Due Golfi Grand Hotel - Sant'Agata sui Due Golfi, Italy 

Ours was a last minute booking, we were scheduled to visit Rhodes...however our tour operator went into liquidation a couple of weeks before our departure,prompting us to book a quick alternative. We secured a very reasonably priced week at Due Golfi, through First Choice holidays, and were not disappointed!. Hotel rooms spotless, staff friendly, helpful and efficient, food generally plentiful and tasty. We had local musicians to entertain us on two evenings, this was not Spain...no bingo or karaoke..it's just not that kind of holiday. The area is one of the most stunning that you will find anywhere, so much to see and do...just sit on your balcony or in the bar, and drink in the views,when you return from your days out. We dared to hire a scooter (we have a sports motorcycle at home), and I would definitely recommend this form of transport for getting around...but ONLY for very experienced riders. Please do not even think of hiring a car, the narrow mountain roads are a series of hairpin bends, and the Italian drivers give way to no one.....also do be very careful when TRYING to cross any road in this region. Due Golfi is around seven long kilometres from Sorrento, and the road is not straight..too treacherous to walk on. The hotel does have a courtesy bus, and the local bus stops outside the hotel, you must buy tickets before boarding, most bars or newsagents sell them. If hiring a vehicle, beware of parking restrictions, rules vary from place to place, and we collected a parking fine of 74 euros, whilst in Positano (no reduction for prompt payment). All in all, we had a wonderful holiday...incidentally we are a very active couple in our 50's. Do visit the area, and enjoy!

Location: Stunning views over Sorrento, worth paying a little extra for room with a sea view. Be aware that that there are partial sea, full sea and front of hotel/car park views. If you overlook the car park/road/front of the hotel, it could potentially be a little bit noisy. The hotel is located on a mountain side, about 20 mins above Sorrento. The local roads are quite busy with scooters, coaches and cars – so romantic walks in the local vicinity are not ideal. Having said that…the hotel offers a free shuttle bus to/from Sorrento town four times daily and the local buses are very good / reliable. So, if you want a stroll, going to Sorrento is a must. You can walk to St Agata, which is a small town nearby, but there are not many pavements and as previously mentioned, roads are busy. Rooms: Very nice and well equipped – free amenities including: flat screen LCD television, safe, hairdryer, very nice power shower and air conditioning. Also every room has a balcony and very comfortable bed. We could hear the lift slightly, but not enough to bother us. Free Internet use, adjacent to the main Reception was available. Communal Areas: Hotel has recently been re-modified and hotel looks very sharp and is extremely clean in all areas. Restaurant: Very spacious and upmarket with stunning views. They hold weddings at the hotel on the weekends, so guests may be in a smaller alternative room on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays – but this room is still very nice. You do get a little more noise from the weddings, but not enough to be that bothered about, we felt it added to the ambience. Food: We went half board and found the food to be very good. You only get three choices for starter/main, but we always seemed to find something we liked. Desserts were delicious, with two choices, one usually being fruit and the other a cake. Breakfast was continental. Pool: A bit disappointing as very small and it is located at the front of the hotel, therefore not making the most of the fantastic views at the rear. It is still fairly quiet, but you can hear the road slightly, however pool and surrounding area are very clean. Staff: 10 out of 10 – all the staff were extremely helpful, especially the receptionists. All in all, the hotel was very good, definitely 4* standard. We went with a tour operator and the excursions were very expensive. You can easily see the local attractions, Pompeii, Capri, Amalfi Coast etc, by using the local buses and trains, the receptionists are extremely helpful with information.