I'm starting to organize our honeymoon to Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast for October and I'm having trouble deciding where to stay. The reviews for Il Nido are great, but it's a 10 minutes drive to the town centre. Would it be better to be closer to the town centre (e.g. easier access to transportation) or is Il Nido worth the extra 10 minutes to town?
Thanks!
I stayed at a fantastic little B&B called IL Roseto. It is about a 7 minute walk from the train station just outside the town center. Although it is not in the town center everything is within walking distance. I highly recommend it. The double rooms are large, clean and come with a private bathroom. The best part is the cost at 65 euro per night. It should be in Rick's book. Check it out on Tripadvisor.
We stayed at the La Tonaralla ; it had two balconies that looked down on Sorrento and out to the Mediterranean. The food there was mediocre, but the setting beautiful...breakfast is fine. We ate at a restaurant in Sorrento that was like a cave, but very exclusive. If you want to splurge, this is it. We also ate at the Marina down in the harbor....and were lucky enough to catch the bus back up to the top!!! If you have been there, you know what I mean.
We've stayed at hotel La Tonnarella 3 times because we love it so much. Lots of terraces, flowers everywhere, incredible views, a private beach with lounge chairs. We thought the restaurant and food was great, even natives come there for dinner, and when the weather's nice you can have dinner on their outdoor terrace. And we thought breakfast was exceptionally good, it's a large buffet with lots of choices (you can even get fresh squeezed OJ if you ask, although you do have to pay extra). The beds are good, we've stayed in several rooms, some with large bathrooms and some with small. I recommend paying extra for a room with a private terrace, but all the rooms are good. It's in Rick's Italy book. It's the perfect hotel for a honeymoon.
I would stay in town where you can walk to restaurants, etc. In July 2006 we spent 4 nights at Hotel Settimo Cielo (was in the R.S. bk) out on Via Capo and we would stay here again. It is above Marina Grande and we had a balcony with stunning views of the bay. There is a lovely rooftop pool overlooking the bay. We loved the energy of Sorrento and the evening passeggiata was huge here!
I would suggest staying within walking distance of town. You'll probably want to make a couple of trips a day into town -- to get to the bus or train or ferry for a day trip, for a drink in early evening, for the passegiatta, for dinner, etc. In between its nice to be able to go to your room to change, clean up, rest, etc. This is all a lot easier when you can walk instead of having to take a bus up the hill.
Also highly recommend eating at one of the restaurants along the water in Marina Piccola. Some restaurants put out tables right on the water's edge. Its casual eating in a striking location; wish I had found it on my 1st trip instead of the 2nd!
We have booked Hotel Settimo Ceilo for end of May. The name means Seventh Heaven and the pics on the site look great, so I hope it is true to it's name. It is 120 Euros/night...the most we have paid this trip for accommodations. It is in walking distance from town and right on the beach. It is in the RS Italy 2010 guidebook. Here's hoping!
A big no to Hotel Nice.
Thank you for all the suggestions! We just booked Il Nido for our honeymoon. After talking to the owner about the free shuttle service to town, we decided this was the best option for us. Soo excited!
