Villa Durante

Our host was charming and helpful, and made lovely breakfasts. The historic building is extraordinary, and the bedroom frescoes made it feel like we were inside a Herculaneum villa. But I'd think twice before booking. Since there's no double glazing, street noise can be loud in the largest corner room. More frustrating was the poor upkeep: a lampshade wasn't secured and fell on my head, there were no bedside tables, the toilet wasn't firmly fixed to the floor, the sink plugs were missing or didn't work, the bed squeaked, and the armchair was broken. The list goes on. I sympathize with the owner of a listed building, but many of these things could and should be fixed.

We had only one night here as a stop on the way to Athens, but really enjoyed our stay. The restored frescoes were incredible, and the place felt like a royal home from the 1700s or 1800s. You can tell the owner has put a lot of love into the building. We also had a wonderful view of the setting sun from our room. The location worked well, with plenty of restaurants in walking distance and the Archaeological Park of Herculaneum close enough to walk to. I was glad we had time to visit. Our host was gracious when we ran late, which I felt bad about. I hadn't realized there was no front desk on Sundays, and unfortunately our messages weren't getting through.

My mother and I spent two nights here on our trip to Ercolano. The beautiful historic villa and the staff made it a wonderful start to our trip. It preserves a moment in time but still has some modern touches. Thank you, Villa Durante. We'll be back!

We loved having breakfast in the grand room of the Villa, it made us feel like Italian aristocrats. The staff were fantastic, and staying here was a great way to experience a real Italian city while visiting Pompei and Herculaneum.