Hilton HHonors - Hilton Sorrento Palace Italy Trip Reports and Reviews

Absolutely fabulous place!

I had a five night stay for two rooms using points. I was upgraded to a large suite with two full baths, treadmill & elliptical trainer, floor to ceiling mirror on entire wall, private balcony with ocean view and entire wall mirrored (this was the room for me and Mrs. MIKEM). The other room was next to ours and was a large executive room with a private balcony that overlooked the ocean.

Upon entering the room there was a bottle of chilled champagne and a jar of local lemon sweets. The other room had a set of three local liquors. There was made service three times per day. Each morning in my room we received another new local gift.

The executive lounge is the best I have ever been in. It is on the top floor of the hotel and offers a spectacular view of the Bay of Naples. There is free food all day long and the food items are changed three times per day. They have two champagnes, two white wines and two red wines out at all times. There is sodas, juices, waters, etc. There is an indoor lounge with air-conditioning and outside patio. The patio has a private Executive swimming pool that is open until 11:00 PM. The lounge is never crowded.

The staff is very nice and welcoming. My entire family had a wonderful stay here. The entire family liked this place better than the HWV.

So, as a Diamond, this stay could not have been better. Two thumps up for the Hilton Sorrento Palace!

Absolutely fabulous place!

I had a five night stay for two rooms using points. I was upgraded to a large suite with two full baths, treadmill & elliptical trainer, floor to ceiling mirror on entire wall, private balcony with ocean view and entire wall mirrored (this was the room for me and Mrs. MIKEM). The other room was next to ours and was a large executive room with a private balcony that overlooked the ocean.

Upon entering the room there was a bottle of chilled champagne and a jar of local lemon sweets. The other room had a set of three local liquors. There was made service three times per day. Each morning in my room we received another new local gift.

The executive lounge is the best I have ever been in. It is on the top floor of the hotel and offers a spectacular view of the Bay of Naples. There is free food all day long and the food items are changed three times per day. They have two champagnes, two white wines and two red wines out at all times. There is sodas, juices, waters, etc. There is an indoor lounge with air-conditioning and outside patio. The patio has a private Executive swimming pool that is open until 11:00 PM. The lounge is never crowded.

The staff is very nice and welcoming. My entire family had a wonderful stay here. The entire family liked this place better than the HWV.

So, as a Diamond, this stay could not have been better. Two thumps up for the Hilton Sorrento Palace!

I have never heard of a room like that....wow, that sounds fabulous. We will be staying there next year for six night (six nights in Rome, six nights here).

Would you mind giving more info as to what you did? Places you saw, etc? Did you rent a car? Was the shuttle available at the hotel for you to take to town?

I could never understand why this hotel was only a level 3....weird, huh?

Thanks.

Dawn

I have never heard of a room like that....wow, that sounds fabulous. We will be staying there next year for six night (six nights in Rome, six nights here).

Would you mind giving more info as to what you did? Places you saw, etc? Did you rent a car? Was the shuttle available at the hotel for you to take to town?

I could never understand why this hotel was only a level 3....weird, huh?

Thanks.

Dawn

Dawn,

Very good questions.
First, while there you just walk into town. It is 10-15 minutes, maybe less, and if you can not handle that you should not go to Italy. From the Executive lounge I might be able to hit a golf ball with a driver and mid iron to the town center, if that means anything to you.

The shopping in the town is quite good. You can spend a few days exploring the town. My wife and two teen daughters loved shopping there.

You must go to Positano on the Amalfi Coast. I chose to rent a car and drive the coast. However, I have driven in Europe a lot and may be a better than average driver. It's not too bad to drive and you can see what you want. If you do not drive, then take the bus tour along the Amalfi Coast and see the cities.

Capri is nice but, it is difficult to see on a day trip from Sorrento. It would be better to stay the night on Capri or it may not be worth the trip.

We stayed four days in Rome and two in Florence before staying at Sorrento. So, we were all "toured" out and wanted to relax. The Hilton Sorrento is great for relaxing.

You can get a pass for free admission to the beach from the front desk. You must do this at least once.

We were there last week and it was hot. Therefore, we did not do Pompeii.

I will be glad to give you more info if you want to email me.

I will be glad to give you more info if you want to email me.

MIKEM, thank you very much for the report, I am also very interested in more info :).

MIKEM,

My wife and I will also be visiting the Sorrento Hilton. We will be there from 29th Aug to 3rd Sept and like what I hear from your report ! We are HH Diamond and have emailed the hotel to ask nicely for a good room ...

If you want to publish more info on this thread then great ! Otherwise, pls include me on any further info as it is our first time in Sorrento ....

Regards,

John P.

Anyone know what kind of treatment an HH Gold can expect? Upgrades, executive floor, etc.?

Anyone know what kind of treatment an HH Gold can expect? Upgrades, executive floor, etc.?

By far the most important benefit is the lounge access and as a Gold you will have that. I would not sweat the rest. Even if you got the room I did, you would not want to spend any time in it because the lounge is sooo much better. BTW, all I did was make a reservation and the HSP did the rest on their own. I'm sure you will be taken care of if you go. Also, I was not on the Executive floor and I do not know if there is a specific floor assigned to that title. The nicer rooms could be scattered. The Exec. Lounge is on the 7th floor.

Thanks so much for the Naples report.I had planned on asking about it this AM, and when I entered forum you had already done so. You mentioned staying in Rome; did you happen to stay at the Hilton property as well, if not any suggestions?





Dawn,

Very good questions.
First, while there you just walk into town. It is 10-15 minutes, maybe less, and if you can not handle that you should not go to Italy. From the Executive lounge I might be able to hit a golf ball with a driver and mid iron to the town center, if that means anything to you.

The shopping in the town is quite good. You can spend a few days exploring the town. My wife and two teen daughters loved shopping there.

You must go to Positano on the Amalfi Coast. I chose to rent a car and drive the coast. However, I have driven in Europe a lot and may be a better than average driver. It's not too bad to drive and you can see what you want. If you do not drive, then take the bus tour along the Amalfi Coast and see the cities.

Capri is nice but, it is difficult to see on a day trip from Sorrento. It would be better to stay the night on Capri or it may not be worth the trip.

We stayed four days in Rome and two in Florence before staying at Sorrento. So, we were all "toured" out and wanted to relax. The Hilton Sorrento is great for relaxing.

You can get a pass for free admission to the beach from the front desk. You must do this at least once.

We were there last week and it was hot. Therefore, we did not do Pompeii.

I will be glad to give you more info if you want to email me.

I was there 5 days last month as a Gold on an award stay. I had lounge access, great room and all the benfits described in previous threads.
We drove from Rome to Sorrento (3 hours), returned the car to Hertz (2 minutes from hotel) and for the next 5 days used taxis($$$), buses, trains and boats to go to Capri, Pompeii, Amalfi, and Ravello. We did not go to Naples because of its serious crime problems.
This hotel is one of Hilton finest managed hotels in Europe and is the best use of HHonors points. ^ :)

Thanks so much for the Naples report.I had planned on asking about it this AM, and when I entered forum you had already done so. You mentioned staying in Rome; did you happen to stay at the Hilton property as well, if not any suggestions?

Ted, welcome to flyertalk.

I did not stay at a Hilton when seeing Rome. I did however, stay one night at the Hilton Rome Airport, the night before I departed from FCO. This Hilton is part of the airport and is a 35 Euro taxi ride into Rome.

There are too many question that need to be answered with regard to a stay in Rome and I do not want to take this thread in that direction. If you look through the Flyertalk forums you will see travel in Rome as a place to search. I did use a website called Venere to book my Rome hotel. It has a great interactive hotel search and can pin point the location you want.

