Corso Italia 134, II floor with the lift, Sorrento, Italy | (888) 399-9863
Family-run property with homey atmosphere
On bustling Corso Italia shopping street
Easy walk to eateries, bars, port, and sights
Clean rooms have AC, hairdryers, and flat-screen TVs
Family Rooms available, plus some units have French balconies
Free substantial buffet breakfast with homemade cakes
Pretty terrace overlooking main street, plus a rooftop terrace
Lobby has a bar and piano
Free property-wide Wi-Fi
Washer/dryers, and a business center on-site
Cooking classes available with chef
Rooms are spartan and lack mini-fridges
No full restaurant or wellness facilities on-site
Due to location, noise can be an issue for some rooms
First opened in 1974, the mid-range Hotel del Corso is a family-run property with 26 simple rooms set along a main shopping street in the center of Sorrento. The property has a bed-and-breakfast feel, with antique pieces and photos of the family, plus a stellar homemade breakfast is free and served on a lovely terrace. Rooms are on the basic side, with little in terms of decoration, but they have air-conditioning, desks, hairdryers, small flat-screen TVs, and free Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, there are no mini-fridges. Other features include a lobby bar, rooftop terrace, washer/dryers, and cooking classes held by the owner who was a finalist on "MasterChef Italia." This is a low-frills property best suited to travelers wanting to be near all the action of Sorrento. For those seeking more amenities like a pool, consider Grand Hotel Aminta.
Scene
Family-owned property with homey, if low-frills, style
First opened in 1974, Hotel del Corso is still run by the same family, who also live on-site. The property is on the second floor of a building along a bustling shopping street, accessed either by stairs or an elevator. Interiors are homey, with family photographs, antique furniture, a book exchange, and gilded artworks on the walls. A lobby bar and piano add some vibrancy, though the atmosphere here is relaxed. Off the lobby is a lovely furnished and shaded terrace overlooking the street below. Another deck is found on the roof, with potted plants, wicker furniture, and views over the red-tiled roofs of surrounding buildings. Rooms and amenities here are on the low-frills side, but they're sufficient and the hotel's location is convenient. The elevator only goes to the hotel's main floor, so guests will need to take the original marble staircase if on the second or third floors.
Location
Along a popular shopping street in the center of Sorrento
One of the best qualities of Hotel del Corso is its location in the center of Sorrento, along a main shopping street, Corso Italia. It's just a four-minute walk from Piazza Tasso, the main square of Sorrento with restaurants and bars that have outdoor terraces. Sorrento's train station is a six-minute walk away, while the public beach is about five minutes. The Port of Sorrento, for travel to Naples, Capri, Positano, and Ischia, is under 10 minutes on foot. This is a great spot for travelers who plan on walking and using public transportation, but travelers with cars will need to find a parking lot.
Naples and its airport are about an hour away by car, while driving to Rome takes three hours.
Rooms
Simple rooms with flat-screen TVs, Wi-Fi, and safes, but no fridges
The 26 rooms here are all simple and low frills, with little in terms of decoration aside from some patterned wallpaper and fabrics in certain units. Expect basic wood furniture, lovely majolica tile floors, and high ceilings. Some rooms have Juliet-style balconies or full furnished terraces. Family Rooms will double beds and singles are available for up to five people. Due to the central location, rooms overlooking the street may suffer from noise.
Standard amenities consist of small flat-screen TVs, desks, air-conditioning, free Wi-Fi, small safes, and wardrobes. No mini-fridges are provided. Modern bathrooms have mosaic-tiled rainfall shower stalls, hairdryers, bidets, and hand soap.
Features
Lobby bar and free tasty breakfast served on terrace
All rates include a tasty, substantial breakfast buffet of cold meats and cheeses, homemade cakes and pastries, fruit, yogurt, coffee, hard-boiled eggs, and cereal. It's served on a pretty shaded terrace off the lobby with wrought-iron furniture. In the lobby is a bar serving espresso and alcoholic drinks. There's no full restaurant but lunch and dinner service can be arranged. Additionally, many guests opt for a cooking class with the owner wife Imma, who was a finalist on "MasterChef Italia." She also prepares breakfast. Up on the roof is another narrow terrace with wicker furniture and potted plants, plus lovely views of the distant sea.
Washer/dryers (fee), a business center, and free property-wide Wi-Fi round out features.