Grand Hotel Capodimonte

We stayed at this hotel from June 9–13, drawn in by the promise of a deluxe room and those iconic Naples Bay + Mount Vesuvius views. The Good: The room was spotless. The semi-dated bathroom? Functional with a nostalgic ‘70s flair. But the view—wow. Picture Mount Vesuvius brooding in the distance, Naples Bay shimmering below. Mornings were warm, evenings were cool, and our balcony felt like the Italian dream… until we tried to get coffee (more on that trauma later). The Bad: We arrived after our Napoli taxi broke down three times. We mentioned this to the hotel staff on arrival—no sympathy, no welcome drink, not even a pity nod. Just a cold scan of the passports, a heavy metal key straight out of a medieval prison, and a vague finger point to the elevators. That’s it. No info about pools, gyms, restaurants—just bad vibes and confusion. We asked daily to bring coffee upstairs (once in the breakfast restaurant area) to enjoy the view we paid extra for. The staff treated this simple request like we asked them to roast the beans on Mount Etna. On the final day, a man literally appeared with two sad, cold coffees—no sugar, no tray, just the quiet shame of a failed experience. Need help calling a taxi? Reception acts like you’re interrupting their nap. On the phone, they cut you off mid-sentence. In person, they hit you with the “did this tourist just speak whale?” face. The Food (aka The Culinary Crimes): This was the only pizza in all of Italy I’ve actively disliked—and I’ve spent weeks here. The crust was limp and barely baked, the sauce gave me acid reflux (a first for me in Italy), and the Parma ham looked like it had already given up. The melon? Warm. And somehow they expected us to enjoy this crime against cuisine outside, in the heat, like dehydrated lizards nibbling meat jelly. Absolutely not. The Ugly: Ice. Is. A. Whole. Mission. No ice machines. No buckets in-room. Want some cubes? You better earn them. Buy a drink or pay room service. One day, my wife got ice from the bar—victory!—until she found a short, curly surprise floating in it. A free souvenir, courtesy of the bucket of horrors. To their credit, we did encounter two genuinely kind staff members: a housekeeper and a bartender. May their paychecks be large and their coworkers replaced. Final Verdict: If you’re into stunning views, silent staff, soggy pizza, and surprise pubes, this place is chef’s kiss. Otherwise, book elsewhere. Or bring your own barista, cooler, and therapist. ⭐️⭐️ (One star for the view, one for the housekeeper. Everything else? Yikes.)

Wow! What a stunning location with breathtaking views of Sorrento and the Almalfi coastline. An unbeatable location, being just a ten minute walk to the centre of town, this property also provides parking (should you have a car) at just 25 euros. We were staying for our anniversary, and the hotel kindly provided a bottle of Prosecco on the house which was such a nice touch to our stay. We also had a beautiful room on a high level, facing the town and coastline with a Juliette balcony (Which we highly recommend requesting for anyone booking) The staff are all very friendly and accommodating, (especially the ground floor, car parking staff) and our room was spacious, large and modern. Check in was fast (and also check out) and the hotel is easy to navigate around. The pool area is beautiful and probably the main feature of this stunning hotel. It boasts 5 different levels of pools, all overlooking Sorrento and the coast line. There is also a bar and snack area there which is convenient to order drinks and enjoy while relaxing in the pools. We didn’t dine at the hotel, as we only stayed the one night, however there are several restaurant options which the hotel can conveniently book for you. Breakfast overlooks the city with a stunning spot chosen for it. There are so many options (Including an egg station making fresh omelettes on request) and the food is all fresh and delicious. Overall we had an incredible stay celebrating our anniversary. The price is high to stay here, but this is the same for anywhere on the Almalfi coast, and it is really worth it for the location. We would definitely stay here again.

The staff was very welcoming. Our room was lovely and spacious with a balcony with a great view of the ocean. Location was great and a quick walk to town. Breakfast was outdoors on the balcony with a fabulous view. The pool area was nice but too chilly to take advantage of during our stay

Lovely hotel and close (walkable and relatively flat) to city center-rooms are well appointed and service was very helpful. Staff were very helpful and patient with planning excursions (for 5 people) and providing transfers, towels, directions, recommendations, etc. There is one pool—it has five levels so does have some spots that are a bit more private than everyone hanging around the edges! It is a walk from the main building of the hotel, has bar and towel service and a restaurant poolside-note that the pool closes at 7pm. Not sure if this is accessible for persons with mobility issues—there are a few flights of stairs to climb to get to the pool. We had a junior suite which was quite spacious and a nice balcony with a partial sea view. Comfortable King bed with premium linens-not the brick mattresses you find in Europe at other hotels. The balcony is over a fairly busy street but it’s Europe and what you may expect in an area like Sorrento. Second room was a regular room, much smaller, clean, with a garden view and a small balcony. Entire property is quiet in the evening which is nice. All in all, lovely place and great stay—it is a luxury tourist hotel—the staff spoke multiple languages and communication was easy with everyone there. Another treat was that the A/C in your room continues to work without having to put your room key in! Do not leave the balcony door open or unlocked because it will not work if you do. You will only get one key to your room and you have to plug it in for the electricity. You can leave your key at the front desk if multiple people need access to the room. The only thing that left me less than impressed was the food—breakfast was very much an American “Sysco” breakfast even though it was plentiful—an omelette station was the extent of customization. We had lunch by the pool one day and it left much to be desired as well. Overall, a lovely stay but you will find off property food options better. Sorrento caters to tourists—from hotels to restaurants to shopping—it is what the locals do to be able to live in such a beautiful place year round. The enter area is relatively expensive but you also expect that when traveling there. There are a few hidden gems in the area worth exploring if you’re willing to get off the beaten path—Bagni Della Regina Giovanna on the edge of town is totally worth the trip and the walk down and climb out. Take a boat to see the area from the water—totally different perspective and the water is amazing-have them take you to the different grottos nearby not just to Capri. Check out the Sunset view from the street above La Colonna Sunset Bar via Aniello Califano….no reservation needed to view from there and it’s free. Not too many free things in Europe but the views and experience are worth the hassles! Another tip—do not pack just for the temperature—when they say bring a hat and sunscreen, believe them. The sun is brutal and relentless—little shade as well and already very hot this time of year.