Ciao!
I am new to this forum, but as far as I am Italian and I see there are many people wishing to stay in Sorrento I think I can help.
I also had the pleasure to stay at the Hilton in Sorrento (on the cheapest rate possible as already that was very expencive for me!:-)
Absolutelly you don't have to miss a trip to Amalfi and its spectacular Cathedral and also go to Capri and take a boat tour to visit the "Grotta azzurra" a natural sea cavern where imperator Tiberius was swimming.
Another city on the coast worth a visit is Vietri with its typical production of artistic ceramics.
At this point, due to the high desnsity of points of interest on the costa, I suggest to take the risk to rent a car and drive along the sea side route. Drivers in Napoli are famous all over the world and even if I live in Italy and am Italian myself I noticed that it is true what they say...they are a real danger. Anyway, landscapes and smaller cities that you would otherwise miss will definitely be worth while.
I hope these were some useful suggestions, if you need to ask more or to ask me some info/help about trips to Italy don't exhitate as I want to help as much as I can this great community.
Ciao

Wecome to Flyertalk, Luca! It's great to see an Italian posting. You're a rare breed on Flyertalk, and we look forward to learning from you.

Mike

Thanks, I'll take a look at the website.





Ted, welcome to flyertalk.

I did not stay at a Hilton when seeing Rome. I did however, stay one night at the Hilton Rome Airport, the night before I departed from FCO. This Hilton is part of the airport and is a 35 Euro taxi ride into Rome.

There are too many question that need to be answered with regard to a stay in Rome and I do not want to take this thread in that direction. If you look through the Flyertalk forums you will see travel in Rome as a place to search. I did use a website called Venere to book my Rome hotel. It has a great interactive hotel search and can pin point the location you want.

Grazie, Luca T., e benvenuto! Your advice will be helfpul to those of us who will be visiting beautiful Sorrento! We hope to see you some morehere. Ciao!

Does anybody know what the weather is like in Sorrento in March?

I posted a brief description of the hoops that I had to jump through to get the award for this property, shortly after my return. It was well worthwhile making the effort. We were there the first week of May. It was cool, sometimes gray, and even when sunny, surprisingly not that warm. We were told that this was unusual for the Bay of Naples at this time of year. It was great for visiting Pompeii and Ercolano (Herculaneum) though! A taxi driver told us that the season runs from April to October and that outside of the season places maybe closed.
Also, a word about the lounge- hands down, the best lounge and staff of any Hilton Executive Club we have ever used.

Does anybody know what the weather is like in Sorrento in March?

We were there in March 2002. Wear layers. The week started with us needing light jackets, which we were able to abandon later in the week.

Anyone know what kind of treatment an HH Gold can expect? Upgrades, executive floor, etc.?

We stayed for 5 nights in June and I did have to fight with them to get lounge access, this was on a paid stay. A rather snooty check in agent walked us to the room on the 4th floor and when I asked about lounge access he shouted over his shoulder 'Diamond's only'. I therefore had to print-off the Gold benefits page and take it up with the front desk manager. He tried to claim no availability but I had also printed off prices for exec level 5 mins previous so he wasn't getting away with that either.

Having said that the exec lounge is truly fantastic, the view is wonderful. You can get alcoholic drinks until 11pm each night and with the prices for these at the bar downstairs, this is some benefit. We couldn't help but be amused by the caraffe of local red wine being out for breakfast each morning :)

Hilton Sorrento Palace

Award Stay, 2 nights
HHonors Diamond

One Word: “Redrum”

Getting There:
We flew to Naples and took the quasi-charter bus (which is right outside the Naples terminal) to Sorrento. The Bus was great. It was cheap, empty, quiet, heated, and took us along a phenomenal route. Arriving in Sorrento, however, we were gouged by a taxi driver who charged the equivalent of $15 for a 6 minute taxi ride. Oh, how I was pleased about that. We might have been able to walk, but we had no idea where the Hilton was. And, considering it’s up a hill, that might not have been such a good idea anyway.

For sightseeing, though, the walk was a piece of cake back and forth. Just be patient.

Check-In:
The hotel was clearly empty, so check-in was a breeze.
When we said we didn’t need any help with our bags we got some very dirty looks. That was not so welcoming. I really don’t understand why they think we shouldn’t continue carrying our bags inside the hotel when we’ve just carried them for hours. Oh well.
We arrived about 2pm and had no trouble getting our room, a supposed upgrade.

You have to see the indoor pool downstairs! (There’s a small one on the roof, but that’s nothing spectacular.) It’s like no other pool we have EVER seen. We’ll leave it at that. The hours were weird. One day the pool closed at 3pm? Huh?

Room:
…Orange.
That’s the most “memorable” part of this eerie executive room.
It was certainly not designed by anyone in the western hemisphere.
An entire wall is painted in one of the brightest colors I’ve ever seen indoors.
MissBumpMe! said she would need to sleep with sunglasses on.

The bathroom included a tub and a shower which featured both a bench and a multi-nozzle shower head. Even in here, though, it seemed very loud—design wise.

We received a lovely welcome gift basket which included a bottle of champagne, a bottle of local lemon liqueur, and a jar of some other lemon concoction (I’m still unsure exactly what it is.) It was a pleasant surprise!

Out the window was another world. The view was exquisite. In the morning, we clearly heard roosters crowing, dogs barking, and church bells chiming it was so quiet. Smoke from fireplaces wafted into the room and made for an odd combination of country-feel and ultra-modern look.

At first we only saw the city. Then, when it cleared a little we finally saw the cliffs, the coast, and the volcano. Incredibly, fast-moving clouds animated the view of Mt. Vesuvius, and made for unique photos and video.

Lounge Access:
We felt uncomfortable, not because of the staff or because we are foreigners, but because the hotel was so empty we were virtually alone. The afternoon tea felt almost tense because it was just us and the attendant.

Walking to the lounge we heard out footsteps resonate down the hallways as if we were in “The Shining.” That’s what it felt like. (The cold weather didn’t help matters either!)
What made it even more bizarre is that after we saw no one the first night, our breakfast the next morning was packed with people from China. We rubbed our eyes and pinched ourselves. It was all reminiscent of a foggy, meandering, and puzzling dream.

Good news: the food at the lounge was great. Breakfast was cold, but filling. We found ourselves starved when we woke, eating cereal and sandwiches each morning. There’s a cranberry cereal I could not get enough of.

At each serving, there was an opportunity to taste the Lemonchella liqueur. If you get lounge access and eat nothing else in there, at least try this bitter yet “warming” drink on Hilton’s dime. The other drink we tried was fresh-squeezed strawberry juice. Oh My! This stuff is nectar of the gods. It’s essentially strawberries thrown in a blender until it becomes a cross between a smoothie and a daiquiri. Fresh, sweet, and like NOTHING we’ve ever had. Way to go Sorrento!

MissBumpMe! enjoyed the crayon-red tomatoes and soft mozzarella. She has a new standard she’s unlikely to meet here in the U.S. at any restaurant.

There’s a deck outside the lounge which I image is jam-packed in the summer. It was a little chilly for an outdoor meal, so maybe next time.

Check-Out:
We were not about to pay the taxi driver again, so we walked back to the bus stop in Sorrento. It took us twenty minutes downhill, and MissBumpMe! was less than thrilled. But, we evened out the ugly fare, I figured.

When the bellman realized this was the case, he unpacked his dirty look again.
Oh well!
Check-out was easy.

Overall:
I’m glad we came here. But, I think it’s unlikely we’ll return.
The lounge makes this place. If we hadn’t been granted access to it, our report would be lackluster. It was worth the points, but not an exceedingly great value (ie HHW/HWV ALON/ALON2 which I consider great).

Sorrento is beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but we found it difficult to unplug here while it was so cold (like many may do in the summer)... hence the desire to keep trying Lemonchella. If we were to spend a week here I might get a little bored. But, to each his own, right?

Another good one!

In some places, like Latin America and Italy, there's more of a status issue than in the US, or even more, than Australia. Meaning the idea is you are "supposed" to let them schlep your luggage, and pay them a tip. You get the idea in that in many of these countries, people are formally addressed by their professional title: Engineer Ecks, Doctor Zee, Architect Wye, and even in some a title like "Licenciado" is used, which indicates you are a uni or college graduate.

