Grand Hotel President

The food was barely warm, both at breakfast and dinner. You couldn’t get tap water with the evening meal unless you bought a bottle for €4.50. The courtesy bus also wasn’t free after 6 pm, when each person had to pay €2 each way, and the 11 pm bus had been removed from the schedule. I was very disappointed and definitely won’t go back.

The staff were very friendly and helpful, and the food was great. Our room didn’t face the sea, but it was spotless and spacious. The pool area was neat and clean, with a good restaurant beside it for lunch. You do need the free shuttle to get between the hotel and town center. It takes about ten minutes, though traffic can be congested.

The views are spectacular, and the staff were friendly. Antonio, the shuttle driver, was excellent and made the ride fun. Margarita, our room maid, was also excellent and friendly. Breakfast was very good, though we chose to eat at the many good restaurants in Sorrento rather than the hotel. The bar’s wine list wasn’t very good. We stayed six nights in late September. The shuttle was full most of the time and runs hourly, so you have to plan ahead. Without it, a taxi to Sorrento costs around €35-45 each way. The drop-off near Hotel Ceasar Augusto is about a ten-minute walk to the main piazza and twenty minutes to the ferries, with lots of steps, so it’s not suitable for elderly people. If you arrive by ferry with luggage, you’ll need a taxi to the hotel because of all those steps. The pool and jacuzzi weren’t heated, which disappointed us. A semi-warm hot tub indoors costs €20 per person for two hours. We paid €200 for two for an afternoon with a massage and hot tub. Our room was small but adequate, room 264, overlooking the parking lot. It got chilly some nights, and the rooms only have central heating, which wasn’t turned on yet for the season. Grand Hotel President was fine, but we probably wouldn’t stay again. The hotel depends heavily on its free shuttle. We’d choose to stay in Sorrento next time for the convenience and the city’s own lovely views. This hotel felt overpriced and barely four-star, apart from the view.

The staff were amazing. The waiters were fun and remembered us, the food was great, and there were lots of breakfast choices. Lunch by the pool was excellent, and the shuttle worked perfectly. We went in October, when it was warm. We had a sea view and balcony, but the AC wasn’t on, so we had to ask for a fan and left the balcony doors open most nights. Even from so far uphill, there was a lot of town noise, and the walls were thin. Bring earplugs. Poolside rooms below the restaurant may also get noise from chairs being dragged across the floor early in the morning before breakfast.