Just been on first bike ride of the year - spring is here!
Just been on first bike ride of the year - spring is here!
Member since:21.07.2003
Reviews:477
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It's a trade off which often crops up when arranging accommodation for city breaks - a central location costs more but in the end you may spend as much on transport as you think you've already saved.
In June my partner and I spent a week in Naples. He was there for a few days for work, I would do my own thing for the first couple of days then we would have a couple more days to ourselves. We needed to be fairly close to the centre for the wok engagements but cost was our primary concern. Sadly Ciao could not help so we trawled through pages and pages of websites, eventually finding Hotel Ideal. True to its name it did sound like a very good option - close to the city's main bus and train stations, near to Naples' main shopping area and only a short walk away from the sea; the price was reasonable and it did have a double room available for a whole week on our required dates.
On arriving we found the hotel to be situated on what is perhaps the city's busiest and noisiest roundabout. Italian drivers being as they are the sound of angry drivers tooting their car horns resounded at all times of the day and night. To make matters even more difficult, this roundabout has no designated crossing places for pedestrians and so you literally make a dash for it whenever you can summon the courage!
Nevertheless its great for catching buses and taking trains to the likes of Pompeii and Sorrento as well as for accessing Naples growing underground system.
The entrance to the hotel is clean and bright, the staff friendly and helpful. Going up to the rooms, its reminiscent of those Parisian hotels which have high, narow stairways and rooms leading off suddenly without much room to pass.
We found our room to be clean, well decorated and comfortable with an adequately sized ensuite with shower rather than bath (which, of course is the norm in such establishments). There was plenty of storage space so we did not mind so much that the room was not exactly spacious.
The major drawback with Hotel Ideal was the lack of air conditioning. None of the rooms are equipped with it and Naples in the height of summer really does need it. Opening the window brought only minor relief and had the negative effect of bringing in the traffic noise.
Our second floor room also happened to be next to the chambermaid's closet and so we were woken very early when she came to collect fresh supplies.
Breakfast is included in the price and is served in a tiny room in the basement. Frankly it is rather poor - bread rolls, some processed ham and yoghurt. The coffee and tea were stewed but the attendant will prepare fresh espresso or cappucino if requested.
There you have it, we had no dramas, no disasters and came away relatively happy. In a hotel in Naples without air-con you will be hot in summer so we really only have ourselves to blame, we picked a central hotel so should have expected busy traffic. For what we paid Hotel Ideal represents good value and I would recommend it to anyone trying to work within a tight budget. Just take some earplugs!
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Hotel Ideal Piazza Garibaldi Naples
We booked through Hostelworld.com, and paid around 71 Euros for a double room with en suite in June 2004. Prices may have changed.
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Hotel Ideal offers you the ideal location in the heart of Naples, in Piazza Garibaldi. You ... more
will be near the main railway station, public transport and major attractions.Hotel Ideal occupies 2 floors of a renovated 20th-century building with no lift. En...
Information:
Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
Location. The historic town of Naples, Italy, is home to Hotel Ideal, located in the east ... more
quadrant of the Piazza Garibaldi that houses the Naples Central Train Station and bus routes running throughout the city. The Gulf of Naples is less than two kil...
Information:
Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
Location. The historic town of Naples, Italy, is home to Hotel Ideal, located in the east ... more
quadrant of the Piazza Garibaldi that houses the Naples Central Train Station and bus routes running throughout the city. The Gulf of Naples is less than two kil...
Information:
Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
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