If you’ve been following my Instagram or Twitter recently, you may have noted that I’ve been on something of an Italian adventure over the last few weeks. Italy is one of my favourite parts of the world and it’s always been a dream of mine to visit the cities that dot the southern coast – so when the opportunity (and time) arose in late June, Sion and I jetted off to explore.
Sorrento was my main focus, as I’d been pouring over pictures of the city on Pinterest for quite some time, however we made the decision to spend a couple of days either side in Naples – as I’d read some reviews online about how the city is often overlooked and a ‘hidden gem’ – and since we flew into their local airport anyway, it made sense to break up the journey a bit.
I’ll be posting about my time in Naples (including lots of pictures of the pizzas, don’t you worry) in different instalments over the next few weeks but I wanted to give particular attention and devote an entire post each to the hotels we stayed in, as they were both so spectacular that simply mentioning them in passing just wouldn’t do them justice.
The first of the two, which we stayed in both at the beginning and the end of our trip was the Palazzo Caracciolo Napoli, part of the M Gallery collection – a stunning compilation of assured quality (and luxury) hotels across the world. I’ve previously reviewed another hotel of theirs in Italy, the Hotel Papadopoli in Venice (post here) and the Francis Hotel in Bath (post here). Rather than a chain of cookie-cutter hotels, each one is boutique and completely unique – however the fact they’re all under the same umbrella means that you are assured the same level of service, standard and luxury. We’ve never had a bad experience and this one was another incredible stay!
Located conveniently near to the Garibaldi Napoli main station (which you’ll need to get to Sorrento), the hotel impressed us on every level. We arrived rather early, as our flight was at 3am – yet they still managed to accommodate us and give us a room so that we could freshen up and have a nap before exploring the city. The exterior of the hotel made quite an impression with us, a grand facade with flags and beautiful old windows – however it was nothing in comparison to the interior.
The main reception is light, bright, modern and airy with white wash walls and bright pink lounger sofas. I wish I’d taken a picture of these but whenever I tried to take a snap, there was always someone sitting in there (a credit to how popular the hotel was – there was always a queue of people checking in). The main breakfast and ‘dining room’ is located in the arches cloisters courtyard, which I believe used to be a former luxury residence for the Caracciolo family. It’s quite breathtaking and makes for a lovely location for a meal!
Our room, number 136 – which we stayed in on both occasions – is honestly one of my favourite hotel rooms that I’ve ever seen! Based over two floors, with high ceilings, luxurious modern white decor and a huge sash window overlooking the street – it was a really welcoming and comforting place to stay in the hustle and bustle of Naples (more on that in another post). There are some hotels that feel too pretentious and a little daunting (so much so that you don’t even want to put your bag down out of fear you might break something) however this room felt like a real ‘home from home’ and I could have happily stayed there longer.
Wifi was included within the stay, which although might seem an odd thing to write about – you’d be surprised at the number of hotels in this day and age that actually charge extra for wifi use. When you’re constantly updating social media with Italian adventure updates, this is definitely a necessity and something we appreciated!
Overall, we had a bit of a questionable experience in Naples altogether (more on this in a further post) so having this hotel to come back to was a sigh of relief and a real comfort to us. We were made to feel welcome from the very beginning and the little touches they offer – such as a bowl of sweets and a slip with tomorrow’s weather before bed (usually the soaring temperatures are rather exciting to look forward to) – really make this hotel stand out from any other I’ve stayed in before. If you’re in the area, this is definitely a place to look into as we had a thoroughly enjoyable stay!
Rooms start at £56 per night, please visit their website here for more information.
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Our stay was provided by the hotel on a complimentary bed & breakfast basis, however as always my views and opinions are my own and are in no way affected by this. I would always tell you if something wasn’t right (and there have been several occasions where a review hasn’t gone to plan and I’ve told you) and I’d never compromise my integrity or honesty!
