House Aragonese Ischia

Don’t be fooled by how pretty it looks. Our stay was horrid: the rooms are tiny, there’s no fridge or AC, the TV doesn’t work, and there isn’t even a trash can. The staff act like they’re being forced to be there. And the balcony? So bad. I’d give it a lower rating if I could.

The food was good, but I wouldn’t stay here again. There’s no Wi-Fi, mobile data doesn’t work, and the rooms have no air conditioning, only noisy fans. No bathroom key, no fridge, and no elevator. The bathroom’s thin glass window near the top lets everyone in the hall hear everything. There’s no chlorine or water filtering in the pool. They empty it in the evenings, apparently to stop people using it, then waste about 16,000 liters refilling it each day. It’s far from every beach, and the uphill walk takes a lot of energy. They choose your food for you, with only one alternative if you don’t like the daily menu. We were told breakfast and dinner were included, but only when we arrived did they say dinner drinks cost extra. There are three dessert choices, but they told us they couldn’t serve dessert if we were the last to get to our table. Even if you say you won’t eat dinner at the hotel, you still have to pay for it. You have to get to breakfast early too, since they won’t let you in after around 9 a.m. There are about 10 parking spaces for over 40 rooms. Staff were mean, and they tried to avoid taking card payments to avoid paying the right amount of taxes. If you aren’t locked in, they come into your room. They walked in while I was changing and didn’t apologize.

The rooms on the top floor have a beautiful view, and the sea is about a five-minute walk away. Ischia Porto is walkable too, though it takes around 35 minutes. Be ready for very large food portions and a fairly late dinner, served from 8 p.m.

I’ve been coming to Ischia each autumn for six years, and I keep choosing Aragonese. The food is a real plus, especially dinner. There’s plenty of fruit, and you can swap the usual pasta for a huge fresh salad. The staff are always friendly and ready to help, and the hotel is spotless and beautifully decorated. It’s in the historic part of the island, about a ten-minute walk from the sea and the beautiful old castle. There’s a good-sized pool with warm thermal water in a lovely garden, changed every other day, plus a comfortable rooftop solarium with sea views for the hottest part of the day. For the quality and price, I’m sure Aragonese is the best place in Ischia. Marina, Moscow