We have just returned from a lovely week in the Hotel Alpha, and both my wife and I really enjoyed our stay.
Prior to departure we read the reviews left by others, and was a bit concerned about some...
We have just returned from a lovely week in the Hotel Alpha, and both my wife and I really enjoyed our stay.
Prior to departure we read the reviews left by others, and was a bit concerned about some of the comments, especially regarding the food. However, as we had booked and paid for the holiday I couldn't be bothered with the hassle of changing anything so we decided to take the plunge.
On arrival at the hotel we were dropped off on the main road out front, there are several steps up to the reception area, however these are not steep, and I am sure if you had requested assistance in getting to the hotel, this would have been provided.
Check in was a nice quick affair, and the foyer is clean, spacious and bright, and first impressions were very positive. Staff were very welcoming and helpful.
The bedroom we were allocated was very roomy, with a good size king bed, which was extremely comfy, no wardrobes but plenty of space to hang your clothes and adequate amount of drawers. The toilet/shower room was big and very clean with adequate supply of toiletries provided.
The balcony was a decent size for the two of us to sit in comfort and admire the view over the lemon grove directly opposite and the Bay of Naples, with Vesuvius in plain view around the coast to Sorrento.
As mentioned in other reviews, the hotel is on a busy main road, and our room overlooked a busy side road, and although there was a lot of traffic, especially motor scooters, this didn't cause us any issues. We have holidayed in Italy for the last three years, and there is a lot of traffic wherever you go in an urban area, particularly scooters, so you will get noise, that being said, by about 9pm there was very little traffic. The glazing in the room was good enough to cut out most of the outside noise, so sleep was no issue.
A lot of negative comment were written about the food, I am not a fussy eater, but my wife can be at times, and does not eat cheese. As cheese is used a lot in Italian cuisine, this may appear to be a problem to some, however, when asked if the meal could be done without cheese it was done with no complaints from the staff. I read a previous review stating no Vegetarian option for someone's partner. There was 5 starters and 5 main courses to choose from each night, at least two options from them were suitable for vegetarians. plus there is a salad bar that you could help yourself to. Breakfast was a lot better than other hotels I have stayed in throughout Europe. There is a choice of cereals, fruit, cold meat and cheeses, bread and rolls, juices, pastries and a hot option. I agree that if you get there later that it is warm, but the solution could be to get there earlier if you want it hot. After day 1 that should be evident. The waiting staff were extremely friendly, and greeted everyone with a smile and cheerful attitude.
The grounds of the hotel are beautiful, with lemon trees all around. The weather wasn't very warm when we were there so didn't have the opportunity to use the facilities, but all of the sun loungers and furniture in the grounds looked very nice and well maintained.
There is a train station within a 5 minute walk that will take you into Sorrento, one stop away, or direct to Naples with stops for Pompeii and Herculaneum. Trains run every 20-30 minutes, but can get very busy at certain times of the day. We walked into Sorrento which took us about 30-40 minutes. You can either go the short way down the main road or the scenic coastal route, which is the one we opted for all bar once, although that can be a bit daunting in places due to the pathway and traffic, but the views are stunning.
We would like to thank all the staff at Hotel Alpha for making our stay a very enjoyable one, and if we return to the area would definitely look at staying there again.
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