And it may be the universal gesture - getting ripped off by taxi drivers. We had one last week try to charge us €10 for the ride from the north rail station (Gare du Nord) to the Hilton Brussels City... three blocks! Uh, uh, I don't think so! Not to mention it's a time-honored tradition fro mNew York to Prague...

We visited last May on a 6 night award and were happy with the hotel overall, but very impressed by the offerings of the lounge. It is possible to order hot breakfast food e.g. eggs, in the lounge. The staff in the lounge were great, we looked forward to seeing them each morning, and often again later in the day if we wanted a drink and hor d'oeuvres. I do have to say that although the modern rooms didn't feel very cozy, and would not be my first choice for hotel decor, they were perfectly acceptable.
And yes, the taxi rates in Sorrento are extortionate!

It is possible to order hot breakfast food e.g. eggs, in the lounge.

...if only MissBumpMe! knew!!!

A search would have revealed the taxi cost and hot breakfast. I wrote a trip report in August 2004.

In the summer this is one of the best places to go. We had a great stay there!

Took my mum there for her birthday in November and had a very enjoyable stay. Similar weather and low occupancy, I imagine, but the staff were very friendly and helpful, which you don't seem to have experienced.

I agree re. the room decor and found them to be very sparse too, almost institutionally so, with the work desk, printer, etc, being the dominant features in a minimalist setting with bare wooden floors. The specytacular views and large terraces make up for that though.

The lounge, roof terrace, lap pool are all fab too. Recommended, particularly for fans of minimalist design, and the area is wonderful. Easy access to pretty Sorrento, crazy Naples, and incredible Mt Vesuvius, Pompeii and Herculaneum.

By the way, it's limoncello. :)

Hilton Sorrento Palace

We arrived about 2pm and had no trouble getting our room, a supposed upgrade.



I take it by your comment that you were not really impressed with the upgrade. How big was the room? Do they have suites at the property? With such an empty property other than a Chinese tour group, I would expect a real upgrade.

Good report. We'll be there May 1 for two nights so will update then too. When I hear about the taxi fares, I think I'm glad I arranged for someone to pick us up in Rome and drive us there for 400 E -- I understand a taxi from Naples train station alone is over 110 E alone, so a personal driver all the way will help with getting to know the whole area, I think.

Good report. We'll be there May 1 for two nights so will update then too. When I hear about the taxi fares, I think I'm glad I arranged for someone to pick us up in Rome and drive us there for 400 E -- I understand a taxi from Naples train station alone is over 110 E alone, so a personal driver all the way will help with getting to know the whole area, I think.

It would not be necessary to take a taxi from the station in Napoli since Sorrento has its own fair sized station. Its not a tremendous walk from the Hilton to the train station and if you are going to Pompeii I strongly suggest the train it takes less than 30 mins. I cant imagine a taxi charging more than 8 euro to the Hilton.

Back to the Sorrento Hilton we stayed there three nights in mid March and the hotel was not particularly busy ( IT IS THE OFF-SEASON) but that certainly did not detract from time there.
We were upgraded to a very nice room (on the floor just below the lounge)
with a balcony and great view looking towards Capri.
Sure there is minimalist feel to the place, but some people do like that and isnt that the attraction for some to the "W" hotels?

As far as the OPs comments regading the property I guess you just cant please Fttakers the place is either " too full or too empty " but the stay was made as far as I can tell in mid-winter at a resort that serves primarily a summer clientale.
Regarding the lounge I suppose everybody is entitled to his own opinion but I will say the offerings and the surroundings sure beats the crap out of ALL US and UK Hilton lounges WITHOUT EXCEPTION.
We had breakfast in the mornings on the balcony overlooking bay. The color scheme and decore at the hotel is a bit "retro" and unusual but that certainly adds the experience.Perhaps the the poster MIGHT have noticed that burnt orange and bright yellows are perhaps the most popular house colors in southern Italy.
Well.. the amazing comment
"…Orange.
That’s the most “memorable” part of this eerie executive room.
It was certainly not designed by anyone in the western hemisphere"
speaks for itself.

I found the staff very helpful and all in all it was very enjoyable stay.
My final comment is regarding enjoying ones vacation, is that if you find it difficult to relax (at this property for example ) then perhaps the problem does not lie in the property itself.

mike

I was 3 times already at the sorrento hilton and enjoyed it more from stay to stay- This ist one of the most hip styled Hiltons in the world - not comparable with the mostly conservative buildings in the rest of the world - Staying in the executive floor is essential - if you dont have gold or platinum status simply pay for the the floor, otherwise your stay will be half the fun - the pool on the 7th floor (executive Floor) is awesome, not big but where else can you have a view of the vesuvio and the bay of naples while swimming in the pool?

And where else can you have breakfast on the roof terrace with vesuvio view? Id like to go there again tommorow.....

Sorry, I forgot the most essential thing: The Sorrently Hilton is in a nice location, but at the top of the mountains in Sorrento. This doesnt make it easily reachable, as I would assume, that nobody is in the mood to walk up that hill in the middle of the night. And the Amalfi Coast, Positano, and Naples and Campo Due Golfi - all that is much easier to reach by a rental car - thats my recoomendation.

Regarding the lounge I suppose everybody is entitled to his own opinion but I will say the offerings and the surroundings sure beats the crap out of ALL US and UK Hilton lounges WITHOUT EXCEPTION.
We had breakfast in the mornings on the balcony overlooking bay. The color scheme and decore at the hotel is a bit "retro" and unusual but that certainly adds the experience.Perhaps the the poster MIGHT have noticed that burnt orange and bright yellows are perhaps the most popular house colors in southern Italy.

Absolutely agree! This is one of the best lounges I have ever been in. With the rooftop view and pool, you can not beat it. We spent more time in this lounge than I normally would because it is so nice - the free food, wine, beer, soda, etc., sure helped as well - not to mention the Cuban Cohiba's out on the patio (supplied at my cost). If one does not like THIS lounge, one is not capable of being pleased.

There is a free hot breakfast if you ask. The lounge pool area in the summer is NOT packed. We always got a table when we went in August.

I whole heartedly agree with the various comments RE: the executive lounge. And I would add that the staff are very friendly and accomodating, and speak english too. You do need to ask, if you want hot breakfast food items, they are not part of the buffet, which though quite good, is cold.
I would definately return, given our very positive experience on a 6 day award stay last year.

Mr GoodTimes and I have just returned from our 7 day reward stay at the Hilton Sorrento. What a fantastic break.

At check in, we were told we got upgraded to a Bay of Naples view room with access to the lounge. We were taken to the club lounge and shown to our room.

Room
We were given a room on the 4th floor. There are 7 floors in total in this property, 6th and 7th dedicated to exec floor with the club lounge on the 7th.
All I can say about the room is that it is very orange. I didn't even acclimatise by the 7th day.

We were given 2 bathrobes and slippers.

On days 2 and 3 we were given lemoncello and a bottle of bubbly. THe management gave me another bottle of bubbly on my birthday. We had our room key in the slot on Day 1 when we were out of the room (which activates the electricity) so were not disturbed.

There is no coffee or tea making facility in the room, but there's access to the club lounge, so not important.

There is a turn down service every night...with a Baci choccie on each pillow.

Club Lounge
Wow! What a fabulous view of the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius. The staff were excellent. Breakfast consisted of cold meats, cheeses, fresh rolls, fresh fruit, delicious croissants (nutella and plain), freshly squeezed fruit juice, aromatic coffee, selection of tea.

Complimentary drinks and snacks throughout the day.

Pool on the 7th floor for exec floor guests. Approx 12 sun loungers and 8 very comfortably spongey beds.

Main pool on the ground floor looked very nice but we used the 7th floor pool when we were not out.

Internet
Chargeable internet and wireless lan. Did not use. PC available in club lounge and in business lounge on the ground floor.

