Best Western Hotel La Solara

Located on Via Capo, 118 – Sorrento, Italy 80067

GRADING
Overall Score: B
Staff: A
Room: B
Amenities: B
Recommended?: Yes

Overall Impression: Solid mid-level hotel outside of town with clean rooms, ample room to lounge, decent amenities, and a polite staff.

Outside of downtown Sorrento, in the lush tree-covered hills, you can find great lodging at Best Western Hotel La Solara. Tucked into the hillside, the Hotel La Solara has only 58 rooms, providing the benefits of both boutique and larger scale hotels; visitors here will find Italian charm and hospitality along with multiple amenities to suit their liking.

Upon check-in, we were met with friendly staff members and a bellhop who attended to our luggage. Ocean colors dominated the surroundings, and there was plenty of room near the registration desk to lounge.

Room

Because I have a family of four, we booked a quadruple room; this room has a double bed and a set of bunk beds. The room itself served us well; it was clean and the bathroom was a good size. We initially had a problem with our room key not opening our door, but a quick trip down to the front desk fixed our issue as staff helped us out. In the room, there is not a lot of space for luggage, but there is a double closet with sliding doors. Decor in the room is minimal, but was satisfactory for our stay. There was a complimentary bottle of olive oil found on the counter of our room, but as it was already opened, we did not use it or take it.

This room also had a small balcony with room for a small table and a couple of chairs. We didn’t have a view of the sea, but it was still nice to have an extra place to sit or dry wet clothes.

Within the room, you can find:

• Wall mounted tv with satellite channels
• Stocked mini-bar
• Drawers
• Small desk (incorporated into counter area)
• 2 wall mirrors
• Air conditioning
• Nightly turn down service, that includes a chocolate on each pillow
• Safe in closet
• Telephone
• Extra wall hooks
• Hair dryer
• Free wifi

Our double bed in the room made for a few cozy nights of sleeping (just too small for my taste). My children slept on the bunk beds and didn’t like the mattresses at all; the mattresses were much too hard for them.

While in the hotel, I found that the wifi wasn’t very good. The ping was acceptable, but the download speed was incredibly frustrating. See the results of my speed test below.

Bathroom

Within the bathroom, guests will find toiletries, as well as a hairdryer. Plenty of towels were provided for us which was a big plus! The bathroom contains a bidet, in addition to a tub shower. Also, a makeup mirror is provided. I was very pleased with the cleanliness of the bathroom. As there is only a sink and a few small corner shelves, additional counter space would have been nice to have for our three-day stay.

Pool

The pool and surrounding deck of the Best Western Hotel La Solara was clean and inviting. In addition to the main pool, there is a foot rinsing mini-pool, a children’s pool, a sun terrace, as well as dining available poolside. Pool amenities include:

• Complimentary towels, lounge chairs, and umbrellas
• Bar/Food waiter service on deck
• Pool is heated to 85 degrees
• Pool side food and drinks available at snack bar
• Children’s pool, also covered by large umbrella

While on the additional sun terrace that’s adjoined to the pool, you get a nice view of the Bay of Naples. It’s definitely a great location to soak up the sun or catch a view of the sunset.

Other Amenities

In addition to the pool, there are other amenities available for you at the Best Western Hotel La Solara. Outside one of the sitting rooms adjoining the lobby, there is an outdoor seating area. Access to the lobby bar is close by.

In addition, just past the pool snack bar seating area, there is a grassy grove. In this garden area, there is a ping-pong table, foosball, benches, chairs, lemon trees, olive trees, and beautiful flowers abound. It’s a lovely area to sit, relax, and breathe in the sea air.

There is a small fitness room with treadmills and weights also on property. However, if you are looking for a spa experience, you’ll have to head into town. The Best Western Hotel La Solara recommends visiting Ulysse Spa (an affiliate spa) in Sorrento.

If necessary, the Best Western staff is also happy to help coordinate a tour for local attractions like Pompeii, Mount Vesuvius, or the Amalfi Coast. Simply ask at the front desk and they can assist you with your planning.

Shuttle

Because the Best Western Hotel La Solara is about 2 miles outside the heart of Sorrento, guests need transportation to get into town. The hotel offers a comfortable, clean, and reliable shuttle bus to get to Sorrento.

The shuttle service to and from Sorrento is every hour, from 9am-11pm. Departures from the hotel leave on the hour, and pickups in Sorrento are on the :15 of the hour. Drop off and pick up are at the same location – at the bus stop where Via degli Aranci crosses over Via Fuorimura. (This shuttle bus driver has amazing skills driving in the hills of Sorrento; he has to back the shuttle bus uphill, on a narrow, steep driveway, just to get us passengers to the hotel entrance!)

Dining

Some hotel rates do include dining on-site; however, we did not opt for the hotel dining plan. We did eat at the pool snack bar and had a lovely small meal with good service. On the hotel’s website, they state their kitchen serves fresh ingredients, local Campania cuisine, as well as international dishes. Vegetarian, gluten-free, and kids meals also seem to be available. For breakfast, there is a full buffet.

Final Thoughts

I debated on whether I should give this hotel an A, since my family and I were pleased with it. However, I graded it a B because of the wifi speed, uncomfortable bunk beds, minimal counter space in the bathroom, as well as minimal dining options. Nothing stood out as exceptional while we were here, but everything was better than average.  Affordable lodging is hard to find in Sorrento and this hotel provided us with a good room at a good rate.

I hope this helps in your travel planning for Sorrento. This is such a beautiful area of Italy and is definitely not to be missed! Leave a comment below if you’ve stayed at the Best Western Hotel La Solara and let me know how you liked it.

Happy Travels!

Julie

sources: lasolara.com, oyster.com, lasolarahotel.com

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSaveSaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSaveSaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave