Not just any 5 star hotel....
We didn't realize how unique Parco Dei Principi was until Giovanni shared his passion and history of the hotel with us. We've stayed in Sorrento before and this holiday took us from NYC, Nice and Monte Carlo... to end with a 17 night stay in Sorrento, so we wanted something different that gave us access to the sea but flexibility with a pool, tranquility for which to recover from demanding careers, a place set away from the tourist chaos of Sorrento, good food to spoil us, a view of the sea and a uniquely memorable place ... not just your standard 5 star bricks and mortar hotel .... and Parco delivered in every way and more.
The under valued gem of this hotel is it's history. History that was shared with us by Giovanni who so generously gave of his time and allowed us to share in his passion for this Gio Ponti work of art. Every detail of this hotel is like no other... it's a creative masterpiece of craftsmanship brought to life as a specialist genre of its own. Yes, it speaks of Art Deco but it's more than that. The hand made circular ceramics on the facia of lifts and bar, to the multiplicity of tiles in each room (a thickness that is different than standard tiles), the colours, fabric, furniture design and more... it's like stepping into a different world.
Added to the architectural brilliance of Parco is a botanic garden with plant species from all over the world!!!! Driving from the gate to the hotel you are enveloped by a botanical paradise. Something to soothing the soul as you enjoy the bird chatter and soak up the Italian sunshine.
When we arrived Andonella made us feel so very welcomed and throughout our visit she assisted us to ensure our visit was fully appreciated.
Breakfast was included so every morning we enjoyed and expansive array of foods. And of course we were always treated by Antonio who made sure our coffee cup was never empty. Such an asset to the Parco team... his smile was infectious and manner extremely professional yet made us feel special!!
Our room was a special treat. We booked a deluxe sea view room. The 180 degree view took in the cliffs on the right, Mt Vesuvius and complete coast of Napoli, Ischia, and village of Sorrento to the left. There was a constant flurry of cruise ships, super yachts, fishing boats to keep us constantly entertained. It was immensely relaxing enjoying local cheese, meats, olives, tomatoes and vino from our post on the balcony. And the care to which Felicia took in ensuring our room was always cleaned to the highest standard was very so very appreciate. She even parked our shoes, all lined up like littles soldiers neatly against the wall. It was rather funny but very much appreciated.
And the tomatoes.... our second morning we meet Salvatore in the breakfast room. We asked about the cheery tomatoes because they were so sweet and delicious. He gathered up a small bowl and presented them to us to enjoy with our cheese and wine. He said they are grown special for the hotel.... what a generous thing for Salvatore to do and truly enjoyable experience.
While we were at Parco we took Giovanni's welcomed advice and toured Sorrento and Path of the Gods with Nino. In between we went to Capri, Positano, Ravello (highly recommended), Herculean (by train and very hot) and more. Ciro drove the shuttle bus which took us from Parco to the bus station (near train station) so we did not have to walk the 2 km to Sorrento. We are so grateful for his advice and guidance in which way to go to get to where we were going.
Staying at Parco Dei Principi was an exceptional experience in its self, but what really impressed us (extensive 5 class world travels) was the staff. Their attention to detail and exceptionally professional manner and generous gift of their time ensured we had a 5+ star experience and holiday. Our sincere thanks!!!!
There are only two comments that we can offer for improvement and that would be: 1)if the water pressure in the shower could be strengthened, and 2)there is a stone bench in the garden that we would have liked to sit on but couldn't because it needed cleaning. I saw the bench on the web and thought it would have been a nice place to enjoy the garden. In fact a few spots to sit in the garden would be lovely.
Warm regards, John and Barbara