Admiral Hotel

4 readers found this review helpful

We have just returned from taking our honeymoon at this hotel and cannot believe our luck in having booked it!
Hotel Admiral (3*) is in an excellent situation and very secluded, unless you need to go down to this Marina then there really is no reason for you to be there so disturbance is at a minimum! The hotel is situated at the end of the bay with no passing traffic. It is friendly, ultra clean and excellent value for money.
The food: 5 choices of all 3 courses every night nothing the same on the menu whilst we were there! Sunday is Buffet night and we gathered in Reception for 7pm for some piccie bits of food on the terrace overhanging the sea then went into the dining room for a 'full on' carvery and buffet which would put most weddings to shame (something for everyone)! Thursday night is Gala night where the chefs parade roast joints around the restaurant to your applause and a massive baked alaska!! Wonderful!
Restaurants for lunch are 10 a penny and you have a job choosing where to go, I would recommend the Delfino restaurant next door to Hotel Admiral which has a lovely atmosphere and a great terrace over the sea. The menu is good too. Try the Grilled squid, shrimp and Sardines for lunch at 15 Euro for a treat. The owners are really friendly too. Up in the town there are some lovely ones restaurants, but watch out for the ones that have frozen fish on the menu marked by a * , what's the point?
One thing I would say are that drinks are generally expensive in Sorrento, the hotel was the cheapest at 4 Euro for less than a pint of Italian beer and other places were usually 6 Euro for a pint!
Have an adventure and try some of the trips on your own. We did Pompeii on the train which was very easy and a 30 minute journey from the station. The entrance to Pompeii is at the other end at the station, so very easy and less than 8 Euro for 2 people. The Thomson trip however came in at 44Euro each which does not include lunch or entrance to Pompeii at 11Euro so you are really just paying for the coach trip!!! Waste of cash really....Pompeii on the other was totally wonderful. We did notice that the tours around the city of Pompeii took in very few buildings and sites so we were glad to have hired our own earphones for the day (10Euro for 2 headsets - with the deposit of a drivers lic) This way you can see more than the usual tours, in fact it was deserted for a huge portion of the 'homemade' tour around the sites and we were incredulous at how the guides had missed out some relevant places of interest....ampitheatres were lovely! As was the Villa of Mistery. Try a real lemon ice drink outside the front entrance in the restaurant...you'll not regret it! Put a full day aside for this trip.
Back to the hotel: Rooms are high ceilinged and spacious, bathrooms clean and everything changed daily. Staff friendly. Location superior with views over to the bay of Naples and Mt. Vesuvius. We had a side room (no balcony), but could still look out and see the sea and cruise ships pulling into the next Marina! The sun is on the terrace until 2pm during September and provides an excellent means of tanning and a small pool. After 2pm it's nice to sit there anyway and have a cool drink. In the evening we enjoyed several firework displays sent off from other Marinas but were more spectacular than ours.
Sorrento town itself is up the hill and took about 10 mins climb up steps, which if you are a bit frail or can't be bothered in the heat, may be a problem as we were both puffed out! The bus is a regular thing though so get that instead for 1.80Euro return. It runs every 30 mins from 7am.
The shops were great and managed to get yet another handbag for a reasonable price. The side streets provide many lovely gift shops full of great ceramics, which we also bought, and Limoncello the local lemon alchoholic drink. (Put it in your case to bring home)
Cannot fault this hotel for location or value for money. A very memorable and relaxing time for us....first week back at work and already miss it!

2 readers found this review helpful

Wonderful views of the harbour and across the bay to Vesuvius and Naples, good food, really friendly and helpful staff from Franco the manager down to the hard working and happy chambermaid, ensured we had a great holiday. The Admiral is good value for money but if it is purely a beach holiday you are looking for Sorrento isn't the place for you. Pompeii, Herculanium, the Amalfi coast are trips not to be missed but can be very busy in August.

2 readers found this review helpful

This hotel is great. Scenery beautiful and all the staff were excellent. Accomodation was very clean and comfortable room service was done every day I would certainly go back to Sorrento but only TO THIS HOTEL. Ask for a sea view because it is breath taking. Meals were excellent and could not fault either breakfast or evening meal. Also bar prices very reasonable, cheaper than you pay in other cafes and afternoon snacks again cheaper than you will pay in the cafes
There is easy access to shopping the bus service great and run from 7.20am to after 11pm.
A most enjoyable holiday and certainly worth considering as you wont be disappointed at the Admiral.

2 readers found this review helpful

We have just arrived home after a fantastic holiday in Sorrento. The Admiral Hotel is small but the staff are extremely friendly and helpful. The rooms were lovely and very clean as were all other areas. The location of the hotel is down at the old harbour and the last 100 yards or so you have to walk through a lane to reach it but the views from the sun deck are the best in Sorrento which makes up for the fact that some of the rooms look onto the cliffs behind. Our room had a partial sea view which was on to the harbour and all we could ask for. The food was good with the Grand Buffet night(Sunday) and Gala Dinner night (Thursday) definate highlights of the holiday. The restaurants around the harbour were great for lunches although the snacks served in the hotal were great too. There is a bus service from the harbour to the main town but the walk up the steps at the end of the harbour is picturesque and not too bad if you stop to admire the beautiful views now and again. We were there for a family wedding and would love to go back to this beautiful area to see all the things we did not have time to do and would definately stay at the Admiral Hotel again.

