Reviews of Jaccarino Hotel, Sorrento, Italy

The evening meal was very poor...

Overall Rating:

5/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2008

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

NFFCRED

Comments:

The evening meal was very poor and we gave up on it after one night, also they wanted to charge 15 euros a night for air conditioning!, bar prices were extortionate, double what you would pay out in the village nearby,most patrons seemed to cotton on very quickly as out and about the village of Sant Agata at night, the majority of the hotel residents were there too!, where the quality of food and choice of drinks in the restaurants was far superior to the hotel. The pool area is too small as is the pool itself and during our two week stay the amount of "bed baggers" was ridiculous, the staff were just not interested in any complaints made.Also, no need for an early morning call, the cockerel and the chickens in the gardens next door start at 5am every morning on the dot!.On the positive side, the rooms are neat and spacious and the views from the terrace over Sorrento and the bay of Naples and Vesuvius beyond are stunning.Staff in the hotel were aloof and difficult to elicit information from,they appeared to accomodate us but did not go out of the way help.Weather was excellent and the area beautiful.

We booked this hotel based on...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2008

Tour Operator:

Citalia

Submitted By:

Mrs T H

Comments:

We booked this hotel based on the four star rating given by the travel company (and other travel companies) and the photographs available to view on line. This is NOT a four star hotel and we were extremely disappointed with the accommodation and the poor quality of the food served at the evening meals.



Our bedroom, booked for two adults and our 11 year old daughter, was so small that we had to move the bed in order to open the wardrobe door. The double bed had been moved in order to accomodate an extra single bed so that one third of the bed had no head board. There were no chairs in the room, only two small drawers, nowhere to place our suitcases and the television did not work.



We complained and were moved to a bigger room the following day. We very disappointed not to have air-conditioning provided as standard - surely this should be expected in a four star hotel. We paid locally for this facility which added approximately £10 per day to the cost of our holiday.



The service in the restaurant was very slow and the main courses were extremely poor quality. The vegetables were always over cooked, the soggy mashed potato, tough meat and tasteless rubbery fish were reminiscent of school dinners. Salad was never an option on the menu. The starters and puddings were much better, but there was a limited choice. Drinks were very expensive.



The public rooms were clean and well presented. The pool was quite small but adequate and there were plenty of sun-loungers and deckchairs.



The village of Sant Agata was charming with a good selection of cheap places to eat and drink. It was, however, very popular with the local Italian youth, which made it very noisy at night as they congregated behind the hotel on their scooters. The local bus service was good value.

As stated the hotel is in a...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2008

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr S Hall

Comments:

As stated the hotel is in a lovely location as long as you are happy to make use of the regular public transport. The hotel provides a Sita bus timetable. Taxis to and from Sorrento are horrendously expensive. It is very clean, both in the rooms and all the public areas. Breakfast done as a buffet was perfectly adequate in mainly continental style, however despite booking half board we quickly gave up with the evening meal. A limited choice, much cooked to death, fairly small portion sizes, and a rigid time for eating. This contrasts with the poolside bar which could knock up great food, though as stated elsewhere, not cheap. What they did not make known freely was that you could substitute your evening meal for a packed lunch. This did mean you needed to budget to eat out in the evening. For starter, main, and bottle wine total for two people between 55 and 70 Euros in Sant’Agata, which if you are only staying a week offers enough choice. Nearer 100 in Sorrento. We didn’t attempt the high priced and widely reviewed Alfonso’s, but we went back more than once to Ristorante da Mimi, which is in fact the first restaurant you come to from the hotel. Steak or pizza were excellent and served till 11pm. A good gauge is that it seemed popular with the locals.



Other points on the hotel are that if you have an option when booking of a room with a sea view and balcony then take it – it slightly alleviates the noise. However nothing will protect you from the nearby crowing cockerel that starts at dawn. The room towels are weird – sort of a table cloth material. There is no air conditioning and no fridge in the room. As is fairly normal a double room does not mean a double bed. The pool does not have a shallow end suitable for small children, and although the staff are very amenable to children, I’m not sure I would recommend the hotel for them. Not much by way of entertainment or diversion for them, and a lot of stairs for infants. The reception staff are ok but not exactly proactive, and a few speak little English. They seemed to know nothing of the evening events in the town square which are quite regular and worth seeing, or of local festivals etc. However there is a tourist office near the church which is helpful.



It’s much easier to pick out the negative from the positive, and it must be emphasised that the hotel is in a great location, mainly peaceful, spacious, definitely a romantic setting, and a good base from which to explore. It is also appeared to be primarily used by discerning English or Italian guests, so not much in the way of towels out on sun beds at 6 am, or use of stereos poolside, if you get my drift. Overall I would still recommend the hotel, particularly for adults not looking for lively entertainment, but instead those who enjoy dining out, and want a mixture of lazy days by the pool and site seeing.



