Domus Sorrento

First off, Trip Advisors info on this isn't correct (address I mean). I am not sure if they've moved from in previous years but it's actually at Via Cesarano, 5, 80067 Sorrento, Italy. We actually found this listing on Expedia, which is odd because it is clearly a vacation rental and I was not aware that Expedia did that. We did have trouble finding this place at first because my map app on my phone had trouble finding the address. So best to find that and possibly print it out before you go. However, the experience itself was amazing. Like a previous review mentioned, there are some things you must prepare yourself for. One, there is wifi downstairs at the common area table, but not in the unit. Or rather, we never had any. Perhaps it was our 3 devices, but I think not. Our hostess spoke no english, but we managed to communicate just fine. She was an amazing and friendly hostess. They even bought us a pizza one night when we were eating a light meal around the table outside. The unit is upstairs and you have the sometimes-use of a very small elevator or a short walk up stairs. BUT... It's worth it because you will be treated to the most amazing views of the Bay. The apartment is very cozy. We were three (my mom, my daughter and I) and my daughter and I shared the bed and my mom had a sort of pull out cot. She said it was very comfortable and we thought the bed was just fine. There is a/c in the room which was great, because we were there in late September and it was still pretty warm. The shower is small, but otherwise the bathroom is very comfortable. There is no washer IN the unit, but I believe we could have had access to one. We chose to hand wash though, and our hostess (I think her name was Amanda, because that's my name and she was communicating that it was the same.. but maybe an italian version?) let us use some soap for that. Plenty of towels and linens. No cutting board (I agree with the previous review that this is definitely needed as is the peeler). Okay, now for the nitty gritty: It is a walk from the main area of Sorrento. No joke about it. We walked that walk a couple times a day each day. Sometimes there is no side walk. Walking it at night was a bit stressful. Having said that, the drivers were very cautious and actually, we were far from the only people walking to hotels up on the hill there. We simply bought a few groceries from the many grocers around to have our breakfast in the room in the morning, and then made the beautiful walk down. All the tours we booked, only one didn't pick us up from the hotel. It wasn't a very long walk to the main area, maybe 10-12 minutes. It IS definitely harder going back up. But we reasoned that we were eating more pasta and sweets (hello pastries and gelato!) so the exercise was appreciated. I took an umbrella to keep the sun off. There is also a taxi stand where a taxi would be easy to get (although we never took one so I don't know how much that would cost). Plus, previous review mentions the roosters: Yes, they were pretty consistent with the 5:30am wake up call. But since we use white noise apps on our phones (I sleep with white noise all the time since I'm a light sleeper) I only heard the roosters on the mornings that we needed to be up at 5-5:30 anyway. So, if you don't like the idea of having roosters wake you up, check your smart phones and tablets for an app that has white noise. So all in all if you're able bodied, this was a fantastic find. I mean, seriously.. I'll post some of the pictures of the view from our window and adorable patio. Plus the price? Couldn't be beat.

We spent 2 nights in the lovely blue apartment, and enjoyed the kind and gracious hospitality of Paola and her family. We arrived on an August Sunday afternoon while the family and friends were enjoying their pranzo, and they immediately peppered us with friendly questions, inviting us to join them. We finally couldn't refuse a small glass of wine, and they immediately made us feel warmly welcomed, as only the Southern Italians know how! The apartment was newly updated, spacious and clean, air-conditioned, with great views and a decently stocked kitchen (only wanting for a cutting board and a veggie peeler when we decided to cook a rather involved meal). There is also a great restaurant next door- Di Filippo- that has great dinner and lunch options. You'll enjoy your stay much more, however, if you are mentally prepared from the get-go: Domus Paola Sorrento is not located in what you might naturally think of as the center of town. It is up on a slight hillside, a good 15 minute walk through some winding roads without sidewalks. With some planning ahead, you can arrange a pick-up with them from the town center with your luggage (train station, or port I imagine as well). When visiting downtown Sorrento, the way down is easy, but the way up is a hike under the heat of the sun, so best to time your return to the apartment for when the sun goes down. At the end of our stay, Paola's daughter very kindly brought us to the center with our luggage, and vehemently refused any payment for the service. Also note that breakfast is not included, and there are no nearby cafe bars. There is a tiny little grocery next door that you could pick up a few essentials beforehand, if you don't want to have to walk to town for your breakfast in the morning. The family lives their life right around you, and you have your own keys to come and go as you please. You won't need an alarm clock as the roosters in the yard will sing to you from the moment the sun rises. My one suggestion would be to consider installing full shutters in the sleeping quarters & bathroom, to buffer some of the outside noise as well as daylight. There are full curtains and half-shutters on one of the bedroom windows, but no shutters on the other, and the sunlight is very strong during the day. All things considered, we would return again without a doubt. The price was right, the apartment was Lovely, the hospitality was warm. It is absolutely ideal for those coming by car, but for those on foot who staying more than a day and arrange a pick-up/drop off in advance, it's a perfect stay too. We wish Paola and her family all the best, and hope to be back!

My wife and I very much enjoyed our stay at Domus Paola Sorrento. The apartment was huge and very well furnished, with a wonderful view from our second floor windows. Our hostess, Paola, welcomed us upon arrival. She was very sweet and helpful. We were also most happy with her recommendation to have dinner next door at her brother's restaurant, which had a wonderful fare far broader in choices than we thought, since it was referred to as a pizzaria. Wonderful fresh fish dishes, in particular. Much larger than we would have thought. We eat there the first night and came back again the second night, it was so good. The location is high up the hillside overlooking most of the Sorrento area and sea to the north. I am sure that some very poor reviews listed on TripAdvisor are instead for some other place and highly mistaken. We very much recommend Domus Paola Sorrento.