2 readers found this review helpful

Having read last years comments we were very apprehensive of our stay at the Admiral, but on arrival our fears were dispelled, all the staff were welcomings and very friendly. The views given by the tour operator of the views over the bay are a bit misleading as all the rooms with large balconies are owned by the hotel and rented out by them, and some of the rooms on the front are set back over the pool and only give half a view of the bay. The pool is in the shade from 3pm each day which is not too bad, the pool is a sea water pool and is continually changing over the 24hrs. The food in the restaurant, the breakfast is a continental style with a mix of scramble egg and bacon. The dinner had a very large selection on each course, the Sunday buffett and gala dinnera are not to be missed. The hotels location at grande marina is quite and away from all the traffic noise and those "scooters". The walk up from the hotel is good exercise after a day lazing in the sun and having lunch & dinner, and the views at the top are worth it. The Thompson rep Chris at the moment is excellant and his saturday morning walk after his meeting talk is worth it as it locates the best parts of Sorrento for you to visit later in your stay.

1 reader found this review helpful

We booked the Hotel Admiral for our honeymoon and after reading some of the review were a little apprehensive.
The hotel was lovely in a beautiful location overlooking the bay of Naples. the rooms are very clean and the beds are comfortable. We booked a limited sea view and was not disappointed.
The walk into Sorrento does take about 15-20 mins uphill but is a pleasant walk and for the less energetic there are buses every 30min at only 1 euro.
The food at the hotel was delicious and the gala evening is not to be missed. The sun does vanish at around 2 pm but there are plenty of bathing platforms which are very reasonably priced.
We had a fantastic honeymoon and will definitely return to the hotel Admiral.

1 reader found this review helpful

We first came to the Admiral last year. We found the hotel very clean, comfortable and friendly. We had booked a sea-view room which was both roomy and beautiful.
I agree that the eggs and bacon are perhaps not the greatest, but there is ample choice otherwise; yoghurts, cereals, breads, cheese, meats, tomatoes etc. We thoroughly enjoyed the dinners and found the restaurant staff to be very attentive. The service was very personal and friendly.
We enjoyed it so much we booked again on return and have just returned from yet another wonderful holiday. We were greeted like old friends! The Admiral has a unique position. Admittedly the balconies and swimming pool are in shade in the afternoon but as we had no desire to burn to a crisp we felt this was an advantage. We wouldn't consider any other hotel in Sorrento!

1 reader found this review helpful

We liked the hotel and the surrounding area despite the refuse collectors being on strike at the time. The staff were all very friendly and couldn't do enough for us all the time we were there, not just on booking out day. We had a very clean room with stunning views over the Bay of Naples. The menu had plenty of choice, always had vegetarian options and was well cooked and presented. I also love Santos.
We used the hotel as a base for sightseeing, the walk up into Sorrento does take 15-20 minutes uphill, but I came back fitter and even lost a bit of weight despite eating pasta and pizza all week, perfect diet.
We came back from the holiday relaxed and happy and would definitely return to this hotel. We loved the Marine Grande easy way of life, a different atmosphere from the busy town centre.

1 reader found this review helpful

Make sure you book a front sea view and to request one of the larger balconies would be a good idea. This is not one of the top hotels in Sorrento but nor are the prices so you get what you pay for which is more than I can say for a lot of hotels in Spain and Greece and a lot of other places.
The hotel itself is situated in a magnificent position overlooking the Bay of Naples with Vesuvious dominating the background. It is in the area called Marina Grande which is a little fishing village, it is at sea level and the one thing that lets it down is that you have to climb a lot of steps to get to the main area of Sorrento which is a stroll of about 15 minutes away, so get some training in.
Unfortunately the sun vanishes from the hotel balconies about 2.30pm each day due to the high cliff right behind it. Apart from these two things I would have no hesitation in returning to this hotel and I have stayed at one of the best hotels in Sorrento.

1 reader found this review helpful

I have read the previous review, and I can only say that my holiday was the opposite of hers. I went on holiday after having read every review on the internet for the hotel. I was not sure what to expect. But I knew the location was just what I had wanted, out of the way and a small hotel. I have had the best holiday ever.
The food was good, the service excellent, helpful staff, the bathroom clean and plenty of hot water and clean towels daily. The buses ran when we expected them to. We had a lovely trip to Ischia, although a bit expensive, but I will do it again, having booked again at the Admiral for next August 07.
There is always niggling problems with any hotel, but I don't go away to moan and spoil what I have saved all year for. Just tell them and they will sort it out if they can.
Looking forward to August.