Just arrived from a fabulous week in Sorrento, Italy from which I traveled to various sites on the Amalfi Coast. We had so looked forward to staying overnite in Ischia, as we've stayed in Capri in the past.
What a bitter disappointment!!! Firstly, the hotel is located quite a distance from the center of town. Secondly, the lobby is acceptable, the beach is right there, but oh boy! The room we were given was atrocious. The corridor had 3 lights of which only one was working. The room was painted bubble gum pink and the walls were decorated by the smashed bodies of insects which seemed to have been killed by years of past guests. The furniture was old, chipped and the veneer peeling away. The chandelier hanging from the ceiling was dropping down and the wires were exposed. I can't speak from personal experience, but this certainly looked like a scene from a "No Tell, Motel". Such was the condition of the room, that though the rate included dinner and breakfast the next morning, we decided not to stay. We did not want to gamble on what we would be served... We were offered another room that was measurably better, but we felt uncomfortable staying at a hotel that was obviously not well managed, clean or frankly very hospitable. We opted to pay for half the rate we were quoted, and left the island instead. After years of traveling stateside and abroad this was the first time a hotel was in such unacceptable condition. A real pity because frankly Ischia is lovely and we would love to go back. So traveler beware of those internet pictures and always keep your options open!