Transportation
From NAP to hotel:
a) by limo arranged by hotel @ Euro95.
b) by bus (S3) to Napoli Central. Then go downstairs and take the non aircon'd Circumvesuviana train to Sorrento (over 30 stops). Cost: Euro4. Then taxi @ Euro15, walk for 10 mins (slight up hill at end of journey) or bus @ Euro 1.
c) by air con'd Curreri bus to Sorrento (Piazza Tasso). THis is highly recommended. The view is stunning. Cost: Euro6. Walk to hotel (10 mins) or take the bus.

Taxi from NAP to central Naples cost us around Euro25. This was at 11pm so we had no choice!

Naples airport
Word of caution: Very chaotic on departure! Leave early for the airport! Note also that ALL electrical items excluding cell phones MUST be checked into the hold. This includes cameras, camcorders and laptops!!

Trips
a) Capri. Take the hydrofoil/ferry from the port. Either walk to the port (approx 15 mins) or take the bus to Piazza Tasso, then another bus to the port. Journey to Capri takes around 20-30 mins and costs Euro21 return trip per person.
b) Pompeii. Take the Circumvesuviana. Cost around Euro4 and takes 30 mins from Sorrento. Pompeii ruins are about 2 mins walk from the station. Tour guides are available at the ruins for around Euro10 each. Tour is for 1.5 hours.

This hotel has the biggest disparity between rooms I've ever experienced.

At Athens Hilton you either get a room facing the Acropolis or a room facing an uninteresting suburb; and at the Cavalieri you either get a room facing Rome or a room facing a telephone mast .... well at Sorrento Hilton you either get a room looking across Sorrento, the bay of Naples with mount Vesuvius and Naples across the bay or you get a room facing a cliff and that's it !!

I'd strongly recommend that you check-in early and get a room with a view. Also "rooms with a view" at one end of the building are next to the noisy hotel air conditioning units, so you won't want those either.

Having said that this is a great hotel if you have access to the Club Lounge, but probably not so good if you don't. I'd definately go back :cool:

Last month, I asked for your help about preparing a family trip to the Hilton Sorrento (cf this thread (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=452748)). Thanks again to all of you.

We have just come back from Sorrento, where we spent 8 nights and this is now time for a trip report.

- NAPLES AIRPORT : what a mess ! Small, crowded airport. We were flying from LHR with BMI. Our luggages took about 40 minutes before appearing on the belt - and not on the belt where we were expecting them !.. Naples is a small, crowded, puzzling airport. The business lounge ("La Terrazza") is the size of an average hotel room by the way, better to forget it.

- TRANSFER : Our stay (booked on hilton.com ; 298 EUR per night) included the transfer from the airport to the hotel. Somebody was waiting for us at the Arrivals and took all the three of us to a Mercedes small minibus. The trip to the hotel took a little more than one hour. Fascinating landscapes. Fascinating driving habits as well.

- CHECKING IN : Very pleasant and efficient staff. Everybody seemed to be highly motivated and spoke English. Friendly and smiling. We checked in very quickly and our suitcases took no time to follow us into our room - where we were welcome by a complimentary bottle of Limoncello and some rum babas.

- EXECUTIVE ROOM : We had booked an Executive room and were not disappointed. Ours was on the 4th floor. Large, beautiful room with seaview and access to a huge terrace (that we shared with 15 other rooms). Unforgettable view of the Naples Bay with the Mt Vesuvius in front of us.

Our room had been freshly renovated. The famous orange walls had disappeared. The room was large enough for the three of us. Our baby had a charming wooden babydot (and she slept very well during the whole stay).

Little storage place (especially when staying 8 nights).
The room was very clean and the maids worked very efficiently.

Two problems with the bathroom : there was a very noisy ventilator that went on and off spontaneously (no link with the lightning). It was irritating - but a light sleeper would have found this more than annoying. And in spite of this ventilator, the bathroom suffered from a slight but bad smell. Presumably water draining problems.

Be aware : our room was great but some others are frightening. Half of the rooms have no seaview and some of them must be terribly dark (some 1st floor rooms are actually located below the street level :( !).

- BREAKFAST : We took our breakfast in the Executive lounge, on the roof of the hotel. Wonderful location, very kind and helpful staff. Never crowded. Absolutely nothing to complain about.

- HOTEL RESTAURANTS : We went to the main restaurant (called "Sorrento") twice - for lunch and dinner. Friendly service, great location (seaview terrace) but the food was nothing to write home about. Expensive. We had much better meals for lower prices downtown... The "Sorrento Lounge" has hot and cold drinks and a piano player in the evening (playing endlessly Italian classic tunes in a Muzzak style) if you are bored with the Executive lounge upstairs.

- THE HOTEL ATMOSPHERE : I was disappointed, maybe because I was expecting too much after reading very enthusiastic trip reports (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=348034).

You must be aware that the hotel sells a lot of its rooms to tour-operators at package prices. My assumption is that the hotel is so huge that they have to fill even the bad rooms at any price. You will see people eating French fries and drinking beer around the pool. You will see children playing football on their balconies. You will see people taking bottles in their bags from the Exec Lounge. You will hear people yelling in the corridors at night. And so on. I was not expecting that from this property.

Even the Executive Lounge suffered from that, with guests walking half-naked over the buffet. I do not mind people getting a tan but I feel disgusted when a fat hairy man enters the Lounge without even a T-shirt and grabs a beer and some crisps.

- LOCATION : the hotel is a 10-minute walk from the beautiful city centre, where you can peacefully stroll at night and eat an excellent ice-cream. A lot of dreadful souvenir shops obviously - but some nice places as well.


MY OWN CONCLUSION : Wonderful location, really. Very kind staff. A bit noisy (people in the corridors + bathroom equipment at night). And maybe too big ? We enjoyed our stay but I was disappointed by what I would call the lack of elegance of the place...

"the hotel sells a lot of its rooms to tour-operators at package prices"

That may be why I can't get in this October. "Extraordinary demand".

Naples airport ALL electrical items excluding cell phones MUST be checked into the hold. This includes cameras, camcorders and laptops!!

Not sure this is really systematic. We had our digital camera + my Blackberry with us last week in hand luggage when leaving Naples and the (very kind) security guards did not say anything. The BMI check-in clerk did not mention that rule neither.

thanks for the info- we are staying at the cavelari for 6 nights and then at the Serrento Hilton for 6- loved hearing the good report since we go in three weeks- how did you get from rome to sorrento?
we are looking at train to naples then bus- any suggestions appreciated





Very good questions.
First, while there you just walk into town. It is 10-15 minutes, maybe less, and if you can not handle that you should not go to Italy. From the Executive lounge I might be able to hit a golf ball with a driver and mid iron to the town center, if that means anything to you.

The shopping in the town is quite good. You can spend a few days exploring the town. My wife and two teen daughters loved shopping there.

You must go to Positano on the Amalfi Coast. I chose to rent a car and drive the coast. However, I have driven in Europe a lot and may be a better than average driver. It's not too bad to drive and you can see what you want. If you do not drive, then take the bus tour along the Amalfi Coast and see the cities.

Capri is nice but, it is difficult to see on a day trip from Sorrento. It would be better to stay the night on Capri or it may not be worth the trip.

We stayed four days in Rome and two in Florence before staying at Sorrento. So, we were all "toured" out and wanted to relax. The Hilton Sorrento is great for relaxing.

You can get a pass for free admission to the beach from the front desk. You must do this at least once.

We were there last week and it was hot. Therefore, we did not do Pompeii.

I will be glad to give you more info if you want to email me.[/QUOTE]

We are staying in rome at the Cavaleri and then the airport our last night- I amn diamond.
THere is a free shuttle into rome from the airport hilton.
Will file a trip report upon return the end of sept

eThanks so much for the Naples report.I had planned on asking about it this AM, and when I entered forum you had already done so. You mentioned staying in Rome; did you happen to stay at the Hilton property as well, if not any suggestions?

thanks for the info- we are staying at the cavelari for 6 nights and then at the Serrento Hilton for 6- loved hearing the good report since we go in three weeks- how did you get from rome to sorrento?
we are looking at train to naples then bus- any suggestions appreciated


We took the train from Rome to Naples and then hired a car at the train station - 85euro. Be aware the Naples train station is a seedy area.

