Robin G.
Yelp
This is definitely a 5-star experience at a 4-star hotel! We came here on our last leg of our 11-night Italian vacation in July 2017. We chose Amalfi for the view and the hotel for the location - and I'm so glad we did!
First, the hotel itself is super adorable. It's right on the edge of a cliff floating above the water, beautiful views are abundant. There's a wonderful pool on the roof, (recently renovated) with a pool bar complete with lounge chairs, umbrellas, towels and more. There was a steam room and a sauna up there too, but since it was July and about 100 degrees, we didn't investigate those too closely! The location itself is a double edged sword - it's right on the major road (barely any sidewalks) by a hairpin turn, making leaving/entering the hotel a bit of a dangerous game - BUT all rooms have ocean views because of it. The entrance is very subtle and we almost missed it when we first arrived; there's a small entry way with an elevator at street level, or stairs which lead to the main lobby/balcony/concierge area. The staff were super friendly, helpful, and definitely ready to serve!
When we checked in, we hadn't made any dinner reservations and once becoming aware of this, the staff were prompt to help us find something! We did feel they were trying to persuade us towards more 'high end' restaurants, but with our guidance they made a reservation for us without a problem....you should have seen their faces though - no reservations for Amalfi on a Saturday night in July?! The horror.
*Sidenote: we had no problem walking into restaurants without reservations on other nights when we tried this.
The location is ideal for those without a car - it's just far enough away from the tiny Amalfi town that you feel secluded, but within walking distance for a quick trip (even just for Gelato!). It's within seconds of the beach - I read a previous review about paying money to get on the beach, we didn't experience that - but we also didn't rent a chair. We paid about 10euro for an inflatable pool raft and took it out into the crystal clear ocean for a perfect afternoon.
The breakfast at the hotel is plentiful even for American standards - a buffet complete with fresh fruit, breads, pastries, meats, cheeses, yogurts, muesli, and some variation of a "main dish." There's also a breakfast menu to order eggs (we did this every day) anyway you choose, and they take your coffee order. Super friendly - and the views from the breakfast area are fantastic! Plus - big surprise - the coffee, the espresso in particular, is utterly sublime.
The room itself was comfortable - there appeared to be a pretty big variation between room styles, based on photos I saw on the internet, other travelers, etc. We booked a standard room ("Deluxe Double", I believe), and there was plenty of space. It was a queen bed with plenty of closet space, dresser, night tables, and outlets galore. The room was outfitted with American outlets (which is always amazing, although unexpected!) The bed could have been slightly more comfortable or plus (especially for the cost of the room), but I think the island as a whole, has a different standard of living. The bathroom was updated with a great rain shower, beautiful tile all over the room, and felt very clean. Our balcony felt private, even though we're right on a major road. It was wonderful waking up and sitting outside for a bit to catch the morning fog lift off the mountainside. Our room was a bit of a hike, we had about 3 mini staircases to walk up/down before reaching our quarters, not that I minded, but I would definitely mention if there were mobility issues before booking!
Overall, the hotel is really nice. We chose to stay in Amalfi for a slower-paced, less crowded vibe (in comparison to Positano), and that's definitely what we got. I can't speak about other hotels in the area, but this is definitely a good option for anyone looking for comfortable. As a guideline, probably best to book early- we booked in March for our July vacation and had trouble finding many hotels with availability.
*The Wifi was near-non-existent. Not sure if this was specific to our Hotel, because it seemed to be the general vibe of Amalfi that the wifi was utterly horrible - we even had to use the computer in the lobby to do flight check-in for our flights home (can you imagine!?) Major problem for anyone trying to check in with work/home while on vacation!