B&B Art Suite Principe Umberto

Being right by Naples Centrale made getting to places like Caserta and Pompei easy, so I’d recommend this if you’re passing through Naples. We stayed a few nights on our interrail trip, and the place suited what we needed: a private bathroom, working aircon, and a fridge. Getting in was a bit daunting at first since you have to call on WhatsApp, but the operator spoke perfect English and clearly talked us through it.

There’s no breakfast here, despite the B&B name. When I called to ask, they said breakfast wasn’t offered in our building. Luckily, some nice bakeries are only a five-minute walk away, with pastries for €1. The fourth-floor stairs are tough, and the advertised lift didn’t look sturdy enough for us to try. I wouldn’t suggest staying here if stairs are a problem, you need a quiet room, or breakfast is a must. If you’re physically up for it and want a lovely room to come back to, I would recommend it. We had a great room with a nice view over the traffic. It was loud, but we didn’t mind, and it didn’t keep us awake. There was a fridge, safe, aircon, and plenty of towels. The housekeeping staff were friendly and efficient, and when the toilet seat and shower head broke, customer service sorted both by the time we got back later that afternoon. Everyone was polite and quick to help. We looked forward to returning to the room and felt completely safe inside. The start of our September stay was a little rough, though it ended amazingly. We arrived early but couldn’t check in, which was understandable. Since this is an apartment converted into a B&B, there was nowhere to leave our luggage, so we had to carry it around until check-in. The location is handy for buses, trains, and the metro, but we didn’t feel fully safe until we were inside the big wooden doors. Check-in is all done by phone, which was inconvenient because the connection inside was so poor that our calls kept dropping.

Procida was clean and quiet, with windows facing the home patio. We felt safe, even though the neighborhood was busy and there were many foreigners from Africa around. Police were visible on every corner. Anna was kind despite our early arrival, and they helped arrange a taxi for 4 in the morning at the quoted price.

The suites themselves were quite nice. Our room was large and clean, and the bed was comfortable. The building looks off-putting at first, and it’s a lot of steps to reach the floor unless you can work out the elevator. There’s steady traffic noise and honking until just before midnight, so light sleepers should bring earplugs. Breakfast is served in the suites’ hallway, with the usual Italian coffee and sweets. As a diabetic, I can’t stomach that first thing in the morning, so I was out of luck until the local shops had more savory food after noon. Plan ahead and buy fruit or a sandwich if you don’t want lots of sugar in the morning. There’s a mini fridge in the room, but no cups or cutlery, so bring your own. The area is pretty bad, and I grew up in a rough neighborhood. I wouldn’t walk around alone here at night, or even during the day. There isn’t much around besides little shops and lots of Africans hanging out on the streets. The metro is less than a five-minute walk away, though, and takes you to the city center.