Ratings based on 66 Verified Reviews
4.4 Room cleanliness
4.6 Service & staff
3.9 Room comfort
4.0 Hotel condition
Expedia Verified Reviews
Recommended
for Couplesby A verified traveler from UK
History and beauty
Posted Jul 10, 2017
Pros: The sense of elegance and history is unbeatable. And the views are amazing (though this is true elsewhere in Ravello too).
Cons: It wasn't always easy to persuade the shower to deliver hot water. And although the restaurant is good, I felt it was trying too hard to be creative.
Location: Ravello is the jewel of the Amalfi coast - high on the cliffs with shady gardens and amazing views. The Villa Cimbrone is the best spot to visit.
Having not stayed here for 25 years, I was nervous to see other reviewers describing it as a bit tatty and run down. But they miss the point. True, there are some damaged floor tiles, some cracks in the walls, and the painted ceiling in the back of the first dining room is beyond rescue. But these are original features dating back several centuries, and the hotel could easily be ruined by updating them.
The lobby features a high ceiling with ecclesiastical-style arches - I believe parts of this date back to the 11th century. Walking upstairs takes you to the elegant top floor public rooms. At the top of the stairs are two large windows with spectacular views eastward down the coast (this is one of the highest points in Ravello, though the Caruso must be even higher). The tiled floor here consists of a charming map of the region. You walk through two beautiful sitting rooms, with a roof terrace outside, and into the main dining rooms. The first has a large oil painting of St. John the Baptist at the back, and an impressive painted ceiling at the front. The second is an elegant space with a domed ceiling, and beautiful mouldings around the doors highlighted in saffron. This leads through to an outside terrace where you can eat with the same extraordinary views down the coast, though at some risk of being pestered by wasps. There is a shady garden below with the same views, and the service is generally impeccable. I certainly hope to return faster next time.
Recommended
for Everyoneby A verified traveler from Washington DC
Nice place. A little dated, but clean
Posted Jul 5, 2017
Pros: The view
Cons: The rooms need updating.
Location: This hotel is cliff side, which is nice, but most of the more interesting things to do nearby require a cab or bus ride.
The hotel is a little out of the way so it can be a challenge to get to. But nice place, clean, and friendly staff. To get down from the mountain there are only two ways, a bus ride that you won't forget easily or a very expensive cab ride.
by A verified traveler
Posted Jun 4, 2017
Pros: The hotel is beautiful.
Cons: Management needs to be honest with their guests. Weddings are booked a year in advance and we should have
been informed at the time of the booking.
Location: The
It's a beautiful hotel with a lovely garden area overlooking the sea. Our room overlooked the garden
and the sea. Sadly, we couldn't use the garden area because weddings and parties were held in the garden. The first wedding did not end until midnight. The hotel has a responsibility to inform their guests that the property is being rented out.
by A verified traveler from Arlington, VA. USA
Toilet Broken; Uncomfortable Bed; Noisy
Posted May 14, 2017
Pros: MariaAngela at the front desk was wonderful! She assisted in getting us tickets to a sold-out concert that was the primary reason for our stay!
Cons: Customer service. Partial refund should have been made. At checkout told us there was an upgraded room with balcony and sea view but were NOT offered.
Terrible mattress, which had no padding. Felt like sleeping on a cement slab. Could not sleep the first night. Informed front desk night staff but due to language barrier had to wait until next day to resolve. Could barely walk/function after the uncomfortable night. Toilet did not work either. When returned from dinner on first night were informed that housekeeping during the turndown service identified an issue with toilet, which no longer flushed with the lid on. It was working fine when we checked in and left for dinner. Offered to switch rooms but did not have a comparable room with a balcony and sea view, which had been prepaid. Declined to move since it was midnight and only staying one more night, did not want to give up the balcony and sea view. The toilet did flush without the lid when the lever was pushed. Next day maintenance attempted to fix. When we returned from lunch, the toilet did not work at all. We had to put our hands in the tank/water to flush it. Told hotel it was worse. Again offered to move us to another room with no balcony or view. We declined again for same reasons. Our last morning were awakened by a crew of workmen repairing the terrace on the level below at 8:15 am. All what we wanted to do was sleep in since we didn't sleep the night before and enjoy the view eating breakfast before checkout. Impossible with noise, smell of paint and workers partially blocking view. Hotel refused an adjustment at checkout. Not worth the price!
by A verified traveler from Scotland
Super expensive hotel
Posted Mar 30, 2017
Pros: Checking out felt great!
Location: Ravello is lovely and well worth a visit.
We paid for three nights in a standard room during off season. The room was not cheap but as we had booked a five star hotel we didn't mind paying that little bit extra. When we arrived the hotel staff were friendly and spoke excellent English. Unfortunately it all went down hill from there. We were shown to our room which was situated in the basement. The roof was extremely low - I am 6ft and had to stoop to move around. Although we were given a room with a jacuzzi bath, there was no shower! I raised my objections to staff and was told that as the hotel was empty (there were two other rooms occupied) we should be able to move room the following day. We tried to make do with a bath that day but the plug did not fit the drain and as such the water kept draining away. This was raised to staff who said that the issue would be addressed the following day (there is a common theme at this hotel). The following day I once again asked to be moved rooms due to lack of shower facilities. We were told this could be arranged for an extra €230 per night! We refused to pay any extra and opted to stay in our cave with minimal washing facilities. On day two we realised that all English channels on our TV had been encrypted. We brought this to the attention of staff. Guess what? It would be fixed the following day!
Recommended
for Everyoneby A verified traveler from Brisbane, Australia
The view and Hotel is breathtaking
Posted Dec 22, 2016 on Wotif
Cons: Some minor furnishings néed repairs
If you've ever seen the beautiful picture of the AMALFI Coast and wondered where they were taken from....there is a fair chance that they may have originated from this Hotel. Words cannot describe the view (Sunrise along the Coast....and this was taken in Winter) from our Bedroom Window. Some of the furnishings are showing their age....but that is easily overlooked when you consider where you are and the view.....
by A verified traveler
Posted Dec 14, 2016 on Hotels
I've read reviews saying this hotel was run down so I was a little apprehensive. All for naught. I thought the patina of age added tons of character and kept it from being sterile and fake. I'm not a fan of big-box, same-old same-old hotels, and the Palumbo oozes old world charm. The building is from the 12 century; it looks lived in but well loved. Some chairs might be a bit threadbare, but there was no lack of comfort. The multiple levels and stairs made it difficult for my older aunt to navigate - the town is built on a sea cliff with very few flat spaces, so beware before deciding on Ravello if that's a problem. And I couldn't get over the views!!!
The rooms were clean, the beds were like clouds, the bathroom floors were heated, they provided Hermes bath products. The staff was exceedingly gracious, especially with the somewhat demanding aunt I mentioned. All our requests were handled immediately and we had everything we needed or wanted. One person at the desk even offered to help with my Italian!
by A verified traveler
Posted Oct 31, 2016 on Ebookers
Beautiful views and ideally located but a tired and somewhat run down former grand hotel.
by A verified traveler
Good location
Posted Oct 5, 2016 on HotelsThe rooms need upgrading but they were clean and pleasant. There are no elevators so there are many steps to rooms. If you have a problem walking it is not the hotel for you. Restaurant was very good.
by A verified traveler
Excellent location deferred maintenance
Posted Sep 29, 2016 on HotelsGreat location, great views, very good staff. Property needs maintenance. Bathroom had some mold and cracked tile. Room looked like a 2-3 star.