Palazzo Jannuzzi Relais

This small and elegant boutique hotel was built in 1852 as the home of the Jannuzzi family, who were well known for their inlaid-wood production business. A shop on the ground floor of the building sells these items, as well as other local artisanal products. The exterior of the three-story red and yellow building is charming, with potted plants out front and awnings over the windows. Inside, the lobby is sunny and bright, with yellow and white walls and a yellow-and-white checkerboard front desk. A pair of white monkey statues sit on the desk and welcome guests -- it's a fun touch that helps give the hotel it's playful vibe. Yellow armchairs with black-and-white cushions invite guests to sit and linger, while large black-and-white artwork adds a bit of drama to the white walls. The atmosphere is pleasant and homey, and it feels more like a handsome private home than a hotel. All sorts of travelers are drawn here, for the hotel's style and its location in the center of the action, but it's especially popular with couples. 

The hotel is located in the center of Sorrento on one side of the busy Piazza Tasso, the city's main square. In summer, the piazza is closed to cars in the evening and it becomes a large pedestrian zone with lots of tourists and people walking about. The location is ideal for visiting the center of the city as well as for reaching the port for private or public ferry rides to Capri, Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast, Vesuvio, and Naples. It's also close to train and bus stations -- Sorrento Station is only a five-minute walk from the hotel's front door (guests with luggage can take a taxi, but the drive can, in fact, take longer). The closest part of the Amalfi Coast, to the southwest of the Sorrentine Peninsula, is a 30-minute journey from the hotel by car. Naples International Airport is about an hour away by car, or two hours away by train or ferry. 

The hotel's 12 spacious rooms are each a little different, but all are modern, fresh, and fun. They share a common bright color scheme that consists of sunny yellow, black, white, and gray -- bold stripes and checkerboard patterns are dominant in many rooms, though others -- like the Deluxe Triple Room we visited -- have bold all-yellow tiled floors that are truly eye-catching. Furnishings are minimalist and modern. Accents include funky black and white sculptures of monkeys, horse heads, birds, and frogs plus wild wall art like the outsider-art-inspired painting of an erupting Vesuvius in the Double Room with Terrace that we saw. All rooms come with air-conditioning, minibars, flat-screen TVs, safes, and tea- and coffee-making facilities. Bathrooms are equally bright, with the same yellow, white, and black color scheme, plus walk-in showers, bidets, hairdryers, makeup mirrors, robes and slippers, and toiletries. Some rooms have lovely furnished balconies with potted plants and views of the plaza below. Although the hotel is in the busy main square, rooms are well soundproofed and quiet when the windows are closed. 

A delightful breakfast with handmade pastries, cooked items, and local fruits is served daily in the sunny breakfast room or out on the lovely terrace with potted plants and umbrellas. Previous guests rave about the offerings and say it is the best breakfast in town. The breakfast room is bright and cheerful with fun sculptures, like cats and mice, and roosters and hens. Black-and-white art hangs on the walls. For guests who like to sit outside, a pleasing sun terrace provides lounge chairs and a sofa-and-chair group. Views are of the city and the sea in the distance. Cooking classes can be arranged. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel. Aside from that, for a four-pearl hotel there are few on-site features and the hotel lacks a restaurant of its own (though there is a restaurant downstairs), a fitness center, or pool. The hotel's Jannuzzi Shop is also located downstairs, selling the family's well-known artisanal goods.