Grand Parco Del Sole Hotel

We have just returned from a week in Sorrento staying at this hotel. We have had a lovely week and will definitely return to Sorrento but definitely not to this hotel. When we booked the holiday over the phone with Direct Holidays we were told we could not pay extra for a room with a balcony but would probably be able to request one on arrival. When we arrived we were horrified at the room we were allocated - it was very small with a small window which looked directly onto a brick wall. We complained and were then given a room in the basement which was huge but again the window was very small it did slide open but there were bars over the window, I presume to stop people breaking in because it was below ground level. The same applied to the huge bathroom, again a small window which didn't open and had bars over it. If there had been a fire in that basement along the corridor we would never have got out and no one would have been able to get in and rescue us because of the bars on the windows. The room was dark, airless and claustrophobic. We complained and after spending 2 sleepless nights in that room because the hotel was full we were moved to another room which was similar to the first room but was like heaven after being in the basement. The food in the restaurant was satisfactory but we did eat out for 4 nights out of the 7 because of the lack of atmosphere in the hotel. The staff in the restaurant were unfriendly unlike the bar staff who were really nice. Drinks very expensive. Overall we did have a lovely hoiday but if you are going to Sorrento avoid this hotel at all costs if you want a room with a balcony or even a room with just a decent window to look out of. Also make sure you take lots of mosquito repellent - we were bitten to bits!!! Do not book with Direct Holidays if you want a decent room, they appear to be allocated the worst rooms in the hotels and you have to pay a fortune to be upgraded. This is the 2nd experience with direct holidays and it will definitely be our last.

First impression was hotel set in own grounds, in pretty gardens, with large fountain as focal point at top of driveway. Great so far. Reception area spacious, cool (air conditioned), fresh flower arrangements, marble floors. Reception staff polite but not very smiley. Believe me, this matters after a long journey starting off at 2am from home and UK! Room allocated was large, overlooking pool, with balcony. Marble bathroom with average colour scheme in bedroom. Chambermaid very pleasant and cheerful, and good standard of room cleaning service was given during whole week. Agree with previous reviews that restaurant staff could not seem to cope with dinner guests' arrival despite dinner being from 7pm-9pm. Maitre d' was surly each evening. The food was of poor to average choice, with small portions. No side salads were available. Both my husband and myself were disappointed at the attitude of the restaurant senior staff and with the general choice of food and its presentation. The hotel was graded as 4 star but we both felt that certainly in respect of the restaurant, this was being optimistic. There was a piano in the restaurant but this was only played on one evening. Despite there being a really lovely cocktail bar area, this was seldom used and this would have been a good opportunity for some background music and/or relaxing live music. There was no entertainment other than a man playing a keyboard at the pool area in the evenings! As the hotel is a little out of Sorrento, the hotel must recognise this and make it more attractive for future guests who may next time choose to stay in a more welcoming hotel.

The thing that makes this hotel so wonderful is not just the beautiful surroundings and the dazzling ocean, it's the amazing staff that takes good care of the guest and makes everyone feel like an Italian and a family member. We also found the food to be perfect. Thanks to everyone for letting us live " La Dolce Vita" (the sweet life).

we have just returned from the grand parco del sole in sorrento and have to say what a great time we had the hotel was beautiful in side and out with a nice garden and fountain the pool area was also clean and tidy and plenty of sunbeds our room was cleaned every day to a high standard and the staff were very friendly the dining room was also clean and tidy and the waiters very good the food was excellent and plenty of choice we also had a piza night and a buffet diner which was very good we will be coming back again later in the year for anthor couple of weeks and would recommend this hotel

hotel is ok. staff friendly and helpful. rooms small but clean. but the food is very poor quality, a 3 course meal turn around in 30-45 minutes, brussel sprouts with fish.

We have just come back from a week at this hotel. Before we went we read quite a few reviews and didn't quite know what to expect as they ranged from "awful" to "lovely". We were very pleasantly surprised. This hotel is not by any means luxurious but for what we paid (a total of £390 each for the whole holiday including half-board, flights and transfers) we thought it was really good value. OK, it's a fair way out of Sorrento, but we knew that before we booked and we knew it was walkable. It took us about 20 minutes to walk into the centre of Sorrento - it's not a pleasant walk being along the main road, but at least it isn't uphill. We used the courtesy bus a couple of times and there is a regular and cheap local bus service available although we didn't use that. The whole hotel was very clean and set well back from the noisy main road, in pleasant gardens. I can't see how anyone can describe the staff as rude or the food as awful. We found the staff extremely friendly and helpful (maybe it's the way they are approached?) and the food was perfectly OK. Not gourmet of course, and there were a few unpleasant surprises like fresh tuna done in breadcrumbs, but on the whole there was plenty of choice (about 4 different choices for first and main course) and some of the puddings were gorgeous (especially the mousses!). Breakfast was a buffet with a big choice including scrambled eggs, bacon, small frankfurter sausages, 3 types of cereal, croissants, boiled eggs, fruit, rolls, ham and cheese and a couple of other things. The fruit juice was a bit nasty though - made from concentrate. Our room was more than adequate and very clean. The only negative thing we would say was that it was quite noisy - this was partly because we were near the lifts but also because the insulation is not very good. You could hear loos flush and showers going next door. Fortunately our neighbours were not late-night revellers! I agree there is nothing for children to do except the pool, so it's not really a good hotel to take young childen to. But then I'm not sure Sorrento is a great location for them anyway as there's not much in the way of beaches or other kids' entertainment either. Sorrento is pleasant and there's lots of fascinating sights and beautiful scenery. We had a lovely week and we would certainly stay in this hotel again if we went back to the area.

