Grand Hotel Moon Valley

I stayed four nights on a half-board basis, in one of the few single rooms. The mixed reviews had kept my expectations low, but I was pleasantly surprised and found it excellent value for a short break. My room was at the end of a long corridor. It was spacious enough, had a large bathroom, small fridge, and safe, and was cleaned every day. Its position at the edge of the building made it fairly quiet, though the soundproofing was poor. I can imagine it getting noisy when the hotel is busy, especially with large coach groups arriving and leaving. There’s a large pool and plenty of indoor and outdoor common areas to relax in, with a great view over the Bay of Naples and Vesuvius. The food was better than I expected from the negative comments. Breakfast had a wide selection of sweet and savory dishes. Dinner was typical Italian home cooking, with three choices for each of the three courses. Some dishes missed the mark and it wasn’t haute cuisine, but it was fine overall. The location works well if you’re using the hotel as a base for Pompéi, Herculaneum, and Naples, either on public transport or with organized tour pickups. There isn’t much nearby for anyone who likes to stroll around a town, so it may not suit everyone.

We were a family group of four: Grandad, me, and two children aged 6 and 8. From our 4th floor family room, we watched the sun rise over the mountains from the large balcony. The views were incredible, with impressive mountains on one side and the bay with Vesuvius on the other. The gardens were beautiful and extensive, with pomegranate trees, cacti, lizards, birds, and, in the evening, bats and owls. It’s a lovely spot for nature. The clean, modern pool area had outdoor showers and plenty of seating. The water was really too cold in October, but the children still went in and enjoyed it. There’s also a free shuttle to Sorrento. Book it for the next day when you arrive. The drive itself is lovely, and the driver stopped near a scenic spot for photos. You can arrange a return trip too, and I’d highly recommend using it. The service was amazing. Our room cleaners were friendly and attentive, and the bar staff were lovely. Salvatori was a great bar host and brought bar snacks with our drinks, which was especially nice after the children had been playing. The waitresses worked hard in a busy restaurant, and any issues were sorted quickly and without fuss. Soft drinks were around 3 Euros, and a glass of wine cost around 6 or 7 Euros. Breakfast had a wide selection, including bacon and eggs, pastries, cereal, pancakes, yogurt, and fresh fruit. We filled up and sometimes skipped lunch. There were plenty of excursions to choose from, and some leave from the local harbor, reached by a free shuttle. Dinner needed to be ordered at breakfast, and the menu was limited to three starters and three main courses. There was no children’s menu. The food options were fine for adults, but the children struggled a bit since it wasn’t especially child-friendly. Nobody went hungry, and the children liked the desserts and pizzas. The staff offered to work out something the children would like, though we didn’t need that. I can see it being difficult for picky eaters. The walk down to the Pompeii train station takes about 5-7 minutes, but there’s no ticket booth, so we used the tap-on, tap-off option. Trains run every half hour and go right to the entrance at Pompeii, which was excellent. They were absolutely packed, though, so we had to squeeze in. It was uncomfortable, even though the trip was short, maybe 20 minutes at most. There were no conductors on the train, as you couldn’t really move around. One thing to keep in mind is the busy road. It can feel scary, but the roads in this part of Italy, including central Sorrento, are busy. People don’t always stop at crossings, so stay alert. I don’t think it would have been different at another hotel. We also got bitten by mosquitoes in October. All in all, I’d recommend this hotel, especially for solo travelers.

I booked directly with the hotel for a solo room while meeting friends who were on a package tour. As usual, traveling alone was expensive, and I was put in an annexe room with no outdoor seating, which was a shame. The pool area and facilities were fantastic and clean, and the views were stunning. The service was great too, with a lovely bunch of people. Special thanks to Marianna, who seemed to be everywhere keeping things running smoothly, Salvador at the bar, and our waitress Enza. One thing to know is that the hotel often hosts events. The baptisms were lovely, but the 18th birthday parties got very loud, with outdoor DJs and fireworks after midnight.

We’ve stayed here twice with our family and have never had a bad meal. The food is good and local to the area. The pool and gardens are beautiful, with a lovely view over the Bay of Naples. Staff are welcoming, and the restaurant waiters and waitresses were especially superb, particularly Marianna and Marta.