Rarityart Guest House

Breakfast at the nearby cafe was delicious, though after five days of chocolate croissants I can see why Massimo joked we'd gain two kilos. He was very accommodating. We stayed in the Monet room, with Botticelli, Van Gogh, and Renoir rooms also available. The bed linen was lovely, the room comfortable, and the shower was large. This quirky, art themed guesthouse is a short walk from the beach and close to Salerno's strip of bars and restaurants. I'd have given it five stars with a street view, instead of looking onto other buildings.

The room could have used a deeper clean. We found ants, silverfish, and mosquitoes, and scaffolding on the building blocked the bedroom view. Massimo, Anna, and the cleaning lady, whose name I didn't catch, were all very sweet and helpful. They made things easy and arranged a taxi to the station for our departure. From our room we could see the sea, and we enjoyed tea on the balcony looking over the promenade. The main part of town, with its shops and restaurants, was an easy walk. Breakfast vouchers were offered for nearby cafes, for a pastry, coffee, and orange juice. That didn't suit us, so we talked to Anna and she provided plenty of food for us to prepare ourselves: bread, cereal, milk, biscuits, fruit, juice, eggs, tomatoes, cheese, meat, and yoghurt. There's a tabacchi opposite where you can buy bus tickets, and the tourist port is a ten-minute walk away, with easy connections to Amalfi and elsewhere.

RarityArt made it easy to feel at home and safe after a long day, and we really enjoyed staying there. The breakfast tickets let us visit a nearby bar restaurant. I'm quite picky about sweets and cakes, but the pastries were so fresh and tasty. Massimo met us at the door and was incredibly kind. He gave us lots of tips, marked places on our map, and even showed us where and how to book tickets. I'm glad we followed his suggestions. Taking the boat to Amalfi and having dinner at a very classy seafood restaurant were among the best parts of our trip.

The rooms and location were great, and the air conditioning worked really well. The setup, service, and amenities were all top notch. I'd give it five stars if there hadn't been flies hovering around the whole time and a stale smell in the hallway.