I Just luved the hole experience, being only 14 i havnt been to many hotels but this one was the best, the pool was great, and is right beside the bar, great for getting drinks when its hot. Rooms were lovely, nice and spacious, i shared wiv my 17 year old brother the hole week and we wernt stuck for space, nice balconys as well. air conditioning is great when u cum bak and the rooms is cool. Restaraunt was very nice, waiters work extremely hard, and are were very efficent, even when i didnt take much of the starters (being a fussy eater) they always offered to get me something not on the menu. :) Maybe not the best for younger kids, but if you like peace and quiet and a break from screaming kids, this is the hotel to go to.

I stayed at the hotel Parco Del sole from the 10th to the 17th of June 2005 and found the hotel absolutely lovely. I have stayed at many hotels throughout Europe and my partner worked in the hotel industry so between us we have a good idea of what an average 4* hotel is like and this one exceeded our expectations. Rooms: very clean and tidy bathrooms are lovely and maids are very thorough. Each room has a safety deposit box that is free to use which is something of a rarity. Our room was facing the pool and therefore we had no trouble with traffic noise but if you were facing the road there apparently was noise but only if you had the windows open and as there is air conditioning there is no need for this. Food: I am an extremely fussy eater however I always found something to eat for both my starter and main course I never enjoyed the puddings but that is because I am not a fan of continental sweets. The waiters were always polite and very nice the chef was extremely friendly. Many guests however, seemed to think that because it was the hotel restaurant and they didn’t have to tip the waiters they could speak to them like dirt is there any wonder why sometimes the staff may seem off with extremely rude guests. Location: the Parco del sole is about a 20min walk from the centre of Sorrento a very stressful walk because of the traffic but the courtesy shuttle bus was very convenient and there were two bus routs going past the hotel line A and line C. those that have complained about the traffic outside the hotel obviously didn’t look around every road we travelled down was full of traffic and everywhere in Italy the scooter drivers are dangerous and the car drivers extremely aggressive if you don’t like traffic done got to a busy part of Italy! Trips: the trips are the same price no matter what tour company you book them through or if you buy them in Sorrento, most are overpriced and none include lunch or entrance fees. The trip to Capri was E59 but you got all your transportation included, it costs E11 return on the speed boat from Sorrento so you can do that by yourself but once their trying to use public transportation is a nightmare. The amalfi drive trip is around E30 and you can do this yourself by catching a bus to amalfi then the boat back to Sorrento this way you will see everything and not pay to sit on the wrong side of the bus and see nothing. Naples shops and sights very good can still go to the museum you just don’t get the guided tour, and it works out much cheaper, wouldn’t really want to risk Naples on my own as around 20% of the population is unemployed and therefore there is lots of crime. The Pompeii Vesuvius trip was the worst one the tour was in two languages and you barley saw Pompeii can easily do Pompeii yourself as train goes all the way to the doors and then you can get a guided tour for E8. Vesuvius would be more difficult to do alone but there’s a half day trip to do this. The Parco del sole is a beautiful hotel and the staff are very nice however, I would not recommend this hotel or resort to groups with children as there is nothing to do for them it is a holiday for adults.

Having read previous reports we found there were both good and bad points. This is not a 4 star hotel in our opinion. Good points - clean air-conditioned room, friendly reception staff, clean pool area, good lunch time meals. Bad points - a bit too far from Sorrento, courtesy bus always packed, waiters could be rude, lots of small children - this is NOT a family hotel, as there is nothing for them to do, except run around screaming all the time, which several did during our stay. The gala evening consists of the waiters walzting around the tables with cakes on fire!!! The entertainment was someone playing an organ, and singing very badly. But if you just want somewhere to lay your head each night, it is okay. There is so much to do around Sorrento you do not need so spend time at the hotel anyway - take advantage of Pompeii - easy to get to by train, go to Capri and see how the other half lives - another guest glimsped a yacht with a helicopter on the back.

After reading some of the reviews I was a little worried about what the hotel would be like, however my worries were unfounded and we found the hotel to be very good. We found the hotel to be a good base for exploring the area - it is quite far from the centre of Sorrento (about a 20min walk on a narrow path next to a very busy main road) but the hotel does provide a free courtesy bus and you can use the public bus for 1 Euro anyway. A couple of people have mentioned traffic noise - our room was at the front of the hotel and although you could hear the traffic when the balcony door was open, at night (with it shut) there was minimal noise. We found the hotel staff to be very friendly and accomodating and the food was of good quality. Overall, we had an excellent holiday and I would recomend this hotel as a good base to explore Sorrento and the surrounding areas