Enjoyed a late season week with wonderful weather . We were with 6 friends and were made very welcome by all the staff, especially Antonio and the waiters in the dining room. The rooms were all with a paid-for sea view and one of them had a huge terrace on which we were all able to gather for drinks to watch the sunsets. Excellent buffet breakfasts each day and a varied dinner menu. We were the only English guests at the time - the others being mainly Italian and German.
Would thoroughly recommend for an off-season break. Easy access to the beach, local restaurants and a frequent bus service all added to the convenience of the location.

We very much enjoyed our stay here. Great position - handy for buses into Ischia and practically on the beach. The pool was lovely (very warm, ideal for me!) with plenty of sun loungers around it. When we wanted a change in scenery, we walked a few steps to the beach where there were always sun loungers available. The hotel has a lovely terrace with views over the sea (ideal for an aperitif) as well as lots of places inside to sit and relax. The food at the restaurant was very good and the service excellent. For lunch there are plenty of beachside bars/restaurants; the two we frequented served excellent food at reasonable cost, in addition to having an excellent seaview. We did ask to change rooms after a couple of days. This was dealt with professionally and we were moved to a nicer room with a shower over the bath (our original room had a very small shower) and a much more pleasant outlook.

We spent 4 nights at the Smeraldo and wish we could have stayed longer. We had a family room (0ne douple and two twins) and although small and in the back of the hotel (no views), it was fine as we did not spend much time in the room anyway. Temperatures exceeded 100 degrees each day we were there so I was very concerned about the AC.....not to worry it worked just fine... and even got too cold at times. We thought long and hard about saving a few bucks and booking at their sister hotel San Georgio terme. I'm glad we didn't....even though it is close being right on the water at the Smeraldo was well worth the extra $$. Especially if you have just a few days. The spa under the hotel was amazing!!! The entire family spent a lot of time down there...just got to try to keep the kids quiet...but the staff was understanding. Speaking of the staff...very professional and looking to please and serve you at every turn. They were amazing!!! I will say that very little english is spoken here. I made my best effort at using what little Italian I learned and they tried hard to understand me :) Not rude in any way, very accomodating but might be an issue for some. German is the main "other" language.

Don't miss St Angelo...a couple of Euros and they pick you up right on the beach with a water taxi and take you over. My son did some cliff diving over there with the locals....so much fun. Suggest eating at the pirate restaurant at the dock...good atmosphere and amazing views.

Also don't miss the Paradise Restaurant up the hill to Testacchio (sp?)...if you can get a table outside on the cliff overlooking Maronti beach you will feel like you are in heaven!!!! Stop in Testacchio on the way to or back from the beach at Bar Gina for a cold beer, expresso or lemoncello!!!

This hotel is home away from home for all European travellers as well as savvy Americans looking for Great Food, Great Service, Warm Family Style Hospitality at $Reasonable Rates. I highly recommend a stay for all looking for a relaxing, yet exciting True European getaway, to heal all that ails you!!!