Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Vesuviano and Santa Lucia along the waterfront Via Partenope, charging upwards
of
€
300 a night. But the farther from the waterfront you go, the better deal you'll
find.
High season
in Naples and the Amalfi Coast begins at Easter and runs
through September. Many smaller hotels are actually closed (especially on the
islands) for the rest of the year, with a handful opening at Christmas time.
€€
The best deal in the historical center of Naples is one of a trio of hotels all
using the name
Sansevero
(www.albergosansevero.it). These distinct properties
all start at
€
95 a night for a double including breakfast, and are tucked inside
some of the city center's most exquisite old
palazzi.
The best of the bunch is the
Albergo Sansevero Degas
(Calata Trinità Maggiore, 53;
%
081-5511276),
whose rooms are enormous and luxuriously appointed. The appeal here is to his-
tory: The rooms once belonged to the French Impressionist painter Edgar Degas.
The second choice is the
Soggiorno Sansevero
55
55
(Piazza San Domenico
Maggiore, 9;
%
081-5515742).
This one belonged to the Prince of Sansevero (an
eccentric noble who lived in the 1700s), and the rooms are stunning for the price,
with characteristic arches and period furniture.
The third, and perhaps most interesting, is the imposing former palace that
now houses the
Sansevero D'Angri
(Piazza VII Settembre, 28;
%
081-210907).
The Italian patriot Garibaldi once stayed here. The side reception rooms have
original frescoes and 17th-century parquet floors. The problem with this place is
that it's a bit creepy—namely, it borders the Spanish Quarter, which is not the
safest part of downtown Naples, and the views from most of the rooms are of an
old, decrepit building that looks as though it's about to collapse. Its interior, with
dusty velvet curtains and a sense of faded glory, makes it more like a haunted
mansion than a glorious old palace. The bathrooms are gigantic by Italian hotel
standards, and the beds are great, but you may sleep with one eye open.
5
€€
If you must check your e-mail daily or can't live without a PC, stay at the
Hotel Neapolis
555
(Via Francesco del Giudice, 13, along the Via Tribunali;
%
081-4420815; www.hotelneapolis.com),
where each room has its own com-
puter with free Wi-Fi. Rooms themselves are medium-size and nicely appointed
with cable television (you can watch BBC World in English). Doubles usually
range between
€
70 and
€
80 a night. Bathrooms are typically tiny (the type of
room where the toilet gets wet when you take a shower) and it's a tossup whether
the mattresses or the walls are thinner. Nevertheless, it's a great option from which
to explore the area. Ask for one of the rooms with a tiny balcony facing the Via
Tribunali so that you can enjoy a bird's-eye view of the lively Neapolitan lifestyle
spilling out onto the alleyways below. The street entrance to the hotel is some-
where between quaint and off-putting, as is the case with almost all hotels in the
city center. Here you have to walk through a courtyard shared by the entire
palazzo,
so you may trip over a tricycle or get dripped on by the wet laundry hang-
ing overhead.