A couple of points not really for the hotel but for the resort… You can’t pay for your bus journey on the bus – you need to get a ticket from the tobacconist in the town, but beware of siesta closing time. The route the buses take in Sorrento in the late evening is different and so pick up points are different. Wine lists in restaurants don’t list anything but the label – so no help with grape or dryness – however the waiters are helpful in selecting and we never had a bad bottle. A medium steak tends to be close to rare for UK tastes. The small supermarkets sell things like shampoos, sun tan lotions etc so not worth buying beforehand, but the chemist is expensive.

My beautiful and long sufferring...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2008

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr J Hewitt

Comments:

My beautiful and long sufferring wife and I decided that we needed some R&R. So leaving the kids behind for the first time popped down to our local travel agent and tried to get a last minute deal ... Not as easy as I thought ! The credit crunch may be a figment of the Media's imagination, as we were really struggling to find somewhere ...



So we were given a choice ... Tunisia or Italy. Well, no contest really. We had both always planned on visiting Pompeii and Herculanium, so this seemed like the ideal place for our week long escape.



Flying from Newcastle with Thomson Fly, everything went smoothly ... The flight was a bit cramped (I am 6'2" and 280llb) but we got there ahead of schedule and were taken straight to the hotel. So good so far ..



On first appearance all I could think of was ... Why don't they whitewash their buildings ? The area gives the outward appearence of being a bit run down, Not so much "shabby Chic" as, just a bit shabby...



The Hotel Jaccarino was delightful. It was old but immaculate inside. Our room was away from the main building, next to the pool and right next to the main road. The windows were shuttered and double glazed and the room itself was spotlessly clean, modern and spacious. The double bed was large, comfortable and fresh linen all immaculate. Sounds great, but there was a bit of a problem here. If this room was in GB then it would have been perfect. However, it is in Italy and it was like an oven. No air conditioning and due to its proximity to the road it was impossible to sleep with the windows open. Apparently Italian cars, motorbikes, trucks, bicycles and probably wheely bins are powered by sound! Horns, bust exhausts charver dance music all seemed to be the "fuel" used to power these machines. Screaming mopeds were constant throughout the night and of course if they were travelling wth passengers or in pairs, then this noise was enhanced by the riders screaming at eachother, in italian (so we could not understand what they were saying!)... Not quite what we were looking for.



So after a fitful night we struggled to the restaurant where we had all our meals that week. The restaurant was superb. The service was excellent, food was well prepared and delicious, and you don't get to my weight without appreciating food. In the evenings we took the later sitting and then enjoyed the terrace looking out over Sorrento Bay with a bottle of house plonk... No kids with us or other distractions we actually managed long chats and a very stress relieving time... excellent !. Oh and I should say that after the bottle of house plonk the noise frm the road seemed a little quieter.



The days were taking up with one day sightseeing and one day lazing around the pool. The hotel pool area was excellent, the loungers had built in shades and were great for tanning and reading ... or in my case burning and reading (I am the original lobster coloured Englishman abroad) THere was a small cafe bar right next to the pool run by the hotel staff (who never seem to sleep!) Very convenient, if not a little expensive. Hmmm ... Tere's something I probably should mention... The cost of just about anything in this area is expensive. The GB Pound to Euro exchange rate was terrible £1 = 1.15 Euro. A beer was 5 euro's and a can of Diet Coca Cola 4 Euros. a Simple sandwich lunch with drinks would easily come to £20. So the half Board tariff we took seemed very worthwhile.



The local area was quaint. There is a fantastic bar just a two minute walk from the Hotel called Orlando's. The prices are cheaper than the Hotel and it has real italian charm... Not to be missed, but if you do go there you will probably end up there till 1am !!



One one evening the village was descended on by about 200 teenagers on scooters ... Oh no I thought, but wait ... They all went to the local church where a number of dungaree clad Youth Leaders set up silly games and competitions for them. They had a great time and there was not a bottle of cheap wine or can of nasty lager in sight, nor a hoody, tracksuit or baseball cap. How have we got it so wrong over here.



Anyway, in a nutshell, the holiday was lovely, a bit expensive when you are there, and it could really have done with Air Con in the room. We have travelled fairly extensively in Europe and this is one of the more memorable holidays. Yes I would recommend it and even return in the future, if I'm spared ..

