Napoli Relais

We arrived in the middle of the night and there was nobody there to let us into the apartment building. We had to call someone who was miles away. The B&B arrangement already felt awkward, and then he insisted on an extra 20 Euro for two people, even though the bed was the same size. He said that covered another towel and a croissant, which was just a prepackaged grocery store croissant worth 1 euro. Coffee cost another 1 euro, despite this being a B&B. It felt like every little thing came with a charge. I'd book a proper hotel instead.

Ettore was incredibly kind and gave us useful restaurant and sightseeing tips. The rooms were cleaned meticulously every day, and the shower had plenty of pressure. Breakfast is very simple, so if you wake up hungry, plan to eat somewhere else. The hotel is quiet and quaint despite being in a busy neighborhood. It's just steps from Napoli Centrale, which made it a great base for Pompeii and Herculaneum. The area can look sketchy, but I never felt unsafe, even coming and going at all hours.

Our room was clean and in pretty good shape, though on the small side. The manager was helpful and accommodating. The steel entrance door and its five deadbolts looked intimidating, but we didn't have any problems. The hotel takes up a small part of the second floor in a rather run-down residential building, a setup that seems fairly common in Italy. Reception is behind a locked door, so you need to speak to the man at the ground-floor desk to get access. There were vendors and people hanging around the neighborhood, but they didn't bother us.

Getting around was easy from this location, and the rooms were clean, new, and comfortable. Breakfast was alright. Outside can seem a little scary at first, but that was just an impression. Ettore was such a good host. Recommended.