Grand Hotel Vesuvio

“A nice hotel in a stunning location but pool too cold to swim in and food disappointing”

The hotel is a short bus ride out of the centre which gets you out of the craziness and into calm. The view over the bay of Naples to Vesuvius is absolutely breathtaking and you get to view it from the dining room as well as from the front of the hotel. Don't plan on trying to walk- there are no p… more

The hotel is a short bus ride out of the centre which gets you out of the craziness and into calm. The view over the bay of Naples to Vesuvius is absolutely breathtaking and you get to view it from the dining room as well as from the front of the hotel. Don't plan on trying to walk- there are no pavements and you will be lucky to survive. The shuttle bus service is pretty good but stops for a break in the middle of the day. The pool is 25m long and would be suitable for proper swimming but it is unheated and was absolutely freezing in September. The rooms are spotless and the maid service is spot on, but we got a room without a view round the back. The ambiance of the hotel was great and the staff were very friendly and helpful. The continental Breakfast was fine and the food at the snack bar (or if you choose to take your half board meal at lunchtime) was pretty good. The food at dinner in the evenings was very disappointing (pasta ok, all meats overcooked, dry and tough as old boots) and we stopped going for the second half of our stay.

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“Underwhelmed”

We stayed at the Grand Hotel Vesuvio last week and had a nice time. You will see the reviews seem to vary wildly so here is my take on the hotel and what it has to offer. Firstly, the hotel is in a great location with spectacular views from the terrace across the bay to Vesuvius – a great place to … more

We stayed at the Grand Hotel Vesuvio last week and had a nice time. You will see the reviews seem to vary wildly so here is my take on the hotel and what it has to offer. Firstly, the hotel is in a great location with spectacular views from the terrace across the bay to Vesuvius – a great place to sit when the sun is shining and enjoy a coffee or glass of wine. It’s a twenty-minute walk into town and yes, the road is busy and for a good while there is no footpath but if you’re sensible it’s fine and a nice walk with again, great views. Me and my wife walked to and from the town many times (it’s about twenty minutes) without event. We occasionally used the shuttle bus but mostly we walked. The town of Sorrento is really buzzy with some good shops, cafes, bars and restaurants. We went into town most days and really enjoyed the atmosphere. There is a small bay area that you can see as you walk in that’s worth a visit for lunch and/or a glass of wine. It can be found by navigating some windy backstreets. The hotel communal spaces are good and kept clean and tidy. Our room was a decent size with a balcony. The view from the balcony wasn’t great but that was fine as we didn’t spend too much time in the room. The layout of the hotel isn’t well designed and the pool seems to be an after thought as it was not easy to find your way from the front of the hotel to the pool area. You need to find the pool lift and then make your way through a twisty and uninviting corridor The pool is large but the water was very cold the week we were there and many bathers could be heard commenting (complaining) on the temperature. There is a pool bar but again it seems to be an afterthought as it was tucked away in a dark corner and seemed to be sporadically staffed the week we were there. The hotel are missing an opportunity here as I am sure they would do more business if the bar was better presented and better staffed – you have to see it to know what I mean but it didn’t really sell itself as it might have done. And now for my really big issue with this hotel – the food. The food should be a big part of the hotel experience and, in a country that prides itself on its culinary heritage, to say this was a let-down is an understatement. Don’t get me wrong, you won’t starve, the food is edible but oh so disappointing. Our first night I ordered a chicken dish that sounded nice on the menu but I was presented with a bland piece of fried chicken accompanied by sliced carrots and small roasted potatoes. I have seen the term ‘school dinners’ used in other reviews and that’s exactly how it tasted and looked on the plate. On ordering dessert (Tarte Tatin) the waiting staff have this curious habit of chopping the nose off the slice so, once they have worked their way around the tart, they end up with a smaller tart in the middle. Why? What do they do with the middle bit I wonder. We ate in town for a number of nights and had some really nice food. The breakfasts were equally limited and uninspiring. So, in summary, would I go back to this hotel? Probably not. It wasn’t awful but just disappointing and underwhelming (esp the food). My advice to the hotel management team is to stop what you are doing, step back from your day to day and look around you. Ask yourselves, is this what you would expect from a 4* hotel and if the answer is no then ask yourself what you need to do to improve the hotel experience. It just makes good business sense.

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“Okay hotel let down by poor food”

The hotel is clean, the staff are great and friendly, the views are stunning. Unfortunately this hotel is hugely let down by very poor food. Breakfast and dinner are worse than you'd get in most 2 stars. The pool bars lunch menu is by far the best. It's not helped by being out of town and having to… more

The hotel is clean, the staff are great and friendly, the views are stunning. Unfortunately this hotel is hugely let down by very poor food. Breakfast and dinner are worse than you'd get in most 2 stars. The pool bars lunch menu is by far the best. It's not helped by being out of town and having to rely on either walking down (or up on the way back) winding roads with no paths or a shuttle bus that gets full very quickly. Taxis in and out of Sorrento are €30 each way (it takes 5 minutes) so not a great option either. We travelled with a 1 year old and the staff were fantastic with her. If the food improved we'd consider going back but not otherwise.

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