starting the journey to the place I actually wanted to visit. I also agree about the convenience of being able to return to the hotel to clean up or take a breather during the day. Plus being able to enjoy shopping and dining in Sorrento in the evening without worrying about missing the transport back to my hotel. Take a look at the Hotel Continental. In town but in a quiet area and sea views from the higher floors.

http://www.continentalsorrento.com/en/hotel-sorrento

Thank you all so much for your input ! I have that FIRST time staying on the Amalfi Coast desire to have a view while the next time will be closer in town !

If anyone has stayed at the Minerva or Bristol, I still would like the "road noise" input. That could be a downside and would push us to look at the Monica or Il Nido.

Is the Monica TOO far to walk into town ? Do we need to rely ONLY on transportation ?

Carla, note that your OP doesn't distinguish between the "cliff" as the Bristol vs. the other "cliff" as the (extremely expensive) Ambasciatori (our choice) and the other hotels under the same management. Obviously you have a tighter budget than we did. Since swimming in the Gulf of Naples (not the Amalfi Gulf, BTW ... ) was not important to us, you could say that the Bristol view is almost as good. But if you cannot assure in advance that your room will have a view, will you be satisfied with the view from the public rooms? Since budget is important to you, maybe you will be satisfied.

Edit: I didn't express it very well, but Linda in the next post is saying the same thing, better!

You didn't give a visit date, did you? For us, air conditioning power was more important than exterior noise. Even with double-glass, the ferry whistles are pretty loud!

You do not have to stay out of town to get a view because of the way that Sorrento is built along the cliff top. If you are considering the Bristol then your budget may stretch to one of the in town absolute sea front hotels.

Carla,
We stayed at Villa Monica the first week of November and loved it. It really is too far (and on too narrow, sidewalk less roads) to walk to town. Possibly because there were only a few guests, but probably because he is just a very nice guy, Pasquale the owner was very flexible about taking us to town and the pier when we needed to go rather than just at his scheduled hours. It's a very peaceful location and the view is great. Loved eating breakfast outside.

Carla:

If you consider staying a bit closer in, may I suggest Ulisse Deluxe? It's off the main drag, a couple of blocks toward the beach. It's an easy walk to the center, and a slightly more challenging walk down to the beach; there are your views. The hotel is classified as a hostel, but isn't, really. Since it's beachward from the main streets, it was very quiet - we, too, are open window people. It cost us last spring 80 euros a night. Our only complaint was they wouldn't honor the RS book price for breakfast, so we managed on our own. I did peek at the breakfast buffet, and it looked good. Really, I'd choose convenience and price over views. There are great views from various walks in town, and I'd rather spend my money on dinner, wine, and excursions (Pompeii, Amalfi Coast, Capri, Ercolano...). Happy travels.

Linda-

What are the in town absolute cliff hotels ?

Carla - Not in any particular order or preference and off the top of my head, they are Bellevue Syrene, Imperial Hotel Tramontano, Excelsior Vittoria, Grand Hotel Riviera , Grand Hotel Royal, Grand Hotel Ambasciatori and Europa Palace Grand Hotel. Not all cheap options and you pay for location but garden view etc rooms at these hotels will be cheaper. All the public areas will have great views, it just depends on how much time you plan to spend in your room. As with most hotels in Sorrento room size and location in each establishment will vary, they are not cookie cutter buildings, but a careful reading of reviews will help you to weed out any less than desirable rooms.

There are also several more in town hotels with great sea views from both rooms and public areas but they are one block back eg Continental, La Favorita, Regina, De La Ville etc etc.

To get a better idea of what it is like to stay in town why not use Google Streetview and have a "walk around" Sorrento yourself.

I do usually do that with any b&b's or hotels we are researching ! It does help get a "feel" for an area..

Thank you for the hotel location information. It is difficult sometimes to choose - and it just may be instinct !

I had not thought about the "noise" from the ferries when I asked about the Bristol ! We have stayed at "nice" locations only to find that the restaurant close by stayed open until 2 am !