Grand Hotel Vanvitelli

The staff were so friendly and welcoming, and when the old shower in our first room didn’t work, they changed us to a more modern, comfortable one without any fuss. Some rooms are old fashioned, though. The pool area was very nice, and breakfast was good, but it got quite crowded on some days. There are a couple of great restaurants nearby. The location isn’t ideal: the hotel is by a major highway, far from Naples, and there isn’t much to do in Caserta. You’ll need to drive or be ready to take the bus, train, or a taxi.

The spa and couples’ massage were excellent, the staff stayed polite and courteous, and the location was beautiful. Those were the best parts of our May 1st weekend at Grand Hotel Vanvitelli. My wife and I booked the “Reggia Package,” with Royal Palace of Caserta access, spa access, the massage, two nights, and one dinner. We also upgraded our room in advance for a jacuzzi, hoping for a more complete, relaxing stay. The jacuzzi didn’t work. After we got back from the magnificent Royal Palace of Caserta, someone from staff came up, tried for a while to fix it while getting instructions by phone, then said it couldn’t be fixed. He apologized and said reception would hear about it. Reception never got in touch. The included dinner was also awkward. The restaurant staff apparently hadn’t been told it was part of our booking, even though we’d reserved more than a month earlier and already had a table assigned. We had to ask if the dinner we’d paid for was included. They checked and confirmed it was, saying reception hadn’t informed them. The “included dinner” also meant a very limited daily menu, and the food was as uninspiring as the communication between departments. That evening, as we tried to leave the garage for dinner, cars parked badly in the hotel courtyard blocked the exit, including a maintenance van. Reception apologized and said one car belonged to a guest they couldn’t find and no one was available to move the van. Again, there wasn’t really a solution. When I raised everything later, the receptionist was kind and apologetic, and offered to remove our only extra charge, two soft drinks at the bar. It was a symbolic €8 gesture, I suppose. I was told the hotel manager would contact me to discuss how to “make up” for the inconvenience, and was given the same assurance at checkout the next morning. Several days have passed, and the manager is still as hard to find as the owner of the car blocking the garage. I waited a couple of days before posting, hoping management would call as promised at checkout and explain how they meant to “make up” for the problems. Even a simple phone call didn’t happen. This stay gave us plenty of anecdotes, when we’d expected to relax. There’s a worrying pattern of disorganisation, poor internal communication, and no real problem-solving when something goes wrong. I hope the review doesn’t hurt the reception or room service staff, whose professionalism and courtesy are probably why I haven’t rated the stay even lower.

A handy stop between Pompei and Rome for us, though we didn’t visit the town. The hotel is just off the highway, which may not feel restful, but inside it stayed peaceful. It has old-school classical decor, spacious rooms with balconies, and easy outdoor parking. My outward-facing room was surprisingly quiet. Breakfast had a large spread, with very good breads, full pastries, pancake machines, ham, bacon, and eggs. The hotel could be beautiful if it were kept up a bit more. The bathrooms were already getting grotty, and the mattresses were very hard. Towels and sheets smelled so strongly of detergent or bleach that it was unpleasant. The small plastic kettle and two little instant Nescafé packs in the room felt like a sad contrast to the old glamour.

I only got to stay here for the second night of my flight delay, after the airline put me up, and I wish I’d had both nights. The hotel has such lovely opulent beauty, with a relaxing atrium and a lovely spa. The pool was officially closed for the season, though the pool area still looked nice. Front desk staff were helpful and kind. The Royal Palace is only 2 miles away if you have time. Seems like a great place for a conference.