Just returned from a 7 night stay at the Sorrento Palace. As a diamond used points for 2 rooms (traveled with our 2 children - 10 and 14 yrs old).

Good: Large rooms, nice balcony, very good executive lounge, adjoining rooms,free bottle of lemoncello,champane,fruit,etc. Staff was fine.

Bad: no upgrade to executive level or higher level room (hotel was not full), our room was on the 2nd floor but did have a view of the Bay/Mt Vesuvious, one day I was challenged by the executive lounge on access to the room and had to call the mgr, outdoor pool was not open or heated, paper-thin walls and hard floors.

The hotel was OK but not incredible as per many reviews. Sorrento is a great place to be based to explore the Amalfi Coast. As we had free rooms for our stays we can't complain. We ended up staying a night in Capri and a night in Positano leaving most of our luggage at the hilton. If we were to return it would probably be only for a quick stay (1-2 nights) to explore the surroundings. 7 nights too long for this location.
Amalfi coast area was spectacular. Hope to return again.

Just returned from a 7 night stay at the Sorrento Palace.
The hotel was OK but not incredible as per many reviews.

I agree completely with your assessment. Personally I think that this hotel is generally overated. It is also not a particularly friendly hotel (in terms of things for them to do) for children.

I wonder if it was the fact that you had you kids with you that influenced the decision not to upgrade you to the EF. Anoth possible reason for the lack of upgrade could be the length of your stay. In any event, if you are sure that space was available, I would suggest that you complain to Customer Care.

I just spent four nights there on points and we're somewhere in the middle. The location is not great. If you were there when we were the hotel was about 25% occupied from what I could tell. No reason at all not to upgrade you as a Diamond. I have no status so I paid 130 euro per night for a view and the lounge. We felt it was worth it for the view alone...very nice.

One set of pools was completely empty.

The lounge was nice and we ate there every morning. Unless we missed something, there is no way you could use this for lunch and dinner as well though. On our last day, however, the lounge attendant asked us if we would like some eggs...what? If that was available they had no signage at all.

The doors are paper thin in terms of hearing people coming and going. In general, we really liked the colorful rooms and our room's layout (616). we decided that if we were to return to the AC area we would probably just splurge and pay for a hotel in Positano.

I think it was a good use of points and cash on our part, but this hotel is not what many here have made it out to be. It is one of the better Hilton's I've stayed at though and the lounge access is nice.

Hi Dingo im still considering
so u are saying that you used 25k pn and then 130 euro pn for the upgrade?

do they still give you little sweets every night and a present when u leave?
also did you happen to see any really nice hotels that wouldnt be outrageous price around positano as we have 3 nights to kill before heading to rome.

I don't have any names of hotel down the AC...I don't know that we'd be returning to the area in the near future so I didn't do much research when we were there. I do know there is a new Marriott on Capri if you've got points with them. Capri during the day is a flipping zoo but looks like it would calm down in the evening when the cruisers all depart. If so it would be beautiful.

Spend 4 nights there in July 05. Used HHonors (Diamond) points to 'pay' for the hotel.

Room was upgraded to an executive room with a marveleous view of the bay of Naples and Mt. Vesuvius. Free 'refreshments' in the room every night (fruit one night, a bottle of champagne an other night, local lemon schnapps etc).

Nice breakfast in the executive lounge.

Hotel staff was great.

Certainly was the 'best bang for the point' that I have ever received when using HHonors points at a Hilton property.

Overall a very pleasant stay.

My wife and I recently stayed at the Hilton Sorrento Palace which is fabulous. To our suprise, when we showed up we were upgraded from the cheapest mountain view room to an executive room with a great view. We were also given special privileges, including access to a private executive rooftop level with free snackbar (similar to a cruise boat) and small private pool.

We are uncertain about why we received this upgrade. (Not wanting to lose our special perks, we didn't ask any questions while we were there).

My wife has the Hilton credit card and a Hilton Honors account (Silver, I think), which she flashed when we checked in. But honestly, we are not high rollers and only stay at Hilton a few nights per year.

Does anybody know what happened?

Does anybody know what happened?

Maybe the check-in agent was in a good mode?
or maybe the check-in agent mistaked you for someone famous?
or maybe it was just your lucky day!?

Well, congratulations on the big upgrade! I would not ask why but enjoy it while you can, because I doubt you will score that type of upgrade again anytime soon! (at least in my opinion).

Just be sure to check your bill at check-out to ensure they billed you for the cheap room :D

Well I dont want to temper your excitement, but you were upgraded to one of the executive floor rooms and given access the Executive lounge. :)
A upgrade which should be afforded all Golds and Diamonds provided they are given an floor on that level.

That said its one of the better HH lounges in Europe.

mike

Well I dont want to temper your excitement, but you were upgraded to one of the executive floor rooms and given access the Executive lounge. :)
A upgrade which should be afforded all Golds and Diamonds provided they are given an floor on that level.

While what you say is true, the OP clearly stated his wife's status was Silver, and he already knew they were in an executive room.


My wife has the Hilton credit card and a Hilton Honors account (Silver, I think), which she flashed when we checked in. But honestly, we are not high rollers and only stay at Hilton a few nights per year.

Was the hotel full? If they were full, perhaps the management needed the rooms for non-HHonors guests and decided to move HHonors guests (sliver then Blue???) to the exec floor, kind of like an op-up. Or perhaps the desk clerk mistook your Amex card for a gold/diamond Hilton card. In any case, sounds like you enjoyed the stay.

And here is one option you may not enjoy. ;) Since your wife is the holder of the Amex card, perhaps she has been using it fairly regularly and has spent over $20,000 on it this past year which would upgrade her to Gold status (at which point MikeSilv's analysis would be right on. :) ) You better ask her about her spending. ;)

Summery - no upgrade, (although they had exec rooms available), no lounge access, they moved me 3 times in 4 days! and the general manager told me that:
1. They give no upgrades even when there is availability in order to keep exec rooms available for $$. Apparently there is a % they want to keep available but the actual number remains secret. Now lounge access either. He said this is the new Hilton policy
2. He does't have good opinion of elite members - in his words "demand a lot and complain a lot" I could't believe my ears

To top it off last night there were no bed sheets on my bed! The sent the bellboy with a poliester blanket and a set of sheets. I guess there is no housekeeping after 11PM

:td: :td: :td:

1. They give no upgrades even when there is availability in order to keep exec rooms available for $$. Apparently there is a % they want to keep available but the actual number remains secret. Now lounge access either. He said this is the new Hilton policy
after 11PM

Interesting situation - I had a similar experience in Glasgow where even though there were Exec rooms available to purchase, they were not available for upgrade :mad: :mad: :td: :td:

Wonder if this is actually a Hilton policy, or a property-specific policy ? :confused: :(

We should try to have this clarified somehow !! Anyone able to find out ?

We were at this hotel in November. We received a room on the 6th floor and lounge access. The 6th and 7th floors are the executive floors. We had a great time! I think there will be a new pool in place next year as they were busy jackhammering the old one into very small pieces.

As far as arrival is concerned, we took the train from FCO to Termini in Rome. We then got the first train after our arrival (a Eurostar!) to Piazza Garibaldi in Naples. The transfer to the Circumvesuviana is easy, just go downstairs. Once in Sorrento it was a pleasant walk up the hill to the Hilton. The whole thing was easy. It sounds a lot more difficult than it is. We didn't feel unsafe at all during the journey. The views from the train were quite nice. For our return, we ended up hiring a car for two days, driving to Positano and around the Amalfi Coast and then back up to FCO.

the pool at the Palace. Descriptions on the website indicates six pools interconnected. Are you reporting that they are tearing up all of the pools? We will be there mid June and no pool would be a great concern. Do you have anything more specific?

Thanks!

