There was, until recently, a distinct gap in the Neapolitan hotel market between the up-market and the run-down. Now, however, there are some good mid-range hotels around, often in attractive old buildings. Prices are cheaper in Naples than in most of the rest of Italy and there are some veritable bargains to be had. The Centro Storico has some interesting, but well-hidden, hotels, while those in Santa Lucia tend to be more luxurious and swanky. Cheap-but-central options are generally around the noisy corso Umberto I and piazza Garibaldi area and there are also plenty of quieter, but less convenient places further out in Chiaia, Mergellina, Posillipo and Vomero. Outside the city there is more choice but prices are higher, especially in places like Capri and Positano. You could try renting an apartment or finding a bed and breakfast room (see Rent a Bed, opposite). Bear in mind that outside the city (especially on the islands) places may not be open all year round, particularly between November and March and will be busy in the summer so booking is advisable. Rent a Bed, vico Sergente Maggiore 16, Naples. T/F 081-417721, http://www.rentabed.com This useful and efficient service books apartments and bed and breakfasts in private houses in the Naples area. It’s especially comprehensive for the city of Naples itself, where some rooms are available in attractive old palazzi, though you often have to share a bathroom. They can also book hotels. Staff speak English and rooms can also be booked from the English-language website. Prices start at €21 per person per night. Santa LuciaLL Excelsior, via Partenope 48, T 081-7640111, F 081-7649743. Opposite Castel dell’Ovo and near the junction with via Santa Lucia. One of the city’s most elegant and luxurious hotels, the Excelsior comes complete with chandeliers, Persian rugs and large quantities of marble. Rooms away from the seaward side have been recently refurbished. All the rooms are very generously sized. Those facing the sea retain a more antique feel and the balconies have superb views, but, like all hotels along this stretch, are far from quiet. The restaurant is on an attractive roof terrace. LL Santa Lucia, via Partenope 46, T 081-7640666 F 081-7648580. Opposite Castel dell’Ovo and the other side of the junction with via Santa Lucia from Excelsior. This five-star Grand Hotel is indeed very grand, with excellent views from its Liberty-style rooms of the Bay, the Castel dell’Ovo and borgo Marinaro, the restaurant-filled marina it faces. Its staff are, of course, impeccably attentive and its Partenope Suite is spectacular. Paintings, statues and mirrors abound and there’s a roof-garden pool. A Miramare, via N Sauro 24, T 081-7647589, F 081-7640775. The 1914 art nouveau-style Miramare is a charming alternative to its more expensive neighbours. The roof terrace has beautiful views and is an excellent spot for the buffet breakfast. The rooms are elegantly decorated and have balconies and generous bathrooms. Even the lift is eminently stylish. B Rex, via Palepoli 12, T 081-7649389, F 081-7649227, http://www.hotel-rex.it Off via Gen. G Orsini. Slightly back from the seafront, Rex is nevertheless a very pleasant hotel in an excellent position. Service is affable and efficient and the décor is sober but reasonably stylish. Rooms have balconies, a/c and some bathrooms are large and have actual baths. B Chiaja Hotel de Charme, via Chiaia 216 (1st floor), T 081-415555, F 081-422344, http://www.hotelchiaia.it On the right, a short walk up from piazza del Plebiscito. Selling themselves on the fact that this was the villa of Marquis Nicola Lecaldano Sasso III, this is certainly a hotel of some style, fitted out with antique furnishings and with excellent service. What it lacks in views it makes up for in creature comforts, from satellite TV to jacuzzis and it’s about as central as it is possible to be. Centro StoricoB Caravaggio, piazza Riario Sforza 157, T 081-2110066, F 081-4421578, http://www.caravaggiohotel.it This new hotel (opened in December 2001) is a nice mix of old and new. All the rooms have at least some remnants of the building’s 17th-century origins, be it exposed beams or parts of ancient arches, though the overall refurbishment is essentially modern. Rooms have all the facilities you’d expect from a four-star hotel though the bathrooms are rather small and have showers rather than baths. With just 11 rooms it’s cosy feel and staff are amiable. B Neapolis, via Francesco del Guidice 13, T 081-4420815, F 081-4420819 http://www.hotelneapolis.com Just off piazza Pietra-Santa. All rooms in this smart terracotta- tiled hotel have computers and some have balconies with views up to the Certosa di San Martino. Rooms are spacious and staff are very willing to help. The breakfast room is rather dark. C Europeo, via Mezzocannone 109/c, T/F 081-5517254. Not far from