First I want to be clear, the staff of the Villa Roma in Minori is amazing. We love everyone we worked with at the hotel. What I want to review is the GATE ONE OFF SEASON (January) travel package which includes a stay at the Villa Roma.
Nothing is open in January so be prepared. 95% of the businesses and restaurants close in January and February. It is very cold, and the restaurants and businesses that are open, including Villa Roma, were very cold. The owners and staff of the businesses were in coats and gloves inside the buildings. The businesses close at 1:00 in the afternoon and reopen at 5:00 in the afternoon. So the prime, warm, sun time, when you can be outside is when everyone is closed. We were severely jet lagged coming from Ohio, so by the time we were out and about businesses were closing. Many businesses did not reopen after 5 even.
The hotel Villa Roma was sufficient. Nice location. Average to slightly below average room, with a rock hard bed. The first night in the hotel was so cold that we slept in our coats, scarves and gloves. We had to request heat from the front desk every morning, as they control the heat at the front desk. That being said, we loved the staff. You can't beat the
location.
With jet lag, business being closed for off season, and businesses closing mid-day for 4 hours, I would not reccommend taking the GATE ONE Villa Roma Amalfi Coast vacation in January. The vacation package is too short to get past the jet lag (also they are six hours ahead of Ohio). It is too cold to be enjoyable, and the businesses rarely use heat. It is one thing to have businesses close from 1-5 when you can go to the beach and hang out, it is quite another when it is too cold for the beach and there is nothing to do from 1-5.
The last kicker was that Gate One only offered a return flight at 7:00am. So either you go to Naples and pay for a hotel room there the night before as well as you prepaid room at the Villa Roma, or you get up at 2:00 am as we did and drive to the Naples airport, an hour and a half away, to return your rental car, and catch your flight. We did the 2:00am scenario, and our only exit on the coast to Naples was closed for the night. We drove for 3/12 hours at 2:00am to find a new way to the Naples airport. We finally made it to the car rental lot, and the shuttle service to the airport doesn't run that early. So we had to carry all of our luggage 1/2 a mile in the freezing cold darkness to the airport. Don't do that. Suck it up, if you go, and pay for two hotel rooms in order to stay in Naples and be closer to the airport for your 7:00am flight.
All in all, take your hard earned money, and go to Italy's Amalfi Coast in the spring or
summer. Don't do the discount vacation package from Gate One. There is a reason it is discounted!!!!!!!!