Caruso Place Boutique & Wellness Suites

The bed was comfortable, our room happened to be quiet despite the noisy area, and the location was central. But the security felt highly questionable, and being unable to get into the locked building late at night was a deal-breaker. We booked two nights but stayed just one, reluctantly. Along with another guest, we were locked out late at night. We checked in at 8 PM local time on September 30. The hotel is in a shared building where you ring a street-side bell to get access. At check-in, we were told someone was there 24 hours a day and that ringing 101 and the bell symbol would get the door buzzed open. Our room was on the fourth floor, the top floor, or fifth by US standards. The only lift was tiny and slow, and needed a physical key rather than a digital room key. We asked about the stairs, but were told they stopped at the third floor, leaving us with no escape route in an emergency. After checkout, they told us on WhatsApp there was a staircase they hadn't mentioned, even though we'd specifically asked. I never saw it, so can't confirm. Our hall door had a keypad, but once inside there was no deadbolt or chain to stop someone else with the code from entering while we slept. I wasn't happy with the room setup either. The balcony was shared with a kitchen accessible to anyone who could reach the fourth floor. A glass door, the room's only window, opened onto it, so anyone out there could physically reach the door. We kept it locked, but it felt strange. We went out for dinner soon after arriving. When we came back at 11:20 PM, another Caruso Place guest was outside with his young son. They said they'd already been ringing for 20 minutes. The boy looked very stressed, and I was upset too because no one was answering. We kept ringing, and the screen confirmed both visually and audibly that we'd entered 101 and the bell symbol and were calling Caruso Place. There was no answer. We called the hotel, messaged on WhatsApp, called on WhatsApp, and tried ringing other properties in the building. Nothing. This went on for another 20 minutes, making 40 minutes in total since the British guest and his son had started trying. We were stuck on the street with no way into the building or our room. Finally, a man from the hotel buzzed us in. He looked groggy, sleepy or drunk, and yelled that we hadn't rung or called. I'd been trying for 20 minutes and had the visual and sound confirmation the whole time, and another guest was doing the same. The "night porter" was rude and tried to gaslight four guests by insisting we hadn't used the right method. Yet it was the same way we'd used to get in at check-in, and the way that eventually got him to buzz us in. How was that our mistake? We couldn't move elsewhere at midnight, so we had to stay for that one night. The bed was comfortable, the room we got was quiet, and the location was central, but the security concerns and lack of late-night access made the stay unacceptable.

The coded entry was easy to use and felt secure, and the room itself was roomy, comfortable, and clean. Caruso Hotel is also in a really handy central spot, close to what you need and easy to get to. The staff were warm and professional, always happy to help. I had a great stay and would come back.

With the window facing Via Toledo shut, the street noise drops quite a bit. It can be loud there from daytime through late evening and again early in the morning, which comes with being on such a busy main road. The hotel is right in the center, near everything, and has large, clean, comfortable rooms and friendly service. A nice option if you want to stay in the middle of the city.

The rooms are small and laid out in a slightly odd way, but the service is very good. A decent boutique hotel if being right in the heart of Napoli is what you're after.