I was just ther on Jan 2 and the demolition was still going on. The pool on the 7th floor executive level was still in tack ,only it is available only with those who have access to the executive lounge. IMJ that june is their big season and it will be complete by then,but dont know for sure.The inside pool in the basement (very large grotto style pool) was open to everyone and well utilized as it should be in the winter

Summery - no upgrade, (although they had exec rooms available), no lounge access, they moved me 3 times in 4 days! and the general manager told me that:
1. They give no upgrades even when there is availability in order to keep exec rooms available for $$. Apparently there is a % they want to keep available but the actual number remains secret. Now lounge access either. He said this is the new Hilton policy
2. He does't have good opinion of elite members - in his words "demand a lot and complain a lot" I could't believe my ears

To top it off last night there were no bed sheets on my bed! The sent the bellboy with a poliester blanket and a set of sheets. I guess there is no housekeeping after 11PM

:td: :td: :td:

Thank goodness another poster had similar experience to mine! (Thank goodness that the poster wrote about it anyway, not that the unpleasant experience occurred.) Almost all of the reviews of SP on FT and on TripAdvisor are so positive, it seems as if they are talking about another hotel!

We are just back from Prague/Rome/Sorrento stay, a trip taken especially to enjoy being Diamond while we still have the status. (Fast track, expires at the end of the month.) Prague and Rome were lavish and wonderful experiences. Sorrento, we were given a regular room, although it did have a (small) balcony and a view that overlooked the city and Gulf. We were on the fifth floor. Our main problem, aside from the fact that the room looked like a Motel 6 room as decorated by a Ringling Brothers interior decorator, was the fact that the air conditioning did not work. We believe it was not turned on in general. We had to open the balcony doors in the middle of the night in order to sleep--not the safest thing to do, inasmuch as the "balcony" was one long extended ledge separated by easily-traversed barriers from room division to room division.

We think they gave us a bottle of wine but are not sure. We are not sure because the minibar was ajar when we walked in and another bottle was like it inside the minibar--along with a half-devoured and crumpled package of some type.

The attitude of the person at check-in was correct but hostile. We observed the same attitude at the restaurant that night, where we paid the most we have ever paid for a pizza, supposedly a Neapolitan-style pizza, but actually not only the most expensive, but the worst, pizza I have ever had.

The walk to town is another negative, though I suppose it is not a major one. We are guessing that most of the clientele don't mind the walk, and that they prefer the "resort" features of the interconnecting pools anyway to much sightseeing. (Though we didn't observe any people at the interconnecting pools from our balcony.)

The main advice I would give the SP staff is: Smile! Upgrade if possible, explain why not if you can't or won't! AND TURN ON OR FIX THE A/C!!!!!!

I wish the above were more positive. Ordinarily I am as much a Hilton fan as anyone could be, and will be posting later on some very, very wonderful stays at the other hotels. But I did not have the favorable Sorrento Palace experience that other posters describe. I'd keep my opinion to myself, except that I think people ought to be aware that experiences differ, and that part of the reason may be the assigned room. (We would have paid extra for a better room had we known what we would be getting, but we didn't know.)

One very favorable comment: The Sorrento Palace has a remarkably good breakfast which can hold its own against any other I have ever tried, and may even be the best so far as rustic breads and intriguing Easter rolls are concerned.

Although the hotel is in no way comparable to the Cavalieri, I did have a nice award stay there Easter week. I used two AXON rewards for our stay and we were upgraded to the Executive floor and given lounge access. The rooms are indeed decorated rather funky, and the key was required to operate the lights and A/C by putting it into the slot once inside the room.

We didn't dine at the restaurants, and we found the lounge was better for breakfast than later in the day.

Taxis were very expensive compared to Rome, just about 12-15 euros to get into town, although we tended to walk down the hill and then taxi back up.

I would stay there again on points but for a paid stay I would probably look at other offerings in town.

The highlight of our trip was our driver that I found from a recommendation on trip advisor. Giampiero Fiorentino at www.gianpierofiorentino.com He has a new MB V class van and he provided a great tour of the Amalfi coast. We also used him for transfer to the Napoli airport. Great guy and we felt as if a friend was showing us around, not just a driver. I highly recommend his services in the Sorrento / Amalfi area.

Just stayed here as a Hilton Gold member and was upgraded to an Executive Floor room... which has great views as everyone has reported. This property is highly recommended...not cheap (I paid 210 EUR I think) but fairly good value for Europe especially with the lounge amenities I received as a Gold member.

The hotel restaurant has a great view, but the food didn't blow me away. If you are looking for a great restaurant, try Restaurant Caruso in town... it's the top choice on TripAdvisor and it was a great recommendation. Much better value for the money than the typical alfresco tourist traps.

Hi,

Thanks for all the wonderful reviews and tips here! It's greatly useful. I have a specific question: I am a Diamond member and I want to use 300k points for a trip to Italy at the end of May 2009/early June 2009. I wanted to stay at the Rome WA for 4-6 nights and then go down to Sorrento Palace for 4-6 nights. Can anyone help me with the following?

1) What's the best way to maximize the points with award codes? I don't have a HH Amex.

2) How many nights would you suggest at each?

3) Best way to travel FCO airport to Rome hotel to Sorrento hotel back to FCO?

4) Lastly, any must-do's that I'm not going to find in a travel guide?

Thank you!

How many nights would you suggest at each?At the Hilton Sorrento Palace, that depends on what you want to do.

I stayed there for two nights, which was great for visiting Pompeii for the day and wandering around Sorrento.

The Executive Lounge at this Hilton property is very good to excellent, in my opinion. It even has its own swimming pool. I could have spent the day there just relaxing if I had more time.

If you want to see the rest of the Amalfi Coast, the Hilton Sorrento Palace is a good starting point but not all that convenient.

I hope this helps...

Hi,

Thanks for all the wonderful reviews and tips here! It's greatly useful. I have a specific question: I am a Diamond member and I want to use 300k points for a trip to Italy at the end of May 2009/early June 2009. I wanted to stay at the Rome WA for 4-6 nights and then go down to Sorrento Palace for 4-6 nights. Can anyone help me with the following?

1) What's the best way to maximize the points with award codes? I don't have a HH Amex.

This might be helpful. Check it out. (http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/hotels/search/hhonors/hhonors_hrr_code_matrix.jhtml;jsessionid=BY003GIY5 42JSCSGBIXM22Q?showLinks=false) It would be easy enough to apply for a free Hilton Amex card. The AXON award is a great deal.

Bobette

This might be helpful. Check it out. (http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/hotels/search/hhonors/hhonors_hrr_code_matrix.jhtml;jsessionid=BY003GIY5 42JSCSGBIXM22Q?showLinks=false) It would be easy enough to apply for a free Hilton Amex card. The AXON award is a great deal.

Bobette

Thanks. Sorry, new to this. What does the AXON award get you?

Thanks. Sorry, new to this. What does the AXON award get you?

Four HHonors reward nights at any Category 5 or Category 6 Hilton Family hotel worldwide for 125,000 HHonors points. (https://www212.americanexpress.com/dsmlive/dsm/dom/us/en/phaseib/specialoffers_hilton_list.do?vgnextoid=f60164254d0 56010VgnVCM100000cef4ad94RCRD&vgnextchannel=e2cb0db3915e7010VgnVCM10000084b3ad94 RCRD&name=specialoffers_hilton_list&type=intbenefitlist)

If you want to see the rest of the Amalfi Coast, the Hilton Sorrento Palace is a good starting point but not all that convenient.

I hope this helps...

Not sure I agree with that;)
We stayed at the Sorrento Palace and was able to visit anywhere in the Amalfi we wanted including Positano, Ravello, Priano, Amalfi, Paestum and Capri (by ferry)
Of course we had a car... so no problem.

Which brings me to one of the OP's questions - the best way to get around is by car but he since he is unlikely to need/want it in Rome. Suggest he pick one up at the airport before setting out to the Amalfi or at least book an airport drop-off, took me 1 1/2 hours from the Hilton Sorrento to FCO.

mike

Hi,

Thanks for all the wonderful reviews and tips here! It's greatly useful. I have a specific question: I am a Diamond member and I want to use 300k points for a trip to Italy at the end of May 2009/early June 2009. I wanted to stay at the Rome WA for 4-6 nights and then go down to Sorrento Palace for 4-6 nights. Can anyone help me with the following?