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Apr 2008

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Mrs E Housden

Comments:

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Hotel Jaccarino due to the wonderful staff and the excellent accommodation. The Hotel decor was attractive with a sense of traditional decor and furnishing, all of which we liked. The room was modern, well decorated and kept beautifully clean and tidy all week by the staff. The fresh Italian linen towels were luxurious and replaced with clean ones on a daily basis. The views were outstanding, especially of Vesuvius, and made the perfect backdrop for dinner. The waiters were excellent and very accommodating. The menus changed daily and over the week we had an excellent selection of traditional Italian cooking, all delicious. Although our children are good eaters the staff were very willing to make adjustments in the menu for younger children. Breakfast was equally good! The location of the Jaccarino was perfect. Access to Sorrento (at this time of year) was easy either on the courtesy bus or local buses, this in turn gave easy access to the train station. Local buses for the Amalfi coast stop outside the hotel or in the village. It is also an ideal location to enjoy walking in the beautiful countryside along reasonably well marked footpaths. If we are able to return to the area we would only go to the Jaccarino.

We really loved our holiday, our...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2007

Tour Operator:

Joe Walsh Tours

Submitted By:

Mrs L Mc Kenna

Comments:

We really loved our holiday, our hotel was truly beautiful, we would have loved some entertainment at night, that was our only complaint.

This hotel has the most...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2007

Tour Operator:

Newmarket Air Holidays

Submitted By:

Mr J Curtis

Comments:

This hotel has the most wonderful view imaginable, it being located high at Sant Agata, from the balcony overlooking the pool, we looked down on Sorrento and over and across the bay of Naples to Mount Vesuvius soaring up in the background, after dark, the sparkling lights which follow along the shoreline beneath the mountain were equally spectacular, it is well worth paying the extra for a balcony to enjoy this sight.



The Jaccarino, pronounce it (Iaccarino) is an extremely comfortable hotel, the staff are efficient, very pleasant and helpful and the meals were really wonderful with a choice of delectable starters - main courses and also desserts (you will need to be a lover in order to face the fresh fruit basket).



Our room was cleaned every day and fresh towels provided, midweek the bed linen was also changed. A nice surprise was that the safe deposit box (electronic) in the room was provided for use free of charge.



A few minutes away is Bar Orlando (the smoking cat) this is the friendly place to go and relax with a drink of your choice at good prices served along with free nibbles, it has a delightful outdoor table seating area at the side, to find it - go through the white arch at the back of the hotel, up the cobbled lane and turn right at the junction passing the laundry turn right again at the high street, it's across the road on the left before reaching the church.

Excellent hotel, staff very...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

Go Travel/Manchester

Submitted By:

Mrs S Mitchell

Comments:

Excellent hotel, staff very friendly and food excellent. Lovely quiet area, very relaxing. Room’s clean, view beautiful. Not too far by coach to Sorrento, can walk takes around 45 mins. Near by village just 2 mins from back of hotel, nice restaurant and bars. We had no idea which hotel we would be staying at and we were certainly not disappointed. Would recommend this hotel for a lovely relaxing holiday.

Firstly Topflight promised us a...

Overall Rating:

5/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2007

Tour Operator:

Topflight

Submitted By:

Mr G Freestone

Comments:

Firstly Topflight promised us a 4* hotel in Sorrento. When we arrived we were allocated the Hotel Jaccarino, which is 8km outside Sorrento. The rep said not to worry about this as there was a free courtesy bus from the hotel. We soon found out the bus only runs at certain times, it doesn't run on a Sunday and if you want to go into town in the evening there must be at least 6 people and it's not free.



A lovely hotel with stunning views but that's really all I can say about it apart from the staff who were all lovely and always very helpful. No air conditioning. Breakfast was very poor with no fresh fruit available at all. No fresh orange juice only diluted concentrate. But you could have had fresh fruit and freshly squeezed juice if you paid extra for it. I thought this was a bit cheeky as we had already paid 4* price for bed and breakfast. Drinks in the hotel were very expensive. No nighttime entertainment. If it weren’t for all the steps around the hotel I would recommend this as an old peoples home. In my opinion this is not a 4* hotel.

Nothing was too much trouble for...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

 E Stewart

Comments:

Nothing was too much trouble for the excellent staff that were so friendly and cheerful.

My friend and I could hardly bear to leave.



The views are stunning, the atmosphere peaceful, the food, and other facilities excellent.

The village of S'Agata, so close to the hotel, was an unexpected bonus, so Italian!



Orlando's bar at night was cheap and afforded an excellent vantage point from which to view the passagiata. The owner is the grandson of the Orlando of the bar's name, first famous for its smoking cat!



We did no organised trips as the local harbour afforded boat trips and the train and buses from Sorrento (itself a superb 30 minutes' bus trip away) went everywhere.



