We recently returned from a bucket list family trip to Italy’s Amalfi Coast, with Sorrento being one of the highlights. And we opted to splurge for a stay at the beautiful Imperial Hotel Tramontano. So was it worth it? Let me tell you!
You can check the current rates for Imperial Hotel Tramontano here. We booked through Booking.com, because I like that I can rely on their customer service and generous cancellation policies. This is especially important to me when booking smaller properties that are not part of a global brand.
The Location
The location really couldn’t be more perfect! Imperial Hotel Tramontano is situated right on Sorrento’s waterfront with a gorgeous view of the Bay of Sorrento and Mount Vesuvius beyond. And yet it’s still very central – everything in town is walkable within a few minutes.
It’s also just a few minutes walk to the marina where you can catch a ferry to anywhere on the Amalfi Coast or to the lovely island of Capri. There is even a lift down to the waterfront that you can take for just a couple Euros. And when you see the walk down you may opt for that lift – it’s basically like walking a straight hike down a cliff!
Getting to Sorrento
If you’re coming in from Naples, you have three options. First, you can hire a private driver to pick you up and deliver you to Sorrento. This is the most convenient, but most expensive option. Alternatively, you can take the ferry from Naples to Sorrento. This will be less expensive but a bit more of a hassle as you will need to work around the ferry schedule and lug luggage along. And finally, you can opt to take the cirumvesuviana train (local train) from Naples to Sorrento. This will be cheap, but a bit unpleasant. The local train (different than the high speed trains that travel between major cities) tend to be crowded and are not air conditioned.
If you’re coming from Rome or another major city, you will have just two options. You can take a train – but Naples is the closest you will get on a comfortable high speed train. From there, you have the same options as above – ferry, driver, or local train. Or you can hire a driver to take you on the full journey. We had a driver pick us up from the airport in Rome and bring us to the hotel in Sorrento, which took about three hours. It was expensive, but worth the convenience and time savings for us.
Whatever you do, do not rent a car. Driving on the Amalfi Coast is not for the feint of heart. And even if you wish to drive, you will be hard pressed to find parking anywhere near your destinations. Plus, some areas and seasons restrict driving even further, having specific days for even or odd license plates to drive in the areas. Just don’t try it.
So now that we’re there, let’s talk about the hotel itself!
Our Room – Junior Suite with Ocean View
We stayed in a Junior Suite at Imperial Hotel Tramontano (you can check the rates here!), which I sprung for primarily because of the beautiful waterfront balcony. And yeah, it was totally worth it. The view is unbeatable – overlooking the beach clubs and the sea. We even had front row seats to fireworks from our balcony on two different nights!
The room itself had plenty of space, with a double bed plus some chairs and a bench for seating. Even with the luggage out on luggage stands, there was lots of room to walk around the space.
I was really surprised (in a good way) to find the third bed we had requested for my son had been set up in a little nook area by the balcony, away from the master bed. This is really nice for a little privacy for mom and dad! He even had his own robe and slippers laid out for him, which he thought was pretty great.
Now for the important stuff for us moms. There was a mini fridge, which was filled part way with mini bar items, but still had some space left to add our own water bottles and snacks. Definitely a plus! And there was a small safe in the closet which was nice for safely storing our passports and cash!
If you are looking for more details on the mini bar offerings, here is the minibar menu from our stay (you can click it to zoom in). I thought those prices were actually pretty darn reasonable for a fancy hotel in a very expensive city.
The bathroom was very cute with traditional tile and featured both a tub and a separate shower. There was even a big picture window so you could look out at the sea while getting ready for the day. What’s not to love about that?
Toiletries were provided, although I did opt to use my own. (See the picture below if you want to know what exact toiletries will be in your room). And there was a hair dryer – but the wall mounted kind – which I do kind of hate.
However, there was no coffee machine or kettle of any kind in the room, and caffeine was hard to come by at any reasonable waking time. You had to go down to the breakfast buffet when it opened, and they were very insistent that we stay rather than bringing coffee back to the room. I would have much preferred to caffeinate in silence in my room.