corso Umberto I and opposite the University. This friendly little hotel has a distinct college feel to it. It’s right in the liveliest part of the Centro Storico and though some rooms are on the small side all are well-kept and have en-suite bathrooms. C Sansevero, Albergo Sansevero, via Santa Maria di Constantinopoli 101, T 081-210907, F 081-211698, http://www.albergosansevero.it Just north of piazza Bellini. As all are in antique palazzi, this hotel (and Sansevero Degas and Soggiorno Sansevero, see below) are not allowed signs outside, so you’ll need to find their bells beside the doors. This is one of a group of three hotels all in fairly close proximity in the heart of the Centro Storico. All offer nicely furnished, large rooms in handsome old palazzi at a very good price. All are on, or just off, Naples’ most pleasant piazzas. Many rooms have balconies with attractive views, and most have en-suite bathrooms. Well-placed for transport links. In the Albergo Sansevero breakfast is served in the bar downstairs. C Sansevero Degas, Albergo Sansevero Degas, calata Trinità Maggiore 53 (piazza del Gesù), T 081-5511276. This is the second of a group of three hotels (see Albergo Sansevero above). Albergo Sansevero Degas is on piazza del Gesù, which can get quite noisy in the evenings, especially at weekends. C Soggiorno Sansevero, Soggiorno Sansevero, piazza San Domenico Maggiore 9 (Palazzo Sansevero), T 081-5515742. On the eastern side of the piazza. The last of a group of three hotels (see Albergo Sansevero), in an attractive old building. D Albergo Bellini, via San Paolo 44, T 081-456996, F 081- 292256, http://www.export.it/hotelbellini In a quiet side street north off via dei Tribunali. This small, friendly, good-value hotel has a 1960s feel and is popular with travellers. Rooms are a reasonable size, beds are big andhave good bathrooms. The hotel is very conveniently near the centre of the Centro Storico. D Hotel Duomo, via Duomo 228, T 081-265988. Just north of San Gregorio Maggiore. This welcoming little place is a bit dingy at present, though the owners have great plans to improve it. All rooms face the inner courtyard and so are quiet, despite being on via Duomo. It’s well-placed and cheap. E Imperia, piazza Luigi Miraglia 386, T/F 081-459347. Just west of piazza Bellini. Basic but very conveniently located, the fourth-floor Imperia has a kitchen for communal use and an amiable hostel atmosphere. One room has en-suite bathroom. Via Toledo and the Quartieri SpagnoliA Hotel Convento, via Speranzella 137/A, T 081-403977, F 081-400332, http://www.hotelilconvento.com From via Toledo take via Tre Re a Toledo. A well-restored 16th-century building. Very welcoming and fitted out with old, dark furniture, the place has a homely feel, though if you’re unlucky you may get a cupid reproduction above your bed. All rooms have a/c and en- suite bathrooms. Some have baths and two rooms are specially designed for disabled users. The two suites at the top each have their own private roof garden and there is a family room with a mezzanine kids’ floor. B Hotel Toledo, via Montecalvario, 15, T 081-406800, F 081-406871. Directly off via Toledo. Pleasantly renovated (though the pictures in some rooms may not be to everyone’s taste) this hotel is set far enough back from via Toledo to be reasonably quiet and still very central. Mod cons include satellite TV, radio, safes, a/c, en-suite bathrooms, free internet use and mini-bars. There is also a roof terrace with views over the Quartieri Spagnoli. C Napolit’amo, via Toledo 148, T/F 081-5523626, http://www.napolitamo.it Right on via Toledo itself, just north of the Municipio. The hotel is not signposted from outside the palazzo and the name on the bell (to the right of the door) is ‘Centro Turistisco’. In the handsome Palazzo Tocco di Montemiletto (once home to the prince of the same name) this is an excellent, family-run option. The large sunny rooms have high ceilings and many have balconies over the pedestrianized shopping street below. If you’re lucky enough to get the room on the corner, it has two sets of large windows. Staff are friendly and helpful. Breakfast is at the bar downstairs. There is free internet access and a garage. E Albergo Spezia, 2 entrances, via Montecalvario, 41, and vico Santa Maria delle Grazie a Toledo, 2, T 081-407767. This conveniently situated but rather run-down hotel, just back from via Toledo (and hence potentially a little noisy), has good old rooms, some of them quite big. Though rooms have basins, none has a bathroom and some of communal bathrooms are poky. G Messina, vico Luperano 7, T 081-5499958. Just north of piazza Dante, off via E Pessina to the left. You would have to be very unfussy to want to stay here. It’s not very friendly and has a minimum of facilities. Having said that, it is about the cheapest place in town, cheaper