The only thing I wished I had known was that the buses back from Sorrento leave from a different stop after 8pm!



I really must improve my Italian to get full benefit!

Fantastic. Staff wouldn’t let...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

May 2006

Tour Operator:

Airtours

Submitted By:

Mr S Whittern

Comments:

Fantastic. Staff wouldn’t let you lift a finger, scenic, plenty of opportunity to go exploring around the area or stay in the Hotel.



An exceptionally reliable hotel bus transported people to the city centre.



Well recommended, but suggest for couples.



Plenty of back street bars, cafe's shops, although some may find the hills and cobbled areas outside hotel charming but difficult.

An excellent place to stay...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Full Board

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Miss LJ Harries

Comments:

An excellent place to stay provided that you do not have young children and are not looking for evening entertainment at the hotel. Ideal for couples and older travelers. A lovely hotel, great room, cleaned on a daily basis, towels are of course like linen, the traditional Italian type. A spectacular view of the bay of Naples, Sorrento and Mount Vesuvius. Situated in Sant Agata, a quiet village approx. 20 mins from the busy Sorrento centre, reached by free bus from the hotel or the local buses.



Sorrento has unfortunately become very English, offering English food and bars, whilst this hotel escapes that, offering superb Italian cuisine, cooked fresh every evening, remember Italian meals are served light and without potatoes and chips, fill up on pasta to start if you are looking for a filling meal. Me and my mother spent a superb week here with the staff being very friendly and bending over backwards to help. Worth the extra for a room overlooking the bay. Cheaper than the bars in Sorrento, with the village offering a few friendly bars.



Clearly not a hotel for those wanting to visit loud bars, have lively entertainment and have Englishism on tap, a hotel offering a more Italian experience, offering a peaceful haven, with clean pure air (its recommended by doctors!) early nights for those early starts, for the Italian culture.

We had a five day break at the...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2004

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Mrs B Baynes

Comments:

We had a five day break at the Jaccarino - we found it very luxurious in decor and staff were friendly and the hotel was kept clean.



I was amazed to read some of the reviews where people said they could not get a sun bed etc. We had no problems - the pool area was quiet during the day as most people visit local sights. There was a nice village within walking distance and the buses were very frequent and kept to time almost to the minute.



We did not see any insects around the hotel. Also the upkeep of the hotel was good - we had a relaxing break and would recommend this hotel which served as a good base to travel into Sorrento and upwards to the Amalfi Coast and surrounding areas.

I have decided to add a review...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2002

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr G Cawsey

Comments:

I have decided to add a review so late in the day as this was an exceptional holiday.



It was so good, we have booked again for 2006.



This was the first holiday for us as a couple and w were aged 23 and 30.



The hotel is tranquil and we were worried this might not suit us. How wrong were we?



There are so many excursions that you cannot be bored. Rome at just over £100each with the tour operator was a bargain. This included all meals, drinks inc. alcohol with dinner and an overnight stay in a 4* hotel. Other trips we would recommend are the Isle of Ishca, Herculaneum, Mount Velsuvious Pompeii etc. Please forgive spelling errors.



The Jaccarino is the last stop up the mountain when you get dropped off. The hotel is quite small but is adorable. It used to be home of the guy who invented the Canelloni dish.



The food was ok, but didn't cater much for veggies. However, just a 2min walk away in the village is a couple of restaurants.



The weather when we visited was very very hot. On our last night was this amazing storm that made everything go black and lit up the sky in amazing purple colours.



You actually stay in the village of St Agita which has the obligatory English bar. However, it is English bar in name only. It was run by the owners son and he was lovely guy who we made friends with. The bar is on the edge or a roundabout. Visit at the time when people are leaving work, you will laugh at their use of a roundabout. We have no idea how they didn’t have any accidents.



The locals of Sorrento actually stay in the village at the weekends for their getaway so that hopefully gives you some impression of how tourism hasn't really affected it.



In the village, there are a few shops but these are for locals really but you can buy an English paper. You will huddles of men just chatting and doing nothing else of an evening.



I would recommend it and like I said, we are going back as we think this was the best holiday of the last six we have had together.



It's great for site seeing and just chilling out by the pool and reading a book (or dozen)



Graham.

We visited the Jaccarino with...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2005

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Ms HC Fish

Comments:

We visited the Jaccarino with our 4 year old daughter and found the staff to be particularly good towards children. The hotel is well served by excellent local bus services which were not on one occasion late.



The food in the restaurant was ok but it could get very full at peak times and on occasion we had to wait for a table. Whilst away, we had to use our Thomson rep for medical advice and found her efficient & helpful. Overall, the Jaccarino is a quiet and relaxing base for an Italian break.