And finally – let’s take another look at that view. This is the real stunner here. We had a nice roomy balcony with a drop dead gorgeous view of the sea.
Hotel Pool, Restaurant & Amenities
There was a very charming pool area as well, which always seemed to have some seats available. There is a pool attendant to check people in and give you towels, which does eliminate the whole chair hogging issue you find at many places. So that was very nice.
I will say the pool was a little more adult oriented, with a calm atmosphere and lots of rules against jumping and the like. We joked that it was a “no fun allowed” pool. By the second day, we ran into a lot more families with kids there and the attendants seemed to chill out when it was mostly families hanging out.
Note that there is no water view from the pool area. It’s set in a garden area, which is very pretty but not as nice as an ocean view.
Restaurants
There are two restaurants at the hotel – one fancier restaurant with waterfront views and a more casual place by the pool. We only had drinks from the pool restaurant, which were really good and the bartender was very friendly and attentive.
I will say that the main restaurant had a beautiful oceanfront view. Look at that!
And here is a look at the menus from our stay, including the chef’s tasting menu, so you can get idea of the type of food they serve. (You can click on each page of the menu for a larger view.)
Breakfast
My husband is an avid lover of hotel breakfasts, so I’m giving breakfast it’s own section here. Breakfast is served in the fancier restaurant, which has truly breathtaking views. I mean really, I will eat whatever you want for breakfast if it’s served seaside.
The options were plentiful, but definitely leaned more to the sweet side. There were literally multiple tables of breads and sweets that I would personally classify as dessert. And nothing that would work as a grab-and-go breakfast, which is ideal for families with kids. I would have liked just some whole pieces of fruit (like apples or bananas) that I could snag and move along with my day, instead of sitting down to dine.
My husband also tried to venture down there for just coffee to take back to the room, and got arm wrestled into sitting down for coffee and coming back again for more coffee. I appreciate the sentiment, but really I just want to caffeinate in peace before I talk to the world. So ehhh.
There was also an option for room service breakfast at an additional charge. If that’s your jam, here is a peek at the room service menu from our stay. (You can click it to zoom in.) I guess we could have ordered coffee to the room this way as well, but we didn’t think of that in time!
Service
This really feels like a higher end hotel with the high touch service that goes along with that. Even before our arrival, the concierge reached out via email to assist with dinner reservations in town and had those ready for us upon arrival. Everyone was really kind and friendly, and helped with any questions we had during our stay.
We did end up missing one night of our stay here due to some flight issues, and that was a big bummer, especially since we were charged for that night. That’s rough when the room rate is nearly $1,000 per night. I did expect to pay it as it was past the cancellation period. But maybe a bottle of cheap champagne or something would have made me feel better about losing $1,000. Just the little things, you know?
But I would be remiss if I didn’t mention this one last item that I loved – my free pasta souvenir! Yes, in our room was this giant pack of fettucine pasta to take back home as a souvenir. And we definitely took it home. And ate it while we reminisced about our trip. It was delicious. :)
Would I stay here again?
Yes, I would definitely stay at Imperial Hotel Tramontano again. It was a luxurious experience, had a great location, and was family friendly enough that we felt comfortable. It’s on the higher end pricewise, but I felt it was worthwhile for what was probably a once in a lifetime trip to the Amalfi Coast for our family.
You can check the current rates for Imperial Hotel Tramontano here. We booked through Booking.com, because I like that I can rely on their customer service and generous cancellation policies. This is especially important to me when booking smaller properties that are not part of a global brand.
For a cheaper option, I suggest taking a look at Plaza Hotel or Hotel Antiche Mura on Piazza Tasso. These both looked very nice, but I do think the Tramontano had a much better location. And for a true five star experience, another option is the Grand Hotel La Favorita, which has a rooftop pool but no water views from the rooms. I had originally booked this one, but switched to Tramontano for the water view!