even than the youth hostel, and all rooms have basins and big beds. It’s not badly placed either, near the Museo and piazza Dante, though in rather a dark street. Corso Umberto I and aroundB Hotel Suite Esedra, via Cantani 12, T/F 081-5537087. Just off Corso Umberto I, directly south of the Ospedale Ascalesi. A tall, thin hotel, very convenient for the Centro Storico, as well as the central station. Though the surrounding area lacks the feel of the centre itself, inside a warm and more than averagely sophisticated atmosphere pervades the place. Small but well-equipped rooms, almost all with balconies, are decorated with frescoes (modern copies of old paintings), and a suite on the top floor has a roof terrace and pool. All rooms have a/c, bathrooms and TV. B Nuovo Rebecchino, corso Garibaldi 356, T 081-35327, F 081-268026, http://www.napleshotels.it/nuovorebecchino Just south of piazza Principe Umberto. Smart and efficient, the Nuovo Rebecchino claims about two-thirds of its clientele are tourists though it feels a bit like a conference hotel. Nevertheless, rooms are large, well-equipped and quiet if not especially cosy. B Prati, via Cesare Rosarollo 4, T 081-268898, F 081-5541802. On road leading northwest off piazza Principe Umberto. Far enough from piazza Garibaldi to feel civilized and decidedly less run-down, near enough to be convenient for transport links, the Prati has a disorganized and worn around the edges air but this is more than made up for by the eager and friendly service. Rooms are plain but there is a small roof terrace with views of sorts (between buildings) of Vesuvius, the sea and San Martino. Some rooms have terraces, others have balconies facing the street. C Gallo, via S Spaventa 11, T 081-200512, F 081-201849. On a street just off the southern side of piazza Garibaldi. Clean and reasonably good value, this hotel has a slightly dated and uninspiring décor, rather reminiscent of Fawlty Towers. Rooms at least have bathrooms, TV and telephone. C Ideal, piazza Garibaldi 99, T 081-269237, F 081-285942, http://www.albergoideal.it On the southern side of the piazza. One of the best options on the piazza, Hotel Ideal is welcoming, clean and simple without being too plain. All rooms have bathrooms with baths. Most also have balconies, though the views are hardly picturesque. Staff speak unusually good English. C Tirreno, via G Pica, 20/22, T 081-5539277, F 081-5548752, http://www.hoteltirreno.com South of piazza Garibaldi and east of via Garibaldi. This hotel has friendly and professional staff and large, pleasant rooms with enormous beds. It’s a block back from the piazza, which makes it quieter, though unfortunately no more salubrious. Rooms have a/c, bathrooms and TV. D Nettuno, via Sedile di Porto 9, T 081-5510193. Northwest of piazza G Bovio. Basic but clean, the Nettuno has big beds and a bar in progress at the time of writing. Décor is fairly nastily modern, however, and though the position is good for sights the immediate area is less than exciting. D Odeon, via S Spaventa 29, T 081-285656. On a street just off the southern side of piazza Garibaldi. All rooms here have bathrooms and TV and it’s set far enough back from the piazza to be comparatively quiet. It has a rather hectic feel though, and there are other better budget options nearby. E Eden, corso Novara 9, T 081-285344. On the road off the northeast corner of piazza Garibaldi. You get a warm welcome at this traveller-friendly hotel. The 45 rooms are basic but all have bathrooms. External rooms have limited views, internal ones are quieter. Many are generously large. F Aurora, piazza Garibaldi 60, T/F 081-201920. Between via Torino and via Milano on the north side of piazza Garibaldi. Unhelpful but very cheap, this small hotel offers little in the way of facilities or service. Some rooms are en-suite and have views over the building site that is currently piazza Garibaldi. F Clara, via San Biagio ai Taffettanari 7, T 081-5540104. On a reasonably quiet street one back from corso Umberto I, just west of piazza N Amore. This plain and simple pensione is nothing exceptional but is clean and very good value for money. Three of the 11 rooms are en-suite. La Sanità and CapodimonteA Villa Capodimonte, via Moiariello 66, T 081-459000, F 081-299344, villacap@tin.it Up on the hill near Capodimonte itself, southeast of the Palazzo Reale. This modern hotel (built in 1995) has a refined air which sets it apart from much of the competition down below in the city. Excellent views and gardens just about make up for its distance from the centre. B Real Orto Botanico, via Foria 192, T 081-4421528, F 081-4421346, http://www.hotelcavournapoli.it South of botanical gardens. This new hotel (it opened in 2001) has views of the botanical gardens from its own roof garden. Tastefully decorated in beige and pale olive green, what it lacks in antique