Admiral Hotel

We had a week in the Hotel Admiral in July 2006 (the day after Italy won the World Cup) - it was fine for the money. The sea view across the bay to Vesuvius is stunning! Make sure you pay the extra and have a room with a sea view otherwise you end up looking at a cliff. It's a steep walk up into Sorrento, and I would not recommend it for people who are a bit steady on their feet - there is a little bus but I don't know how reliable that was. The staff were friendly, but the hotel rooms were getting a bit ready for a tidy up, they were a bit scruffy. We had breakfast there but ate out in the evenings, not because the food was bad but we prefer to explore (and Sorrento has some superb restaurants tucked away). We went on the local bus to Positano/Amalfi along the Amalfi coast which was a hoot - not for the faint-hearted as the bus weaves through tiny villages and avoids scooters. Amalfi town and inside the catherdral is well worth a look as it huge and very beautiful. It had a very peaceful feeling to it. Positano is very cute with lotsd of lovely little shops down a cobbledy street. We also took the train to Pompeii and were absolutely blown away by it. Take lots of drinking water with you though and wear comfy shoes as you will put some miles in there (and there's no shade)! We didn't get a guided tour, but wandered round and had some of it to ourselves which was really special. We went on the boat to Capri which was pretty but packed - and very very expensive. Fine if you like that sort of thing, glad we visited but we wouldn't bother popping back. All in all I would go back to Sorrento (and would love to go back to Pompeii). We had a good week of exploring and relaxing - just how we like it.

We just came back from 3nights at Admiral in Sorrento. I must say, they need lots of improvements. Fisrt of all, rooms are small and old. People at the front desk can not provide right imformation about the area... Breakfast was a joke, I've never had breakfast (Especially coffee !!) this bad in any where in italy. (Smell the BUTTER ! it was like a dirty laundry !!! Really !!) We were the ONLY guest staying at first night ! This hotel is for groups from England and other European countries. Not for the well experienced traveler. Location is terrible...away from everything. Sure, if you like the remote little fisherman's village, with nothing around. They told us they have own transportation to the centre of the city, but when we got there they said it's only for the summer time. We had to take a bus which runs every HOUR. Otherwise, you have to walk up very narrow street for 15 minutes or take taxi cost you at least 10-15euros ! Don't be fooled by the good reviews ! Be careful, if you like to taste of real Sorrento, stay in the center.

I stayed at the Admiral in August with my mum for a girly getaway! and it was lovely, room was clean and cool with a typical italian view! sea, cliffs and the locals. all the staff were helpfull and efficient, Santo made the holiday! I think he took a liking to mum! and Tonio the Restaurant Manager was brilliant nothing was ever to much! the food was tasty and plentiful, we were half board but never ate out in the evening as we were more than happy with the food in the hotel. the gala night and buffet nights were both worth it. The Sun terrace was nice to sit and relax and read your book. Overall We loved Sorrento and Hotel Admiral, Mum is taking Dad there next year, poor Santo. I will Stay here again!

My husband and I stayed at the Hotel Admiral in September. We were traveling with another couple. When booking the hotel and serveral times by email, I requested a room with a romantic view because it was our anniversary. I was assured this was not a problem and not to worry. A week before our departure we received notification that the hotel was overbooked and we would have to stay at another hotel. We were promised a free dinner for our trouble. Both the hotel and dinner were not worth the trouble, not to mention the time it took away from our sightseeing. The first hotel was in the middle of being remodeled and we recieved one of the worn down rooms and there was no view. When we checked into the Admiral the other couples room was ready but ours was not. Their room was not that great but they had a wonderful "private" balcony with an incredible view. When we got to our room it was horrible. The view was of the cliff and and apartments with clothes hanging out all of the windows. The only ocean view was if you walked out on the balcony and looked around the building. After many complaints and many room changes we were finally given a room on with a terrace that was shared with two other rooms and had a satelite dish and wires hanging from the columns. Nothing like the privacy and view of the other couples room. The bed had springs coming out of one of the matresses so my husband and I had to sleep on one twin bed. The free dinner was a buffet which was supposed to run from 7:30 to 10:00pm. We arrived at 8:00pm and the food was already being put away. The food was awful and we felt like we were being rushed to finish. Not exactly the relaxed dinners we were used to in Italy. But the worst part was at checkout. I was charged for room service because my husband went down and brought back coffee to our room even though breakfast was suppose to be included. Something that was not a problem at any other hotel we stayed at (including 4 star hotels). When I complained, I was told "It's only 5 Euro." Then I questioned phone charges on my bill that were not numbers I called. The other couple recognized the numbers as theirs. So instead of crediting my card, he tells her to just pay me and that would fix everything. When I questioned why her calls were on my bill I was told that they had mixed up the rooms upon check in and the other couple received our room. This was like salt on the wound! The same person had dealt with us the whole time so I am assuming he mixed up the rooms and instead of telling us, he just kept trying to give us another room. He knew how upset we were and never told us anything. So the other couple, even though it was not their anniversary, even though they had not requested a romantic view, even thought they had never emailed, received our room and nothing was done to correct it. We traveled all over Italy on this trip and all the hotels we stayed at were wonderful. But the Hotel Admiral was the worst hotel experience we have ever had in our lives and this was our anniversary. All the room changing (4 times) and hotel changing took so much time away from what we were there for, enjoying Sorrento and our anniversary. This was the trip of a lifetime and it left us with tainted memories of Sorrento. Someday we will go back to Sorrento to make better memories but we will never stay at Hotel Admiral or any other Giglio hotel again.

