As someone who spends far too much time on Pinterest, pouring over pictures of beautiful places in the world – Sorrento, in Italy – very nearly had it’s own ‘board’ entirely on my profile. Set in the cliff-face, overlooking the bay of Naples and the gorgeous (but infamous) Mount Vesuvius, with glitteringly blue water and floral decorations to rival the Chelsea Flower show, the southern city meets the requirements of the most popular ‘pins’ and so when Sion and I booked a trip, I couldn’t wait to see if the surroundings lived up to the stunning pictures I’d seen.
I’d pleased to confirm that it met our expectations and even surpassed them in some aspects, one of which being our hotel – the gorgeous five-star Grand La Favorita which you may have seen me posting about on Instagram. In a fantastic location – within walking distance of the main areas (such as the Marina Grande and the square) in addition to picturesque sea views, almost instantaneously we knew that we were going to be in for a real treat.
With a gorgeous pastel yellow facade (complimented by the lemon trees they have growing in the grounds), flower laden balconies and marble staircases, the hotel oozes luxury – without feeling too pretentious or unwelcoming. The hotel lobby is a piece of art in itself, a mix of quirky brightly coloured furniture, white wash walls, traditional tiled flooring and statues.
The friendly staff at check-in were extremely thorough in providing information about the local area, breakfast and the hotel itself – which we found really helpful, as when you’re in a new (albeit very beautiful) place, it can often feel quite overwhelming and daunting, with so many places to see and no real plan or direction. In addition to our room key and ‘fresh towel card’ (which we could use daily at the hotel’s roof-top pool – yes, more on this later), we were also given a ‘welcome drink’ token for two glasses of prosecco and a discount voucher at a fresh fish restaurant less than 100m from the hotel.
We were escorted up to our room – the incredible 305, which was absolutely enormous in size (something we weren’t expecting as usually european hotel rooms tend to be rather poky) and had a gorgeous balcony overlooking a pool and of course, the sea! A modern mix of traditional Italian decor and luxurious hotel comforts, we had no trouble making ourselves at home.
I mean, just look at that stunning view!
Every inch of the hotel was Pinterest-worthy, it certainly didn’t disappoint!
Especially the showpiece – the roof-top pool, where we spent the majority of our days, sipping virgin strawberry daiquiris and topping up our tans, returning in the evenings to watch the beautiful sunset.
Although Sorrento is a beautiful city with lots to explore in itself, we were very grateful of the pool during the day as walking around in the searing heat is fun at first, but tiring – and a holiday is about relaxing after all!
The staff at the hotel worked tirelessly to make sure every guests stay was as special as possible – highlighted even by the lifeguard who came running out with fresh towels every time we visited the pool and even turned around the umbrella to ensure we stayed in the shade (and didn’t leave with reddened, sun burned faces) at certain intervals. You could order drinks at the bar to be delivered to your sun lounger (a luxury I could very easily get used to) and if you fancied something a little more filling, club sandwiches and panini’s were served just steps away at the terrace cafe.
As a whole, it provided the perfect relaxing and chilled base for our stay, setting the tone of our time there and ensuring we always had somewhere lovely to ‘come home to’. Wifi was provided free of charge, the breakfast spread (especially the pastries – white chocolate nutella tarts, anyone?) was incredible and when it came to checking out, I was extremely tempted to ask if they had any availability for another night’s stay. Location wise, if you’re looking to spend time at the beach – the hotel is just minutes away from the in-cliff lift (a rather cool but scary experience) and an abundance of delightful restaurants. The station is a 10 minute walk away and if you’re looking to take the boat to Capri (or beyond), this is again just a short stroll ahead.
If you’re in Sorrento, or planning a trip – I’d wholeheartedly recommend considering Grand Hotel La Favorita for your stay, as I honestly couldn’t fault it and it made our time there so special. Popular for honeymooners (there were a few at the hotel during our stay), it’s a gorgeous place for a romantic break – or a girly getaway, so if you do want a luxurious (yet welcoming) place to call home, this is it.
Rooms start at £300 a night during peak season, please refer to their website for further details.
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Our stay was kindly provided on a complimentary basis, however as always this would never affect my opinions and if there was something I didn’t like, you’d be the first to know. I’d never compromise my integrity or views because of this and if you’re a long term reader, I’m sure you’ll know that there have been several places I’ve stayed on a review basis, hated – and told you exactly why. This hotel was absolutely beautiful in every way (as I’m sure you can see from the pictures) and I would very happily stay here again.