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Change of hotel Sorrento
Got notification yesterday that Tauck changed our Sorrento hotel from the Grand Excelsior Vittoria to the Hilton Sorrento Palace as the Excelsior could not accommodate our group, This is for early May. We are terribly disappointed as we were looking forward to staying there during the tour as well as the 2 days prior to unwind from the travel. Any feedback on the Hilton? From photos -looks like a typical Hilton or Marriott (the rooms at least) and not the luxury and beauty of the Excelsior not to mention location and view.
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I haven't stayed at the Hilton, but since it is on the hillside below the mountains you should still have excellent views of the sunset, Vesuvius, Bay of Naples, Ischia, and Capri, etc. It looks nice and more modern than many places.
Our small group stayed at a smaller hotel, La Grande Hotel Favorita, which is just a few blocks from the Excelsior and a stone's throw from the cliffside park, a favorite spot where locals come to watch the sunset. It had great views and was close to the lift (elevator) that takes you down to Marina Piccola where the ferries to the islands and Naples dock.
I can't say for sure, since we haven't been thee, but it looks like the Hilton has a major issue, however- Google maps shows that it is located further inland and quite a number of blocks and not an easy walk (especially returning to the hotel which is all up hill) from the main part of town where all the shopping, including ceramics and wood inlay (intarsia) stores, and restaurants are located. That would be a bummer to me. La Favorita and Excelsior are much more conveniently located just a few short blocks from the heart of town.
Hello CaroP, this was our first Tauck tour in 2016 and our pre-night stay was at the Hilton Sorrento Palace for one night. Our room had a beautiful view of the Bay of Naples. We slept really well there and thought it was a beautiful property. It was a bit of a walk into the commercial area, maybe 15-20 minutes. The return up hill was not too bad as I recall. Maybe there is a shuttle? The next day we were moved to the Grand Excelsior Vittoria which is indeed a beautiful old-world property, just like you would expect for Italy! But even though our room was beautiful, we did not sleep well because the room was very stuffy and warm, and we were not able to open the windows due to our proximity to the bar which was loud until late. Being newbies we did not think to ask for a room change.
In any case I don't blame you for being disappointed but hopefully it will be comfortable and enjoyable at the Hilton.
CaroP, do you know if your hotel change is just for your departure date, or for the whole year?
Wan, the email from Tauck was "they could not accommodate our group".
Well if you find out any more please let us know. The reason why I ask is because, maybe I am being a pessimist, but I have this tiny feeling that the overall hotel experience is not going to be the same in Europe going forward as it once was.
Example: We were in a Northern European fancy hotel in late September and the nights were very cool. We thought the thermostat in our room was not functioning and when we called it to the attention of the staff, we were given extra blankets and a space heater. Clearly the issue was that it was either not yet the season to crank up the furnace, or possibly the date was moved up due to rising energy costs in Europe. I know that the energy scarcity is a huge problem for small businesses. So I was just wondering if your hotel was changed because they couldn't honor their original contract or if it is merely just that someone decided to book a huge wedding for that time and your group got bumped. The fact that it took so long to confirm the contracts makes me think that the overall pricing in Italy has sky-rocketed. I am just wondering if we are looking at the start of a trend as far as hotel switches.
I suppose if it bothers you enough, could you book the Excelsior on your own for your pre-stay? Whatever you do, I know you will have an enjoyable trip.
Hi All:
It seems that all of the Classic Italy (large groups) are having the switch from the Grand Excelsior to the Hilton. I say that because our Travel agent reported that whether we went on this Tour in May (which is now when we are going) or in October (our 2nd choice), the Hilton would be the Sorrento Hotel.
Best gelato my wife and I have tasted.was in Sorrento Do not remember the name of the store. Typicall small store. Was in downtown area. I do recall a shop that sold hand-made wood items. Wife bought a beautiful oval tray with in-lays. This store was on a corner and the gelato shop was down the side street. Lovely area to just walk! I know this topic has nothing to do with your question about hotels
One activity I undertook during this tour- "Flavor-a-Day". Each day on tour I had a different flavor of gellato!
Some days I had two flavors and if I missed a day, I doubled-up the following day. There are a lot of strange flavors of gellato!! 