Grand Hotel La Sonrisa

The included breakfast was nice, and Pompeii is about a 20-minute drive away. The property feels pretty dated, though, and has a strange atmosphere unless you’re there for an event. Just so you know, the pool is open only from 7 am to 1 pm.

The Sunday receptionist was the one bright spot. He understood why we were frustrated. We had planned to stay a week, but left before even 24 hours had passed. The place feels old and dirty, and the pool was dirty too. At breakfast, it seemed like we were being served food left over from the previous evening’s events. Our room was also disturbed by a phone ringing in the corridor at 11:15 pm, then again from 7 am, with nobody ever answering it. The receptionist working Saturday the 26th was really unfriendly and made us feel right away that we were in for a bad stay. This was the worst experience in a “5 star hotel.” You can find a much better place than this poor one.

The Castle, the main building at the center of the venue, is enchanting, so it’s a lovely setting for special events, especially weddings. Guests will love it. The staff are thoroughly professional, and the food is top class, thanks to excellent local ingredients, preparation, and originality.

The staff didn’t speak English, and when we asked about laundry the receptionist didn’t understand us. It hadn’t been done when we returned that evening. Breakfast was alright, though be prepared to have a couple of suited staff members watching you. The place felt eerily quiet and almost abandoned during our two nights there. The only other guests we saw were a birthday group on our first night. Their music blasted late, and walking around the grounds made my husband and me feel like we were crashing their party. The pool was open for only a couple of hours in the morning, but the creepy atmosphere put us off swimming. The interior is extremely tacky and dated. Maybe it was stylish in the 70s, and some people may still like it, but it felt over the top to us. There are lots of good reviews, but please read the bad ones before booking.