Hotel Il Gabbiano

The room was my main concern, and it didn't disappoint. Bacoli is beautiful, and the view from my room was breathtaking. The hotel had a continental breakfast, though there were lots of sugary foods. Getting the room I'd booked and paid for took a debate with the front desk, which wasn't easy as a foreign visitor to Italy. For me, the service fell short, though it seems like an Italian problem. The location wasn't ideal either: no room service, the restaurant closed quite early, and the hotel was far out and up a hill, so walking anywhere wasn't possible. Taxis were uncommon there and took a while when called. Be prepared to have a lot of patience with this experience.

The staff were helpful and welcoming, the rooms were fine, and the view was wonderful. It's a nice place, but quite isolated, so having a car is preferable. From there, the interesting tourist spots in the Phlégréen fields are nearby.

We had a really nice time here. The food was great and had options at different prices, and the seafood pasta was delicious. The staff were friendly and focused on guests. It's a beautiful hotel right on the beach, with a bar, restaurant, and clean pool. Visitors staying at other hotels can get sunbeds for 10 euros for the whole day.

The restaurant has a fantastic view, good food, and good service. But events happen every day and night, and hotel guests take a back seat to event guests. That was a pattern throughout my stays. The hotel is basically an ordinary hotel operating separately from the 4+ star restaurant, and its events take priority. Parking can be unpleasant too, especially with some incredibly rude parking specialists. The rooms have fantastic views but are plain. I actually liked the old rooms better: they had tile floors and pretty bathrooms. The renovated ones feel cold and boring, with faux-stylish decor and dark bathrooms that are gloomy from both the dark walls and floors and the lack of enough light. My last stay was in June 2019, and the desk clerk made it bad. There are three clerks, and one is very nice, but the cold, uncaring, unhelpful one seemed to be there the whole time. I saw another guest come back from the desk and tell their spouse, “unfortunately it was the mean woman who was there again….” I've stayed here several times over the last 10 years and probably won't return. You can still have an enjoyable stay, but there are a lot of things missing, especially in customer service for hotel guests compared with restaurant guests.