Eliseo Park's

We stayed in early September. The hotel is nice, but it and the rooms are very dated. Be careful showering while standing in the bath, as it’s slippery. Some guests asked for slip mats and were given them. The food was poor. Starters were soup, pasta or a salad of lettuce and sliced tomato, and the roll was rock hard with no butter unless you asked. Mains over the week included pork, dreadful fish, chicken in a red wine sauce that was more like gravy, and strips of liver or chicken. You might get only four to six chips or wedges, and the carrots tasted tinned. We had greens one night and peas another. Desserts looked OK, but I’m not a dessert person so can’t comment. Other guests staying at the same time were appalled too, and like us, went out to eat on a couple of evenings. The breakfast described in an earlier post was accurate, but the scrambled egg sat on a warming plate the whole time, along with sloppy bacon, if you can call it that. As soon as you sit down, they expect you to choose from the menu and order your evening meal. The sitting room is too small when the hotel is busy, there’s no music or entertainment, and drinks are extortionate. A shot of spirits costs €6.50 and a small bottle of Coke €4.50. Ask for the bottle, as for the first three nights we weren’t given it but were still charged for it. At the Mediterranean hotel overlooking the sea, which is upmarket, you could pay €12 and get a far better shot of spirits with complimentary olives, crisps and nuts. Tony’s bar in San Agnello charged €6 for a large spirit and Coke, with crisps, nuts and a warm welcome and chat. One evening after 10pm we asked the porter for another drink and he said, “another drink,” which was rude. The owners should review the food and update the hotel to bring it up to a better standard.

I was on an escorted tour and had already paid for breakfast and evening meals. The evening meals were poor, so we ate at a local restaurant twice. Having to do that after paying for the meals as part of the holiday was an imposition. I wanted to clarify this in response to your comments on my first review.

The hotel is a 20-minute walk from Sorrento centre, on a quieter side road off the busy Corsa Italia. Watch the traffic and use the crossings. Scooters can slip alongside larger vehicles, so don’t try crossing near lorries or buses. St Agnello centre is about ten minutes away on foot, with a chemist, local shops, a supermarket and a station for trains between Sorrento and Naples. From Sorrento port you can take boats to Naples or the islands. You can’t see the coast from the hotel, but a five-minute walk to the end of the road gives you a magnificent view of the Sorrentine peninsula, Vesuvius and Naples opposite. Limoncello is sold everywhere in Sorrento, so try it before buying. We were made to feel welcome by all the staff during our seven-day stay, and we really enjoyed it. The rooms are simple, clean and nicely presented, with a bathroom. Italian beds are firm, and rooms tend to have single beds, sometimes pushed together as a double. Balcony or roof terrace rooms have chairs and a table, though the outlook depends on which side of the hotel you’re on. Rooms have WiFi, a TV, a small fridge and a hairdryer, but no kettle, tea or coffee. There aren’t many plug sockets, so an adapter with charging ports or an extension lead is useful. Bathrooms mostly have a bath with a tap and shower head, basin, toilet and bidet. The outdoor pool is only open in summer. For half board, breakfast is a self-serve continental buffet with a reasonable range for a small hotel: bread, pastries, meat, cheese, fruit, yoghurt and cereal, plus juice, tea and coffee. You choose dinner at breakfast from three first courses, three second courses and dessert. The menu changes daily and uses local dishes. We enjoyed the meals, which were well cooked, though portions are small. This isn’t the place for lots of choice, large servings, fast food or processed food. There’s a small evening bar, and an outdoor bar when the pool is open. Local hotel tax is charged separately, so budget for it. Drinks go on your room bill and are paid the evening before checkout. You’re asked not to bring food into the hotel or eat it in your room. There are local places to eat nearby. Il Ruttini around the corner is hard to miss, and they call out to welcome you in. It’s worth a visit for lovely food at reasonable prices, with large portions.

The free shuttle stops right outside and goes straight into Sorrento, which was a lifesaver when the heat made us want to save our steps. Shops, restaurants and the pier are nearby too, so we could walk to everything. The pool was a dream on hot days: it was never busy, we always got a bed, and there’s a shower, toilets and a little bar for drinks or snacks. We spent lots of time relaxing there. The terrace upstairs was another favourite for drying clothes and watching the sunset, even though we hadn’t paid for a balcony. We stayed full board, with breakfast and dinner. Breakfast was a buffet of hot and cold choices and fruit, and the coffee was delicious. I liked being able to make it myself, since I take it quite milky. At dinner you choose from three options for each of the first and second courses, so we got to try different things. The food was freshly cooked and high quality, and we left full every night. I’d worried after reading reviews that portions were too small and people left hungry, but that wasn’t our experience at all. We even got dessert every night. The chef did a great job. Our room had everything we needed and that vintage Italian feel. The beds were a bit firm, but not too bad. There wasn’t a kettle, which was a little disappointing at first, though we didn’t need one with such lovely Italian coffee. Cleaners came every day and changed towels when we wanted. The staff, from reception to the restaurant and cleaning teams, were so friendly and always met us with smiles and grace. They did everything to make our stay special, and we can’t thank them enough. My friend and I had the best two weeks at Hotel Eliso Parks and are sad to leave. I’ll miss the people and the food. We’d strongly recommend it, especially to young adults looking for a more affordable stay with all the amenities. Be nice and you’ll get it back. That simple. Jess & Bartek x