1) What's the best way to maximize the points with award codes? I don't have a HH Amex.

2) How many nights would you suggest at each?

3) Best way to travel FCO airport to Rome hotel to Sorrento hotel back to FCO?

4) Lastly, any must-do's that I'm not going to find in a travel guide?

Thank you!

been to both
careful with Rome Cavalieri (fantastic hotel)- as WA now 60k / night - check with HH on multinight Award on this one- took train from Rome to Sorrento- I wasn't keen on driving Amalfi coast

Not sure I agree with that;)
We stayed at the Sorrento Palace and was able to visit anywhere in the Amalfi we wanted including Positano, Ravello, Priano, Amalfi, Paestum and Capri (by ferry)
Of course we had a car... so no problem.

Which brings me to one of the OP's questions - the best way to get around is by car but he since he is unlikely to need/want it in Rome. Suggest he pick one up at the airport before setting out to the Amalfi or at least book an airport drop-off, took me 1 1/2 hours from the Hilton Sorrento to FCO.

mike

Same experience as Mikesilv.....we thought it was an excellent homebase. We had a car as well and drove to the Amalfi Coast, had the most wonderful anniversary dinner in Ravello, Positano and we, unfortunately, chose Naples over Capri (it was a 50/50 shot but we called it wrong this time....no biggie, lesson learned). We picked up the car @ the Rome Cavalieri, drove it to Sorrento and then had it for a week and drove it back to FCO. Actually, getting the car for the week was the best decision we made....we had a blast!

Dawn

Not sure I agree with that;)
We stayed at the Sorrento Palace and was able to visit anywhere in the Amalfi we wanted including Positano, Ravello, Priano, Amalfi, Paestum and Capri (by ferry)
Of course we had a car... so no problem.
Same experience as Mikesilv.....we thought it was an excellent homebase. We had a car as well and drove to the Amalfi Coast, had the most wonderful anniversary dinner in Ravello, Positano and we, unfortunately, chose Naples over Capri (it was a 50/50 shot but we called it wrong this time....no biggie, lesson learned). We picked up the car @ the Rome Cavalieri, drove it to Sorrento and then had it for a week and drove it back to FCO. Actually, getting the car for the week was the best decision we made....we had a blast!I did not have a car, which is why I posted:If you want to see the rest of the Amalfi Coast, the Hilton Sorrento Palace is a good starting point but not all that convenient.At the time I was there several years ago, a car was too expensive and inconvenient for me.

Perhaps I will rent a car next time I am in the area of the Amalfi Coast.

Not sure I agree with that;)
We stayed at the Sorrento Palace and was able to visit anywhere in the Amalfi we wanted including Positano, Ravello, Priano, Amalfi, Paestum and Capri (by ferry)
Of course we had a car... so no problem.

Which brings me to one of the OP's questions - the best way to get around is by car but he since he is unlikely to need/want it in Rome. Suggest he pick one up at the airport before setting out to the Amalfi or at least book an airport drop-off, took me 1 1/2 hours from the Hilton Sorrento to FCO.

mike Double ditto mikesliv - SP great homebase and did all he did from there. I rented car in Sorrento - SP told me where to go. Rented car only on days I wanted it so I did not have to deal with parking - personal choice.

We spent time in Sorrento (rented an apartment) and found it convenient and less life-threatening to use the bus system to get around the Amalfi Coast and, of course, the boats to get to Capri and even from points outside Sorrento over to Capri and then back to Sorrento. Driving along the coast takes great concentration and steel nerves and thus is a real non-sightseeing adventure for drivers. I'd rather take the bus with the distinctive "get out of our way" horns and let the auto drivers worry about how to avoid us rather than the other way around. I sure got a lot more good pictures using the latter route.

We hired a driver for that reason. After he told us a few WWII first hand stories, I wondered if he was too far past his peak driving , to handle the most challenging driving I had ever seen.

When he accepted our offer to join us for lunch and several bottles of wine, I knew we were on thin ice.

My wife was in sheer terror. I loved every second of that day.

And he did not back down , at the sight of an on coming bus. He worked that horn right back at them , and stood his ground.

Travel can make you stronger

My husband and I spent a week in Sorrento September 2007.
As a Hilton Diamond VIP member, I reserved my reward stay early, 6 free nights.
We were pleasantly surprised when we arrived. When you enter the hotel, there's a massive lobby.
One negative, the Hilton Honors check in desk as "Tucked Away", and I didn't even notice it. I was upgraded to the top floor of the hotel. There are only 8 rooms total on this floor. When I asked if we would have good view from the room, the receptionist responded, "The Best".
As a Diamond VIP Member, I've stayed at many Hiltons, but have never stayed at one like this! Our room was massive, very ultra modern; the bathroom was huge, with a separate shower, with multiple showerheads. There was an oversized bathtub, and large vanity area.
The usual Bathrobes, and slippers, bottle water and fresh fruit in the room. There was also a fax machine, high speed interned.
The view was amazing. Overlooking the Bay of Naples and sprawling lemon trees all over the property.
A king size bed situated in the middle of the room, the headboard had buttons to turn on/off lights, and open/closed the curtains on the patio door.

Executive Lounge! Our room was on the same floor as the lounge. Best Hilton Lounge by far. Open all day, night, closing at 11pm. Food all day long including breakfast, eggs to order, deli, cheese, fruit breads, pizza, salad, cookies, cakes to mention just a few of the food.
Champagne on ice all day long including wine. Not out for self-service was all the other drinks available, just ask the servers. Beer, hard liquor, lemoncello etc.
One could easily stay at the hotel all day with this kind of service available.
Executive floor also has it's own infinity pool; the water was too cold for us.
There’s also a large outdoor pool, with ample seating, and a beautiful indoor pool.
We celebrated our 10th Wedding Anniversary, had dinner in the main restaurant. Excellent Meal, reasonably priced. They made us a special dessert for our anniversary.
For those of you that like to smoke cigars, there is a cigar/smoking room. Humidor stocked with cigars for purchase.

We will go back to this hotel. Sorrento is the perfect staging city for nearby areas such as Capri, Naples and Amalfi to name a few.
My only complaint, there appears to be a lack of concierge/information services available. The Front desk actually books tours and provides information.
I read several reviews commenting about how the hotel is on a steep hill and it’s a 10-minute walk to town. The walk is not bad at all, and usually walked into town everyday.
I would recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a first class stay in Southern Italy!

We stayed at the Cavalieri and Sorrento Palace early to mid-September 2008 as Diamond members and were upgraded to Executive level both places. We were celebrating an anniversary and both hotels recognized this with welcoming gifts (gorgeous flourless chocolate torte and bottle of champagne at the Cav.; bottle of Limoncello, handmade soaps, fruit platter, and a chocolate cake at Sorrento Palace). Neither of the hotels seemed overwhelmingly crowded. As for the executive lounges, I can honestly say I felt both are among the best Hilton has. The Sorrento Palace lounge has a more clean, airy feel to it, while the Cavalieri lounge is more formal. Both have outside patio areas. Sorrento's lounge overlooks the pool and city and you can enjoy being near the small, but nice private executive lounge pool. The staff at both lounges are attentive and gracious. We sampled much of the food (offerings change 5 or 6 times per day) and it was all delicious. Have fun!

We stayed at the Cavalieri and Sorrento Palace early to mid-September 2008 as Diamond members and were upgraded to Executive level both places. We were celebrating an anniversary.... Have fun!

