Villa Puolo Sorrento

The peaceful setting facing the Tyrrhenian Sea was lovely, and the rustic property is charming, surrounded by grapevines and trees including olives, pomegranates, kumquats, lemons and pomelos. The staff were generally delightful and friendly. I wanted to give Villa Puolo five stars, but several things made the stay frustrating, so I’m giving it three. Marko gave us incorrect directions to the bus stop and insisted tickets had to be bought in shops. We later found out you can pay by credit card on the bus. It was stressful having to go out of our way to find a minimart selling tickets. He also sent us along a small, secluded street that felt isolated and a bit creepy, with garbage around. We found a much safer route ourselves later. Room service and basic supplies were poor. On the second day, staff forgot to leave towels and even took away the first set. We found replacements in a hallway cabinet, since no one answered calls at night and there was no staff on duty to help. We were given just one roll of cheap, poor-quality toilet paper for the whole stay. Shampoo wasn’t replenished, there was no conditioner, and toiletries were very limited. There was no phone in the room. If you need urgent help at night, you’re out of luck, which felt unsafe and frankly dangerous, especially since the mobile signal in the area is poor. Keep your phones charged. I also asked for ice to keep my medication cool, but the kitchen staff said none was available. That was unacceptable for a guest with medical needs. The place has a beautiful rustic setting and genuinely kind staff, but the misinformation, lack of basic amenities and poor support fell short of what I expected. With better guest service and more attention to essentials, I think it could easily be a five-star property. For now, it’s three stars.

We were amazed by the view from our room, and this is the best place I’ve ever stayed. Enzo and the staff were really nice and helpful, even before check-in. I wasn’t sure how to get there from Naples airport, but they sent me the information quickly. For anyone coming from Sorrento station, I think the easiest option is the SITA bus, which leaves right at the station. With the EAV bus, you have to walk 5-6 minutes and find a stop that wasn’t easy for us. I’d definitely come back, and next time we’ll try dining with Enzo. I wanted to write a proper review because the one I posted on Expedia was interrupted and published before I’d finished it.

The breakfast was yummy, the views are stunning, and I’d come back to Sorrento just to stay here again. Getting to downtown Sorrento on foot is a bit of a hike, though there are several car services and buses to take you there. Make sure to hike down to the secret private beaches and visit marina de puolo. I recommend restaurant don vito for amazing seafood, beachfront views and very reasonable prices. Until next time!!

Puolo was a lovely place to stay, peaceful and away from busy Sorrento, with a local beach nearby and really friendly staff. Renting a car makes getting there easier.