character it makes up for in immaculate cleanliness and efficiency. The double glazing does a good job of keeping out the noise of via Foria and most rooms have sofas and desks as well as heating and a/c. Breakfast is a generous buffet affair, and overall it’s good value. Chiaia, Mergellina and PosillipoA Majestic, largo Vast a Chiaia 68, T 081-416500, F 081-410145, http://www.majestic.it Just east of via G Carducci and north of piazza G Amendola. This large hotel is slightly orientated towards a business clientele, but is still a good place to stay. Well- located, it has very efficient and friendly service. Rooms on the top floors have good views over the rooftops of Chiaia to the Bay. It has all the facilities you would expect of a four-star hotel, from baby-sitting and a/c to internet provision. B Ausonia, via Caracciolo 11, T/F 081-682278. Right opposite the Mergellina hydrofoil port, and south of piazza J Sannazzaro. Handy for access to the islands, each room is accordingly given a nautical theme, complete with portholes and ship’s tiller headboards, which may or may not appeal. Rooms all have bathrooms, heating, a/c and TV. The hotel faces the inner courtyard of a palazzo, meaning the rooms are quiet but don’t have great views. B Canada, via Mergellina 43, T 081-680952, F 081-5785417. Just south of piazzetta Leone a Mergellina. A fair way from the centre, but near bus, tram and funicular routes, some of the rooms here have excellent views over the marina of Mergellina and the bay beyond. The area has a good supply of bars, restaurants and gelaterie and it’s also a convenient location for catching hydrofoils to the islands. Service can be unfriendly. B Pinto Storey, via G Martucci 72, T 081-681260, F 081-667536. North of Villa Pignatelli, south of piazza Amadeo. In the same building as the Pensione Ruggiero, and therefore very convenient, this pleasantly decorated hotel has a worn old-fashioned feel. Its staff can be decidedly unhelpful, however. All rooms have fans and some have a/c. All have TVs and safes. Bus and train tickets are available from reception. C Pensione Ruggiero, via G Martucci 72, T 081-7612460, F 081-663536, hotelrug@libero.it North of Villa Pignatelli, south of piazza Amadeo. This welcoming hotel, spread over two floors (reception is upstairs), is excellently positioned in an attractive building in the middle of Chiaia. Rooms are simple but clean, and all but one have bathrooms. Some have views of the piazza. There is an enormous TV in the lounge area. C Crispi, via F Crispi 104, T/F 081-668048. This no-frills hotel is not in a bad position and is clean and relatively cheap. Don’t expect any smiles though. Most ‘double beds’ are in fact two singles pushed together. All rooms have bathrooms. D Le Fontane al Mare, via N Tommaseo 14, T 081-7643470. On the seafront between Castel dell'Ovo and the Villa Comunale. This fourth-floor hotel has a creaky and slightly decrepit kind of charm. Small balconies and a breakfast room have views over the seafront and left to the castle. Some rooms are en-suite. The advertised ‘Distinguished hospitality’ may be a letdown, however. F Ostello Mergellina, salita della Grotta a Piedigrotta 23, T 081-7612346, F 081-7612391. Come out of Mergellina Metro station, turn right, right again under the railway bridge, and right again up a switchback road. Naples’ youth hostel is hardly in the best area of town, but it’s relatively safe, and it’s not far from the buzzing marina area of Mergellina. It’s also right behind the mainline Mergellina train station (also a metro station) and so not at all badly connected. The hostel is clean and friendly and has double rooms as well as family rooms and dormitories, almost all with bathrooms. It’s closed between 0030 and 0630. VomeroL Grand Hotel Parker’s, corso V Emanuele 135, T 081-7612474, F 081-663527, http://www.grandhotelparkers.it One of Naples’ oldest hotels, Parker’s is a grand five-star hotel overlooking Chiaia and the Bay. That is unless you get a room facing the sheer rock face behind the hotel. Some of the luxuriousness has worn a little thin in places but the piano bar and roof terrace are a spectacular place to have breakfast, dinner or just a drink. A Britannique, corso V Emanuele 133, T 081-7614145, F 081-660457. The Britannique has many fans, and past visitors include Ibsen, Harold Macmillan and George Bernard Shaw. There’s a garden with palm trees, excellent views and Empire-style furniture. The ‘unaltered beauty of times past’ the hotel purports to embody, however, seems a little less charming than it should, perhaps because of the conference facilities, or perhaps because it’s all just a bit too British. C Belvedere, via T Angelini 51/55, T 081-5788169, F 081-5785417. On a street leading northwest from Museo Certosa di San Martino and opposite Castel Sant’Elmo. High above the city, just across