Hotel Saint Raphael

The entrance to this simple, Mediterranean-style hotel has a large panoramic terrace with seating and marvelous views of the town of Sant’Angelo and the sea. The terrace is a popular place for guests -- who are mostly couples and some families -- to relax, which is the name of the game at this hotel. Blue ceramic floors cover the basic lobby that's set with light wood furniture and blue patterned couches. A flat-screen TV hangs on white walls, as does landscape art, and there’s a lovely chandelier by the front desk. The lobby bar is lined with tall, light wood chairs, while the pink table-clothed restaurant with frilly blue curtains has a wood-beamed ceiling and walls of windows with delightful sea views. The spa feels distinctly like a hospital. There are medical charts on the walls and a worn green leather couch in the lobby. Most areas throughout the property look dated and there are a few upkeep issues that need to be addressed here.

The Hotel Saint Raphael is on a quiet hill in Barano di Ischia in the southern part of the island. Maronti Beach, one of the most popular on the island, is a 20-minute walk downhill, and can be reached in five minutes by car. There's little in the immediate area and Barano isn't the island's most lively town. The hotel overlooks one of the most charming villages on the island, Sant'Angelo, though a drive through the hills will take 20 minutes. Cartaromana Beach and the Aragonese Castle, an iconic Medieval structure that juts out from the sea, take up to 20 minutes to reach by road, while Castiglione Thermal Park, San Montano Bay, and Negombo Thermal Park are within a 25- to 30-minute drive of the hotel. There is no airport on the island, and the closest is in Naples. Trips by ferry to the Italian mainland, including Naples, take up to an hour and 40 minutes. 

Ordinary, bright rooms have classic blue-and-yellow floral tile throughout as well as green patterned bedspreads and pink walls. Decor is outdated, though, and the white-washed furniture is the cheap kind found in hotels across most of Ischia. Small flat-screen TVs are mounted on the walls while minibars are hidden inside mid-tone wood desks. All rooms are air-conditioned and some have balconies with seating and exceptional sea views. Small, traditional bathrooms also have floral-tile floors in addition to unattractive blue formica countertops and white-and-blue tile showers. The pump soap dispensers give the bathrooms an unfortunate budget feel, and we spotted dirty, moldy grout in the showers when we visited.

Brown tile surrounds the edges of the free-form outdoor thermal pool, which has a bridge over it and is surrounded by plants. The pool itself has some dirty tilework at the bottom of it and could use a deep cleaning. There's also a round indoor thermal pool with lounge chairs and a wall of windows. Traditional Mediterranean cuisine is served at the on-site restaurant, as is breakfast, which includes coffee, biscuits, pastries, bread, jam. All food receives mostly good reviews and there is a lobby bar serving beer, cocktails, and snacks. On certain nights, there is live entertainment and the hotel's terrace becomes a popular place to gather with drinks. Inhalation and thermal therapies plus massages and mud baths are available at the clinical on-site spa, while the lobby has a computer station. This hotel is pet-friendly with restrictions, and there is a free shuttle to Maronti Beach, though it doesn't run very frequently. Additionally, there is a daily fee for the limited on-site parking. Wi-Fi is free throughout.