We stayed in the Admiral Hotel from 25th August for 2 weeks this year. This was a very special holiday for us as we got married in Sorrento 5 yrs ago and this was our first time back - for our anniversary. I could not fault the room in any way, I love it when the floors are completely tiled (feels so much cleaner) and the shower in the bathroom was like a power shower - always a great bonus when you have a really good shower. The only thing I would say, was that the towels looked like they had seen better days, I always take myt own so this didn't bother me too much but I heard a couple of other people mention this as well. The staff are lovely and make your time there very special, Santos the bar man deserves a special mention (ask him about his fish suppers)! The food is lovely and the restaurant staff are great, we liked Guiseppe best because he looks like Manuel off Faulty Towers and he is always smiling. We did eat out a few times, but if you are on a budget the hotel catering is just as good. Now on to the view.........what can I say, this must be the most spectacular view that any hotel can offer, you are literally on the water, nothing is more relaxing than falling to sleep at night with the sound of the water gently lapping at the rocks below you. The outdoor area is such a lovely place to sit at night that we quite often found ourselves staying in the hotel all night - we met some lovely people and towards the end of the holiday we were all sitting together and having a great time! Around and about, you can walk up to town in about 10 minutes, but there are regular buses for 1euro if you don't fancy the walk. Marina Grande itself is very Italian and the restaurants are all very good quality (beware of added service charges). In the day time we mostly sunbathed on Delphino's which is about 1 minute walk from the hotel and very clean for swimming in the sea - their seafood is really good. I woudn't recommend the beach (volcanic sand), but you don't need it, there are 3 bathing platforms to chose from and they are all good. We hired a speedboat for our last day and that really made the holiday - I would thoroughly recommend that! With regard to trips, we went on the thermal springs trip with Thompson - I wouldn't recommend that, you can easily do it yourself for half the money, as you can with most of the trips - Italy is really easy to get round, more or less everyone speaks English and transport is great. All in all I would say that Sorrento is Magic, and staying at the Hotel Admiral makes the holiday even more special.

We have just returned from staying at the hotel admiral in sorrento - we stayed for 14 nights and had the most wonderful time. The hotel staff couldn't do enough for us and our room had an amazing sun terrace with spectacular views across the bay. We got married on the 14th September in Cloisters - a truly gorgeous setting, and had our reception meal in Tasso Restaurant.

