Villa Mariagiovanna

We arrived for a two-night booking for four people and found a room of about 10-12 m2, already cramped with a double bed and an unmade third bed. The heating had only been switched on when we arrived on 31.12, and the bathroom was freezing. There was no soap either. When we pointed out we'd booked for four, the landlord suggested taking out a small table and squeezing in another bed. We said it was unacceptable to pack four adults into such a tiny room, and were told we shouldn't complain because the area near Sorrento is expensive. They also wanted 10€ per car per day for parking, even though nobody else was there. It felt like they wanted to squeeze every penny from customers and didn't care about their experience. The location overlooking the gulf of naples is great, but I'm Italian and travel across the Country often, and I've never felt so ripped off. We canceled and booked somewhere else, where we could have a warm room with enough oxygen to breathe at night instead of feeling like chickens squeezed into a hall. Never again.

The views over Naples, Pompeii, and Vesuvius were excellent, and Maria Giovanna greeted us so warmly and got us settled into a large, spacious room. We stayed just one night, but it was a real joy. The one snag was the driveway. It's one way, and on the weekend we were there, lots of cars were coming and going to the nearby pub. When we returned from dinner, we got stuck on the main road waiting for people to leave.

The first thing we liked was Frank. He was friendly and showed us around, though it came at a price. He also damaged our suitcases, so carry them yourself. The breakfast was just cake and croissants, nothing special, and we wouldn't recommend this place. We stayed at Villa Mariagiovanna for just under a week. The welcome was nice at first, but the location is far out if you want to explore the coast, so a car or bike is essential. The Booking.com photos weren't realistic either. We expected the large wraparound balcony shown in the first photo, but it's only for the most expensive room. The wifi basically doesn't work, so tourists should bring their own sim. Nobody at the villa speaks English. We understood that we were in a non-English-speaking country, but costs weren't made clear. We were told to leave our small vespar inside the gate, where there was plenty of room, then learned at the end that parking cost 50 euros. Transfers were also 60 euros for a round trip to town just five minutes away. They don't take cards and expected cash for these high prices without warning. When we said we were rushing to catch our train, the owner became aggressive and rude. It left a very sour taste. Other guests told us they were also struggling with the language barrier and the lack of help from the owners.

We visited in April, when it was a little cold. The rooms had no heating apart from the air conditioning, and there was very little shampoo, so we had to buy some. The breakfast was basic, just bread, some kind of merenda, and coffee. For the price, I expected better service. The location was good, though reaching the parking lot through a very narrow street was difficult. The rooms were very clean and the staff very friendly. They don't speak English, but we managed to communicate.