I stayed at Palazzo Caracciolo a couple of days ago. This was not my first stay; I had stayed there before, a few years ago, when it was an MGallery Collection by Sofitel.

The hotel has been in the Hilton portfolio since last January 1, but at the moment it is still listed as an "independent hotel" even though the emails received had the header Tapestry Collection by Hilton. However, the email header and the small Honors sign on the reception desk are the only elements that lead back to the Hilton brand, as there will be no other Hilton distinguishing features on the exterior or interior.

Location

The hotel is named after the historic palace that houses it, Palazzo Caracciolo di Santobuono (built in 1584). It is an excellent 4-star hotel, but being in a centuries-old palace there are possible drawbacks, first of all the noisiness of the rooms facing the street.

It is centrally located, and you can easily reach the most characteristic parts of the city. From the train station you can get there by cab in about 5 minutes, but if you do not have heavy luggage in tow you can walk there in about 15 minutes, with a slightly uphill route.

From the airport the best option is the cab, with about a 10-minute ride without traffic, but in a city like Naples the problem with cabs is that they tend to charge tourists higher prices and make the trip much longer than normal. And I am not only referring to foreign tourists, but also to Italians themselves visiting the city, as has happened to me several times in the past.

I used public transportation to get to the hotel from the airport: not far from the terminal passes bus 182, whose stop is in front of the car rental office, which can be reached by the car rentals shuttle bus or in 5 minutes on foot, which stops in Via Foria (get off at the Foria-Duomo bus stop and then take Via Carbonara where in less than 5 minutes with a slightly downhill route you get to the hotel) all with a ticket that costs only 1.30 euros per person. For tickets at the exit of the arrivals area there are vending machines, but I recommend going to the left where toward the end of the terminal there is a newsstand that sells all kinds of public transport tickets, even those for going out of town.

For those who prefer things easier, there is always the airport bus "Alibus," which reaches the station and the port (cost 5 euros).

However, by the end of the year the new subway line should finally open, which from the airport will make it possible to get downtown in just over 10 minutes.

Booking

Booking two months in advance I was able to find a room priced 150 euros breakfast included (which I would have had anyway as a Diamond member). I booked the cheapest room, a Queen Guestroom, by calling the hotel directly, as the prices posted on Hilton.com were higher, specifically asking for a rate that would give me Honors points and benefits.



Room

Two days before my stay on the app I noticed the upgrade to a King Deluxe Rm W/sofa Bed. In the past as an Accor All Gold member I have had upgrades to junior suites, but this time the hotel was almost full: in fact toom prices ranged from 310 euros for the room I booked to about 360 euros for the junior suites. I did not check in online because I was being offered a single specific room without a floor map, so I preferred traditional check-in.
Quick check-in and very friendly staff, but no drinks voucher offered for Diamond members.

In the room I found the welcome letter and a small gift, as well as two bottles of mineral water.

The room assigned to me, despite having furnishings that in my opinion were quite basic and not adequate for the level of the hotel, was very spacious and had a very high ceiling, I would say between 5 and 6 meters. Unfortunately, however, it overlooked the Via Santa Sofia and was very noisy because from 5 PM. to well past midnight there was loud music from the bars opposite and it was almost impossible to sleep. From 6 AM then there was the unloading of supplies at the restaurant, which added further noise to an already difficult rest. The bed is quite comfortable, but the pillows are too soft and thin. The bathroom, on the other hand, was very small. Toiletries of high quality, branded "Telese acque termali" expressely made for the hotel.



The air conditioning worked intermittently, meaning that after midnight it stopped and there was no way to get it going again, except late in the morning.

Part of the rooms overlook the street, and part over the two inner courtyards. My suggestion is to ask for a room that faces the inner courtyards, even forgoing a possible upgrade, since in the rooms facing the street you might run the risk of not getting a wink of sleep all night because of the intense noise.





Breakfast

Breakfast is server in one of the two nice internal courtyards.


Good standard but as in many Italian hotels the hot selection is quite limited: here there were only scrambled eggs, bacon, beans and small suasages. However, an "a la carte" menu with other extra options was available.


In the buffet there was a wide selection of typical local products, such as buffalo mozzarella, buffalo ricotta, typical Babà, Caprese cake, or the traditional local pastries “sfogliatelle”.



Bar and Restaurant

I didn't have the chance to try the hotel restaurant, and eating in a hotel in a city like Naples makes absolutely no sense. In my previous stays I had instead tried the bar and it is a pleasant environment, but here too the suggestion is to choose one of the many characteristic bars in town.

Conclusions

It is a good hotel, certainly not comparable to the big city luxury hotels, but more than adequate for its excellent location. As far as I am concerned I would choose it only with prices under 200 euros, preferring in case of higher rates some very good boutique hotels outside the big chains.



Things to do

The best way to get around the city, and also the most fun way to discover hidden nooks and crannies, especially in the narrow streets of the old town, is on foot. I suggest taking a cab only late in the evening to get back to the hotel, as although Naples has become a safe city (in my opinion in some respects it is much safer than Milan) it is best to avoid certain areas at night. Not necessary to tip, or at most leave one or two euros, as it is likely that the taxi driver, seeing the tourists, has already rounded up the fare on his own initiative.

Public transportation is inefficient and often overcrowded, but on the other hand it is very cheap. My advice is to use them only for longer routes. The subway has infrequent rides (during the day, off-peak times, you may sometimes have to wait more than 15 minutes). Absolutely try instead a ride on one of the funiculars that reach the hill districts (same ticket as the bus).

Naples is one of the capital cities (not only Italian) of men's fashion, and prices are very good, lower than in cities like Milan, Rome or Florence. Leave space in your suitcase for any purchases.

Absolutely not to be missed, for men, is buying a tie, from one of the world-famous tailors. And if you really want the best, call the “E. Marinella” tie store (Riviera di Chiaia 287) and make an appointment to have a tailored tie made right in front of your eyes: in about an hour, after choosing your favorite pattern from thousands of samples of hand-printed silk in the UK, the workshop's seamstresses will make it for you according to your instructions for lenght and width and desires (3,5,7 or 9 folds).

Another shopping tip is the purchase of a handmade umbrella at Mario Talarico's workshop (Vico Due Porte a Toledo, 4).