the road from the Castel Sant’Elmo the chief selling point of this hotel is, unsurprisingly, its views. Rooms are modern and fairly characterless and bathrooms are pokey but there’s a garden with lemon trees and balconies that look spectacularly across the rooftops of the city to Vesuvius. PozzuoliG Campeggio Internazionale Vulcano Solfatara, via Solfatara 161, Pozzuoli, T 081-5267413, F 081-5263482, http://www.solfatara.it The nearest campsite to Naples’ city centre, the 152 bus passes by just outside the gates. Right inside an ex-volcanic crater, which still bubbles and hisses away through the trees. Apart from the possibility of the occasional whiff of sulphur drifting over, you wouldn’t really know, however, and this is a very green and pleasant place to stay. There is a swimming pool and restaurant and it’s also possible to rent bungalows with two, three or four beds. SorrentoSTS Travel (piazza Tasso 3, T 081-8072433, F 081-8771755, http://www.syrene.it/scenictravel) has an enormous selection of brochures and can make bookings for Sorrento’s myriad hotels. L Excelsior Vittoria, piazza Tasso 34, T 081-8071044, F 081-8771206, http://www.excelsiorvittoria.com Right in the heart of town: you can walk from piazza Tasso through the hotel's orange-tree filled park, past the outdoor swimming pool to reach it. Almost all the rooms of Sorrento’s five-star hotel have balconies, and most of them overlook the sea. The hotel is extremely elegantly furnished, there is a grand dining room with a frescoed ceiling and a large terrace with great views across the bay to Vesuvius. There’s a 10-15% discount for low season. B Villa di Sorrento, piazza Tasso/viale Caruso, T 081-8781068, F 081-8072679, info@belmaretravel.com Just to the south of Sorrento's main square. This amicable hotel is excellently placed. All rooms have a/c and terraces or balconies, though views are not spectacular. All have good bathrooms though some are small. D Astoria, via Santa Maria delle Grazie 24, T 081-8074030, F 081-8071208. In a quiet street in the old part of town. An ideally placed and good-value, though slightly characterless, hotel. All rooms have bathrooms though they are rather pokey. There is a garden, which some rooms overlook. CapriLL Capri Palace, via Capodimonte 2b, Anacapri, T 081-978011, http://www.capri-palace.com The Capri Palace benefits from its slightly detached position on Anacapri. Less ostentatious and brash than competitors despite its situation on the site of one of Emperor Augustus’s palaces, it is elegantly bedecked in whites, golds and international celebrities. Some suites have private hanging gardens and pools. Transfers or excursions by helicopter available on request. LL Capri, via Roma 71, Capri Town, T 081-8370003, F 081-8378913, http://www.htlcapri.it The Capri has a slightly self-conscious air of faded grandeur to match its faded pink façade. Service is relaxed and all but four rooms have a sea view. The large restaurant downstairs is suitably grand. A Belsito, via Matermania 9/11, T 081-8378750, F 081-8376622, http://www.hotelbelsito.com In an attractive wine and white painted 18th-century building just outside CapriTown with a great view, the friendly Belsito has bright rooms with balconies, a tree-shaded terrace and a decent restaurant with pizzas from a wood-fired oven and homemade pasta. Prices drop considerably out of season. B La Prora, via Castello 6, T/F 081-8370281. On an attractive and quiet road, halfway between the piazzetta and the Belvedere Cannone. ‘La Prora’ means the bow of a ship, and the hotel does indeed stick out bow-like towards the sea. Though single rooms are cramped, on the whole this small, newly redecorated hotel is a joy to be in, and exceptionally friendly. From some balconies you can, on a clear day, see everything from Ischia to Vesuvius. A Gatto Blanco, via V Emanuele 36/60, T 081-8370203, F 081-8378060. A good, gay-friendly option: a small hotel in a quiet area but with decent views. C Villa Eva, via La Fabbrica 8, T/F 081-8372040, http://www.caprionline.com/villaeva Between Anacapri and the Grotta Azzurra. This good-value and easy going establishment has a swimming pool and is surrounded by greenery. D La Reginella, via Matermania 36, T/F 081-8370500, lreginella@libero.it In the hills and terraces above Capri Town. This hotel has a great breakfast terrace with excellent views down the coast towards Marina Piccola. Views from the rooms are generally less spectacular. All rooms have bathrooms and some have baths. IschiaA Park Hotel Miramare, Giardini Termali Aphrodite Apollon, Sant’Angelo d’Ischia, T 081-999219, http://www.hotelmiramare.it The main attraction of this four star hotel are its thermal baths to which guests have free access. Rooms also have good sea views, breakfast is on an attractive terrace and service
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