Thanks for the input. We will also be celebrating our anniversary (30th) when we are in Italy. As I recall, the Cavalieri also gave us nice perks as it was our anniversary when we were there a few years ago. Can't wait to get to Sorrento!

cat22

My husband and I just returned from this property in early June. It was fantastic. We stayed on points and were upgraded to exec floor and had access to the lounge. (I am Diamond). We did have to pay the 50 Euro for the rollaway (however it is really a 3rd bed set up in the room). I felt it was a fair price to pay (but would have been nice not to pay). The lounge is best I have seen and open all day with it's own pool. Dinner - Donna Sofia - they will pick you up (or you can walk but it's tricky to find) was one of our favorites in Italy.

Mama Kahuna is spending time at Hilton Sorrento right now.She had to insist forcefully as hh diamond to get upgraded , even with loads of rooms available for upgrade ! Thank you previous posters who signaled the attitude problem and lack of service from some of their front desk staff ; she prepared her sweetest smile combined with a NY bite . Raves about most of the excecutive lounge staff even if some younger staff wanted to close shop early for their weekend evening off yesterdaynight. Quality of food and drinks in the lounge is high all day long and frequently refreshed . There is also a menu; one can order off the menu and get it delivered to the executive lounge .
Weekend crowd seems to be mostly Italian but school holiday is winding down . Bigger problem are the hordes of wasps (flying version )around pool and restaurant areas .
I strongly advise to book private car transport from NAP to Sorrento by contacting the concierge, fare is 99 euro and can be charged to room .
Had great service from man at the concierge/front desk who arranged all impeccably and made up for the problems with Hilton level-service some other staffmembers seem to have .

Mama Kahuna is spending time at Hilton Sorrento right now.She had to insist forcefully as hh diamond to get upgraded , even with loads of rooms available for upgrade ! Thank you previous posters who signaled the attitude problem and lack of service from some of their front desk staff ; she prepared her sweetest smile combined with a NY bite . Raves about most of the excecutive lounge staff even if some younger staff wanted to close shop early for their weekend evening off yesterdaynight. Quality of food and drinks in the lounge is high all day long and frequently refreshed . There is also a menu; one can order off the menu and get it delivered to the executive lounge .
Weekend crowd seems to be mostly Italian but school holiday is winding down . Bigger problem are the hordes of wasps (flying version )around pool and restaurant areas .
I strongly advise to book private car transport from NAP to Sorrento by contacting the concierge, fare is 99 euro and can be charged to room .
Had great service from man at the concierge/front desk who arranged all impeccably and made up for the problems with Hilton level-service some other staffmembers seem to have .

Just got back from Sorrento myself, arrived on 22/8 for 6 days. Had a nice week with good weather. This was my second visit to the Hilton Sorrento Palace, I was last there in 2006. I found I did not spend as much time in the lounge this year, but agree the food and drink on offer is still very good. Also agree the wasps are still a pain in the A**e. I actually found it easier this year getting an upgrade than in 2006. I spoke to a couple of diamond and gold members who had all been upgraded. In 2006 I paid for the upgrade, and I know that quite a few diamond and gold members were complaining about the lack of an upgrade. I would certainly go back again.

Obs

We stayed 6 nights at Sorrento Hilton arriving on 8/20. @obs We might have seen each other. Most of our time we spent at the lounge's sundeck with a small roof pool.
Firstly we booked a reward stay but changed it to a paid stay as they asked 50€/nt for our child. Rate pre-paid was 154€/nt. for a triple.
Be careful when parking at the end of the street next to the hotel. A lot of cars got tickets for €38 and some were even towed away. We parked 6 days in the 60 min zone just across and were lucky. Ask the concierge where parking is o.k. Otherwise the car park charges €15 a day which is not too expensive.

Hearing Mama Kahuna rave about Sorrento , I could not resist and joined her in Sorrento from 08/27 till 08/30 . Had great transfer from and to NAP from local limo firm : call Francesco on his cell +39( outside italy) 330 703782 or go to info@scialone.com to arrange transfers/tours .They picked me up at NAP after 9 pm ,transfer to sorrento was 99 ; back on sunday was 90 euro ! Hilton was great and really worth the trip.Several of the frontdesk staff are up to good Hilton standard , few are very snooty , aloof and should look for another job as they spoil the vacationfeeling for their paying guests .
Breakfast buffet in second floor restaurant is one of the better I've enjoyed in Europe , breakfast in exec. lounge is good .
Exec. lounge has all day long a very nice variety in snacks . At 9 pm they break out the limoncello , grappa and assorted bottles while they have spumante and white wine on ice from breakfast till closing of the lounge at 11pm. There are about 30 lounge chairs along the lappool on 7th floor with towelservice .Terrace next to lounge is good wih shade and breeze . There is no key access control to 7th floor so anyone who feels like it seems to be able to go to exec lounge and pool .
Had diner in "a la carte" restaurant on ground floor which was very good and very reasonably priced AND with live music in the background .Beware ridiculous local taxifares for trip downhill into town as they add on for night and other local extras which tend to make a local roundtrip almost as expensive as a full dinner for 2 in a downtown restaurant !

Stayed at the Sorrento Hotel on August 11 and 12th on points. 2 Adults and 1 Child. Contacted the hotel GM in advance via email to confirm that there will not be any extra charge for the child. Received confirmation that I will have some type of upgrade (as a Hilton Gold) and no extra charge for the child.

On arrival, we were given a partial Ocean View room (on the side) with a third bed in the room. We came to this hotel after spending few nights in Westin's in Florence and Venice and we felt as it we have checked into a motel 6 (although Hilton is very nice, but we were spoiled by the class and ambiance of Westins in Italy). Cheap decor and furnishings (IKEA style), overused towels everywhere in the room. Asked for a electric kettle to make our own tea and they had to bring it 3 times as the previous ones will not work. They close the pools at 6 PM, which is very annoying. After a long day of exploring the Amalfi coast, we came back to the hotel at 6:15 PM. The front desk told as that we can use the pool, but no service (towels, food, etc). We were able to use the pool for about 45 minutes before the maintenance started pouring chemicals in the pool and we decided to get out.

The views are excellent, the service is quite good, lobby is not bad and the breakfast buffet (complimentary for us) was great. The location is not that great for exploring Sorrento and it takes Euro 15 cab to go to the town each way. There is limited public bus service from the hotel area to the town. While staying here, opt to eat at Da Fillippo restaurant. It is a bit outside the town and they provide free pick-up and drop-off to your hotel. Food is served family style in outdoor setting and is quite good and inexpensive. Just ask concierge to call the restaurant to arrange for your pick up.

Overall, a pleasant stay. If cheap decor and lack of central location is not an issue for you, then rest is all good

Great base for Amalfi coast. Lobby and common areas are nice and spacious. Was travelling with my mother, so I opted for the two-bedroom/2 bath "quadruple" family room to save money (versus getting two completely seperate rooms). Upon arrival they put us in a room on the executive floor (huge balcony). Took a bit of discussion, but they finally moved us to a family room. Very spacious, but the decor is definitely dated (especially the bright red/orange bedspreads). Housekeeping took the bedspreads off after the first night and with the white duvets it felt much more like a Hilton. Internet access was very expensive and it seemed very slow based on how long it took the sign-up page to load so I opted not to purchase. The first bedroom has two twin-size beds, a very dated chest of drawers, and a chair. Off the room is the main bathroom with a tub with shower. There second room is seperated from the first via double sliding doors and has a king bed, desk, chest of drawers, and a free-standing clothes rod and a half-bath (no shower or tub). There is also a free-standing mini-bar with a safe (requires a physical key from the front desk with a 150 Euro deposit).

Occupancy appeared very low so they had the executive lounge closed. This actually worked out well as they accomodated Golds/Diamonds in the Bar/Lounge area. Water and some snacks were available all day (maybe beer/wine as well). During the evening hour they expanded to canapes (a menu is provided) and offered an expanded selection of drinks (much better wine). No complaints there.

Garmin GPS took me to a spot only halfway up the hill. You then need to ignore the Hilton Parking sign and continue up the hill and turn left (you can't go straight).

Garmin GPS took me to a spot only halfway up the hill. You then need to ignore the Hilton Parking sign and continue up the hill and turn left (you can't go straight).

Nice tip. Thx.