We spent 11 nights at the Admiral in late August 2006 for our honeymoon. On first impression the Marina Grande seems a little tired and scruffy. However, once you’ve been there for a day it seems quainter and is very genuinely Italian. We were lucky enough to stay in one of the rooms immediately above the bar and had an absolutely amazing view over the bay of Naples. It truly was the best view I have ever had from a hotel room. It really is worth paying extra for a sea view. The room itself was compact, without being small but the ceiling was amazingly high. This gave a roomy and airy feel and the room was kept very clean. The hotel itself was spotlessly clean throughout and we had a change of towels every day. The maid even tidied our shoes if we left them in a mess! The staff at the Admiral really made the holiday for us. They were amazingly friendly and nothing was too much trouble for them. They took pride in making sure that the guests were happy, well fed and entertained. Santo the bar man in particular is a real character and well worth chatting to. You can also expect a big smile and a handshake every night from Toninio the head waiter! The food on offer was nothing short of superb. My wife celebrated her birthday whilst we were there and our original plan was to go out into the town for a meal on the night of her birthday. However, a few nights of the food changed our mind and we ate in the hotel every night. Each night consisted of a choice of 4 starters (always including a pasta dish), 4 mains (always including a meat dish) and 3 desserts. Every meal which we had there was superb! We even had a few lunches in the hotel and their Pizza is better than some that we had in the restaurants where we ate lunch later in the holiday. Breakfast was also good, consisting of the usual continental fayre with some eggs and bacon thrown in. I must also personally recommend the lunchtime Gnocchi, it was simply wonderful. In the evening we relaxed in the outside bar area and enjoyed the views of the bay at night. The other guests and staff were so friendly and the drinks were so cheap so that we rarely went in to town. Sorrento town is a 10 -15 minute walk up a fairly steep hill, so the hotel is only for those who are fairly mobile. But this is the price well worth paying as there is not actually a proper road anywhere near the hotel, meaning absolutely no traffic noise. This is particularly good when you see some of the 4 star hotels on the very busy Corso Italia main road. The resort of Sorrento is excellent. The main street has the high street shops and the old town (known as the drains) has a great selection of the back street wood makers, wine shops, ornament shops, shoe shops etc. There is also quite a lot to see in the town from the Cloisters to the Cathedral to a number of pretty Piazzas and statues. The public transport links are also excellent with buses, trains and ferries providing easy access to any where within Campania or on the Amalfi coast. I would recommend to anyone to not do the organised trips with the travel operators and do the trips independently instead. We managed to do Pompei, Vesuvius, Herculaneum, Capri, Naples and Amalfi all by public transport with no hassle. (Though the road trip to Amalfi is not for anyone with travel sickness!) Overall we had a fantastic time and we cannot praise the hotel, resort or region enough. We never go back to the same place more than once, but this really is somewhere not to be missed.

We stayed at the Admiral from Aug 10th - 25th and had a superb holiday. We could spend pages describing the best things about this lovely hotel! Though it is a 3 star hotel is must have the BEST setting and views in Sorrento! It is situated right on the sea with views across the Bay of Naples that the other 4 and 5 star hotels must envy. The small platform with sunbeds is directly over the sea - to be honest you couldn't be closer to the sea unless you were swimming in it! The food at the hotel was excellent - we have stayed in Italy a number of times and this hotel held its own against all other 4 star hotels. There was an excellent choice of 4/5 choices per course and it was all Italien - we saw one bowlful of chips in 1 days! The puddings were to die for and the service friendly and professional. Well done to all. The staff were so friendly - we left feeling that we had made many new friends. The hotel is situated in the Marina Grande - a wonderful, quaint fishing harbour about 10 minutes walk from the busy town centre. It is like the land that time forgot - a real taste of Italy. Heaven. To watch the fishermen put their nets out at night in rowing boats and mend their nets on the quay side was a real joy. We could go on and on and on - The Admiral is a real find ----- can't think why we're sharing it!

12 september 2006. reviewer; a family who enjoyed their stay. we arrived in sorrento on the 29th of july and discovered a gem hidden in the marina grande area of sorrento. the hotel is situated on the sea and commands spectacular views over the bay of naples. T he rooms are comfortable and definatly when booking ask for sea views. The staff are friendly and very helpful and the food is good.There is a local bus which runs every 20 mins to the centre of sorrento and the local restaurants offer a wide range of local cuisine.In our opinion this hotel is well worth looking into if you are staying in sorrento.

The Hotel was pretty much as we expected from the Internet. The room was acceptable and clean if a little small. The towels were threadbare and the walls paper thin- as we found out at 4am from an argumentative couple. The position was just what we wanted away from the bustle. Walking along the harbour front I expected Sopia Loren to pop out from one of the balconies and launch into Italian. The breakfast was ok but the coffee was like soup with a taste of its own, maybe it was the water. I am gluten free and they kept a loaf of bread in the fridge for me but managed to lose one that I had asked be kept for our visit in Rome. That meant that I was without bread for 3 days at the latter part of the holiday. It was no great hardship but it was the blase attitude from the staff which really annoyed me. Shrugged shoulders as if it was my fault they had misplaced it! I think that I would have been very upset if I had paid a lot of money to stay there. Sorrento would have been much nicer if we hadn't have chosen to holiday the same time as the Italians. Something to think about.